Parenting a struggling reader can be difficult, especially during the school year when there are numerous demands and stresses put on your child. Summer can be a time when you and your child can focus on his reading issues in a non-judgmental and supportive environment and make some headway before jumping back into the next school year.
Seek Outside Advice from Reading Professionals
Many learning centers and speech and language therapy centers like Coastal Therapy in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, are trained in diagnosing and pinpointing a child's specific developmental needs and design a program to aid the child in developing the skills needed to be successful in school. While these programs can be costly, the short-term monetary costs pale in comparison to the lost confidence, self-esteem, and success that your child may suffer if his academic issues are not addressed in a timely fashion.
Implement a Home Reading Program
There are several effective reading programs that can be implemented at home during the summer that are inexpensive and are not time consuming, such as Great Leaps. Designed to build fluency through skill mastery, a typical Great Leaps reading session lasts approximately 5-7 minutes, and should be done at least three times weekly to see adequate progress over time. [1]
Run Short, Frequent Reading Sessions
Long, intensive reading sessions run the risk of turning children off to reading instead of getting them excited about it. When working on specific skills, schedule 3-5 reading sessions per day with each lasting a maximum of 2-4 minutes. Children will learn the skills they need while avoiding boredom. Post information on the refrigerator, under the screen on the TV, on the back of the front seat of the car – anywhere your child will see it and can quickly review it.
Use Praise Appropriately
Children are smart and can tell when they have truly accomplished something. You child is not going to improve every day – there will be setbacks. On those days, tell him that the two of you will continue working on the skills until he masters them, and eventually he will master the skills he needs to be successful. It is important for your child to know that you are not going to abandon him during this process, even on days when his performance was not particularly stellar. Conversely, when your child does perform extremely well or accomplishes a significant goal, praise him mightily and enthusiastically. Get the whole family involved in the celebration.
Get Your Child Help with Reading Now
Time is not on your child's side when it comes to resolving a reading issue. The older your child is before intervention occurs, the longer it will take to help read at grade-level. According to Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats, authors of the book Parenting a Struggling Reader, "it takes four times as long to improve the skills of a struggling reader in fourth grade as it does to do so between mid-kindergarten and first grade." (p. 46). If reading issues are not resolved before a child reaches the age of nine, almost 75-88 percent of these children will continue having reading difficulties throughout school and into adulthood. [2]
It can be difficult to focus on reading issues during the school year due to homework, extra curricular activities and other family pressures. Use the summer to consult with reading specialists, read at home with your child using short sessions, and praise him when he excels. Summer provides your child with the time to focus on developing his skills in this specific area that will have a strong impact on how he performs academically for years to come.
For more information in designing a summer reading program see Tips to Get Kids Reading This Summer.
References
1. Mercer, Cecil D., Campbell, Kenneth U. Great Leaps Reading K-2 Edition. FL: Diarmuid, Inc. February, 1998.
2. Hall, Susan L and Moats, Louisa C., Ed.D. Parenting the Struggling Reader. NY: Broadway Books. 2002.
Julie Warrenfeltz - A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in 1995 with a self-designed major in Technical Writing, I launched my career with a contract ...
