[senco-forum] supporting reluctant readers

Hi Sally When my daughter was almost 10 she had a reading age of just over 6, this despite 1:1 support for over 2 years, on a daily basis for 40 minutes per day. You would not have encountered many more reluctant readers than she was! The reason being she couldn't read. Of course I continued to read to her at home (still do) and would always tell her what something said as she didn't have the skills to work it out herself. Reluctant readers are reluctant readers because they can't read. I was given many excuses by professionals who said she will work out strategies to help her with her reading difficulties. What could they be? Asking someone to read the word for her perhaps? I don't want to start another SP debate because I know you are all experienced enough to find what works for the children you support. I found a private tutor of the sound reading system and she took my daughter right back to basics and it was very time consuming and sometimes very frustrating for my daughter 'unlearning' her guessing habits. In the space of 18 months her reading age went up by over 3.9 years and she is now reading much the same as her classmates. Now comes the time that she starts to read for pleasure and information and you can't believe how I feel when I see her get out a book and read just because she wants to. I never in the early stages let her struggle with a word, but the tutor always gave her reading material that she could decode (unlike the school). 
We are having problems with maths, and it is a painfully slow process, but I know I have to make sure she has the skills to work things out for herself even though it is sometimes so much easier to step in and answer for her.
> Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:07:15 +0000> From: middleroom at blueyonder.co.uk> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk> Subject: [senco-forum] supporting reluctant readers> > > Along with everything else suggested, Barrington Stokes books with a RA> lower than CA, buff paper and well spaced-out pages have a good selection> of titles that provide less-confident readers with material pitched at> their level.> > On the courses for parents that I run with the Cornwall Dyslexia> Association, I have a library of these books which parents borrow to> practise 'paired reading'. I label the books with their chronological age> only and have had some very good feedback.> > For 'paired reading' for parents, we advise them not to be teachers but to> provide 'access to the written word' (eg if the child comes across a word> they don't know, tell them the word, don't make them break it down etc).> For parents, this often comes as a great relief. They also report a big> difference to reading attitudes as the meaning of text is now the focus of> reading in place of the conflict and reluctance often experienced when> reading with a child at home.> > Another result has been that parents report that children are now asking> them for access to words in posters, signs etc knowing they will get> support rather than face the 'what-does-it-begin-with' approach which, to> many struggling readers, prevents them from asking. I think this is> brilliant as experience of reading/experience of written> language/experience of language in variety of contexts is absolutely vital> to the development of reading. As I say to parents, most of us can read a> job application form with our eyes shut - ie we are familiar with the> format and language so need not work very hard to access the text.> Reluctant readers however, are not experiencing this wide variety of> experience which further impinges on their ability (and willingness) to> read.> > Therefore, I would suggest that utilising parents as a reading resource is> a valuable addition to any reading programme, but don't expect (or wish)> them to approach their input in the same way as the school - use parents> to complement your teaching/learning delivery. Apart from extending> reading variety/experience, 'paired reading' (in all its different forms)> also suits the family-child relationship far better - positively improving> opportunities for success, partnership and support.> > By having books such as Barrington Stokes in the school library (which> other readers enjoy, not just the struggling ones), by providing 'paired> reading' guidance and suggesting varied reading tasks (eg read shampoo> bottle; page of a dictionary; daily horoscope; leaflet from bank etc), you> are offering an additional avenue of reading experience to your students.> > Best wishes,> Sally (Plymouth)> > > Dear Audrey,> >> > In addition to all the fabulous advice you have received so far, you will> > need to look at the children's levels of phonological awareness. Sound> > Linkage is a one off purchase that I have found to be invaluable over the> > years. It has an easy to administer test that is given individually and> > then a set of exercises to work on any areas of need. The exercises can> > easily be supplemented with other material to provide overlearning.> >> > Dyslexia Guidance, authored by Turner & Bodien, with Collier, outlines a> > system of working with literacy underachievement for ages 5-18 using> > synthetic phonics. A large part of the book is photocopiable resources.> >> > Ear and eye tests are also advisable. A boy at our school had a full> > audiometric hearing test with pure tones this week and has been found to> > have a hearing loss of 40db in the mid range (where the human voice> > operates). He had had his ears tested before, but not as thoroughly and> > had> > been given a clean slate. He needs a hearing aid.> >> > There are two aspects to vision and hearing - "hardware" and "software" -> > hardware being the health of the physical equipment - eyes and ears.> > Software being how the muscles, neural system and brain work with received> > information from the hardware - visual and auditory processing.> >> > I have information I can send as attachments on visual and auditory> > processing if anyone wants it.> >> > Philippa Bodien> >> > On 10/31/07, Ruth Newbury <rmnewbury at ntlworld.com> wrote:> >>> >> Dear Audrey> >>> >>> >>> >> Review what they have all used before - before you buy anything.> >>> >>> >>> >> I used to get my students start with me in Year 9 - and have to get them> >> moving from then - so I am not particularly happy to hear about any> >> students> >> being dismissed in year 8 as failures!> >>> >>> >>> >> I also agree with Brendan - I would be seeking statutory assessment too.> >>> >>> >>> >> However - what to do with them - nothing that looks like what they have> >> done> >> before.> >>> >>> >>> >> Eddie Carron Reading Library works for lots of children - so does Lexia> >> and> >> Autoskills. I like the computer programme approach because working with> >> a> >> computer appears to many children to be less judgemental than people> >> when> >> they are working at this sort of thing - I would also be checking all> >> the> >> key words banks - often these are in place - it's all the other words> >> they> >> can't do.> >>> >>> >>> >> Crucial to all this is their oral work. In class - are they like> >> everyone> >> else orally - but can't do the reading writing bit - or do they have> >> trouble> >> with the concepts involved in what they are doing. 99% of my students> >> in> >> mainstream were fine orally - it's that tiny minority that really need> >> an> >> instant assessment from an expert as to exactly what they should be> >> doing.> >> The majority - with motivation - may well be able to make marked> >> progress> >> with those computer programmes - gains of 3+ years were common with my> >> Yr> >> 9s> >> using a variety of computer programmes. I find it's develo0ping the> >> writing> >> skills that is the real difficulty - they can see their progress with> >> the> >> reading - but writing takes a great deal longer to sort out.> >>> >>> >>> >> When I look at how it is hoped that the use of ICT is embedded in the> >> curriculum - when I look at what is around to help children with these> >> types> >> of problems - I am always sad to see what is not available as standard> >> in> >> the secondary sector.> >>> >>> >>> >> I would not want to operate a secondary SEN department without access> >> to:> >> -> >>> >>> >>> >> Eddie Carrons Electronic Libraries - the initial one and the> >> comprehension> >> one> >>> >>> >>> >> Wordshark> >>> >>> >>> >> Lexia/Autoskills> >>> >>> >>> >> Word Bar> >>> >>> >>> >> Dragon Dictate> >>> >>> >>> >> Inspiration> >>> >>> >>> >> Read & Write> >>> >>> >>> >> And I'd be agitating for Kurzweil too!> >>> >>> >>> >> And these are just my response for literacy skills - there are lots of> >> other> >> one off programmes I have bought in the past for specific problems with> >> literacy - such as aphasic student who came on by leaps and bounds with> >> her> >> speech once she was using the Xavier programme that gave you a picture> >> of> >> the sound waves you made when you spoke a word.> >>> >>> >>> >> For me - these are the basics for day to day survival for the very> >> students> >> you are talking about - and once you have bought them - they stay as> >> permanent resources for those children - who still appear year after> >> year.> >>> >>> >>> >> Every school has students like this - year after year - who for a> >> variety> >> of> >> reasons - do not "get reading" - or writing - or spelling - or whatever.> >>> >>> >>> >> Operating functioning SEN departments without tools like this is like> >> the> >> rest of the school being asked to use blackboards and slates! We have> >> come> >> a long way since then - but far too many SEN departments are still the> >> Cinderella's of provision when it comes to rooms - staffing - and> >> resourcing.> >>> >>> >>> >> I also think that we need to look at where the SEN money is going. LSAs> >> are> >> wonderful - but to make these your priority at the expense of providing> >> what> >> are initially expensive resources - but they will be used over and over> >> again and your students may well experience their first independent> >> successes once they have the use of the cream of the programmes that are> >> out> >> there.> >>> >>> >>> >> How many LSAs do school have? Perhaps the next time you lose one - you> >> might ask for their salary for these kind of resources instead of just> >> finding an instant replacement.> >>> >>> >>> >> SEN provision is not just about extra bodies in classrooms - it is about> >> provision for their needs with other resources as well.> >>> >>> >>> >> Regards> >>> >>> >>> >> Ruth> >>> >>> >> >> > > > 
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