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Does your child dislike reading? Would your child rather do chores than read a book? Does your child avoid reading whenever possible? When it’s time for reading lessons, are there tears or grumpiness involved?
Children who dislike reading are usually struggling readers. Just as nonathletic people tend to avoid exercise, struggling readers tend to avoid books and everything else related to reading.
Reading difficulties can be caused by many factors, including vision problems, learning differences such as dyslexia, or the lack of a solid phonics base. Whatever the cause, when a child has reading problems, it sets in motion a terrible downward spiral.
It makes sense: when your child dislikes reading, he doesn’t get enough practice. Without practice, he doesn’t develop automaticity, and reading becomes hard—which leads to even less practice.
When reading is easy for a child, he usually likes to read – and because it’s easy for him, he reads more. As a result, he develops automaticity, reading becomes even more pleasant, and he has excellent vocabulary growth. The upward spiral continues.
After several years, the gap between children who are on the “downward spiral” and children who are on the “upward spiral” can become quite large.
As it relates to reading, the Matthew effect refers to the idea that good readers read more, causing them to become even better readers. Conversely, poor readers shy away from reading, which has a negative impact on their growth in reading ability. This causes the gap between good readers and poor readers to widen.
The Matthew effect comes from a parable told by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 25:29. The idea behind the parable eventually worked its way into the maxim, “The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” The term Matthew effect was first used in the scientific field to explain how, when two scientists independently do the same work, the more prominent scientist often receives the credit for work done by the lesser known scientist. Later, cognitive science researcher Keith Stanovich1 applied the term Matthew effect to reading when he observed the effect that poor reading skills can have on all areas of a student’s academic life.
Children who are good readers experience more success, and they are encouraged by that success to read more. As they become even more successful at reading, their vocabulary and comprehension grows, which often leads to greater success in all academic areas. On the other hand, readers who struggle at decoding are less likely to want to pick up a book. They get much less practice and fall behind – often way behind – their peers. They fall behind not only in reading and spelling, but also in other content areas such as history and science.
This chart shows how the gap between good readers and poor readers widens as time goes on.
The Matthew effect has such a strong negative impact on poor readers that the sooner you can intervene, the better. There are three ways you can help your reluctant reader, starting now:
Above all, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up. Reading affects all other academic areas, so it is important to get your child the help he needs. If your child is struggling, please know that we are here to help.
Do you have a child who avoids reading? Let us know in the comments below.
1 Stanovich, Keith E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 22, 360-407.
Theresa
says:My grandson is going into the 2nd grade this fall. He is a struggling reader. His reading level is still Kindergarten level, We think he has dyslexia like his mother but the school will not test him. He hates to read. What can I do to help him? I am working with him this summer to try to help him catch up.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceTheresa,
I’m sorry to hear your grandson is struggling.
Whether he is officially diagnosed with dyslexia or not, it may be best to proceed as if you know his struggles are from dyslexia. Since his mother has it, it is very likely he does too.
The most important thing with teaching a dyslexic child is to teach him in a way he can learn. That means not more of the same sort of thing that has not been working for him over the last two years. Rather, it is vital to use a program based upon the Orton-Gillingham Approach. This is a proven approach with over 80 years of research showing its effectiveness.
All About Reading and All About Spelling are based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, and are both written to be Easy to Teach without special training or prior teaching experience. I’m happy to help you with placement questions, so you can be sure to get the right levels for your son’s needs.
We have a Dyslexia Resources Page full of articles and information that is sure to be helpful.
Dr.satyanarayana shenoy
says:Very cute article
Robin
says: Customer ServiceThank you.
Janice Martinez
says:I am a teacher for over 30 years and a mother of 6 adult children. I work closely with children with learning disabilities for varying reasons. Any extra insight is always appreciated.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceWonderful work you are doing, Janice! We have lots of information on our blog about learning differences and struggles. Here are some that you may find helpful:
Dyslexia Resources Page
Teaching Reading and Spelling to Children with Autism
Auditory Processing Disorder: 10 Ways to Help Your Child
Dysgraphia: How can I help my child?
10 Tips for Reaching Your Struggling Learner
Signs of a Reading Problem
Break the “Word Guessing” Habit
Let me know if you have specific questions or concerns. I’m happy to help!
Stacy Sylve
says:Hi,
My grandson is a struggling reader. He is 8 yrs old and in the 2nd grade. He shuts down when he don’t know a word and everything goes out the window. He comprehends very well, but struggles with the reading. He’s a sever hemophiliac and spent a lot of time in the hospital. He’s doing fine in his other subjects for now. When I work with him, I have to catch him when he is in a good mood to learn. Otherwise, he won’t know the words he already knows. For example, when he is in a good mood he can tell and spell words that we’ve worked on, and when he’s not in a good mood, he can’t remember all of a sudden. What can I do?
Robin
says: Customer ServiceStacy,
What you described with being able to easily read words sometimes and not being able to read them other times is somewhat common for struggling learners. It can be a sign that he hasn’t really mastered the foundational skills necessary for reading and spelling words easily, but sometimes he can compensate for those missing skills and other times he is unable to compensate.
The best way to address this is to ensure those gaps in his foundation are addressed. Our “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling could be just the thing!
Here are other links that may be helpful:
Signs of a Reading Problem
10 Tips for Reaching Your Struggling Learner
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Placement for All About Reading and All About Spelling
Let me know if you have questions or if there is anything I can help you with.
Tabitha
says:We the Bible app and follow song in a physical copy. It helps with word recognition and familiarity.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceThanks for sharing, Tabitha!
Khadia
says:This article was really helpful for me to realize the difference between my husband and I because of this affect. And I’m happy to see scripture being quoted on your website! Thank you for all the resources you provide. I just finished our first week of AAR level 1 with my 6 yr old and I am already seeing her progress much quicker than with previous curriculums, and we are only on lesson 4. I just know this curriculum is going to work wonders for us already.
Signed,
A very hopeful mom.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceKhadia,
I’m so excited to hear that All About Reading is making a difference for your daughter at just a few lesson in! Great work! Thank you.
Leah
says:My daughter is 9 years old, the youngest of 6 children I’ve homeschooled and she is STRUGGLING! I have been doing AAR level 1 for about 3 years with her and she’s still not ready to proceed. She has the basic letter sounds down individually but regularly gets stuck on figuring out correct vowel sounds in the middle of a 3 letter word. She is making slow progress, but I get concerned that I’m missing something.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceLeah,
I am so sorry to hear your daughter is struggling so with reading.
Please reach out to us by email at support@allaboutlearningpress.com with all the details you can about what you have been doing, how often, examples of the errors or struggles she is having, and so on. We will work with you as much as you need to help you help your daughter have success with reading! Those of us answering emails have all had personal experience with teaching struggling learners to read and spell successfully.
Sarah
says:Hi, my 9 year old daughter is on step 8 of AAR3. She can decode pretty well and loves the games/activities, but still hates the reading in the book… Even though she does well. She loves audiobooks and would love to be able to enjoy reading chapter books for herself, but believes she won’t ever be able to understand them. She can currently read many/most words in, say, Boxcar Children, but doesn’t understand what has happened when she finishes the chapter. Help!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceSarah,
How does your daughter do when she reads the All About Reading Level 3 stories? Is she able to read them pretty fluently, needing to sound out no more than a few words on each page? Is she able to fluently read this story, “Rawhide,” from the end of All About Reading Level 2?
All About Reading includes research-based instruction in all aspects of reading, not only decoding skills but also fluency (as well as automaticity, comprehension, vocabulary and lots and lots of reading practice). If a student is not fluent in the Level 2 stories, the Level 3 stories will be genuinely too hard, even if the student can sound out every word easily. It may be that your daughter is struggling with reading the All About Reading Level 3 stories, and is unable to enjoy chapter books, because she is not yet ready for that level of reading.
For a person to fully enjoy reading, the level has to be at least somewhat easy and fluent for them. When a child needs to work hard to read each word, sentence, and paragraph, there is very little mental capacity left over for comprehension and enjoyment.
I’d love to help you help your daughter succeed with reading and learn to enjoy it. However, I need more information about her fluency with the stories, what you mean by “decode pretty well,” and so on. We can continue a conversation here, or you can reach me at support@allaboutlearningpress.com.
Sarah
says:My 5 almost 6 year old son is struggling to even learn the names of the capital letters. We have done pre reading A, B ,C and D but he can’t remember their names. So I just continue on or do I keep redoing the lesson until he memorizes them?
Lynn
says:You wrote this a long time ago, but I just wanted to mention that I had this happen with one of my children. Then, several months after he turned six, he learned them all rapidly with some songs and books we had; we were actually on a break from school, and he picked them up on his own. By the school year, when he was 6.5, he was ready to start learning to read. Sometimes a child is just not developmentally ready.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceLynn,
Thank you for sharing about your son.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’m so sorry your son is struggling to learn the letters, Sarah. Here are some tips I think will make a difference:
Work on one letter for as long as it takes for him to master that one letter. So, since you are doing the Pre-Reading Level, it may be best to restart with Lesson 1 until he masters the letter A. Check out the many free Letter Learning activity downloads we have on our blog. These will give you more activities and fun things to do to add to his learning.
Write the letter in Salt Trays or other stuff like shaving cream, paint, chalk on the sidewalk, whatever. Send him on a search in favorite books for the letter A.
Sing the ABC song to him and have him point to the letter A when you come it. You will likely need to cue him when to point but encourage him to also sing the letter name with you.
Do all of this and more for days on end, until he can write the letter without having to see it or be told how it looks. Do it until he can find the letter easily in a page of writing and until he can name the letter without hesitation when you point to it.
Only then start learning B! But, review the previous A daily. Sing the ABC song and cue him to sing the letter names for A and B, helping as much as he needs. Have him form the B in dough or write it on the window or whatever multiple times a day, but also have him write the A a couple of times too. Again, keep working on the letter until he can write it and find and name it easily, but always reviewing the previous one daily.
Do this for each new letter, taking as much time to master each letter, and reviewing all the previous letters daily. In time, some of the previous letters will get really easy. As you near the end of the alphabet, you can try not reviewing every letter every day. But be sure to review every letter at least a couple times a week. At any time, if he has difficulty with a letter, it should go back into daily review for at least a week, preferably two.
This incremental, mastery-based approach will make all the difference in mastering the alphabet. For some children, all the letters are just too easy to confuse with each other. The names make no sense. Why is a B “bee” and a C “see”? And so many of them look alike. A and H, N and M, B and P, C and O. It’s a wonder more children don’t struggle!
I hope this helps, but please let me know how things go over the next few weeks. I’m very interested in hearing if he is mastering letters with this more mastery approach.
Jessica
says:Just wanted to say how wonderful you guys are to take time to reply to each comment and give so much help. We’re just beginning All About Reading this year and I’m confident already!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Jessica! It is important for us to be available and help as much as we can.
I’m glad that you are feeling confident about reading!
April
says:My son is struggling with reading and comprehension help please he’s 9
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry to hear your son is struggling, April. Here are some articles that may help:
10 Tips for Reaching Your Struggling Learner
The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Break the “Word Guessing” Habit
However, if you have specific questions or concerns, I’m happy to help!
Latifah Lynch
says:My 7-year-old grandson doesn’t like to read. He knows he is not a good reader and he has convinced himself to deal with it. He also believes that it will come eventual. I am an educator. I want to help him.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry your 7-year-old grandson is having troubles with reading, Latifah. Very often children do not like reading because it is difficult for them. It is such hard work that they have nothing left for enjoying it.
Here are some resources that can help you help him become better at decoding and then reading with fluency:
How to Teach Phonograms
Helping Kids Sound Out Words
Break the “Word Guessing” Habit
How to Develop Reading Fluency
Theresa
says:Hi! Yes, my seven year old son can read the Level 2 books well in our All About Reading Lessons. He struggles with fluency so we break the stories up into two-three days. However, after he finishes a story he doesn’t like to read it again. I don’t know if I should instruct him or not because he then will feel like he is not progressing and be discouraged. He feels so proud when he finishes a story. He probably could use another practice run though. Suggestions on how to handle reading a story two times?
In addition, he says doesn’t like to read “outside” of the lesson. I encourage him to pick a reader at the library he likes so he can practice reading something he enjoys. He he doesn’t elect to read on his own. He still looks at the pictures only unless I instruct him to read an “outside” book. I think it is just hard and looking at pictures is easier. Am looking for any suggestions. But will continue the encouragement for him to read “outside” books. Thanks.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceTheresa,
It is fine if he does not want to read outside books yet. The majority of books aimed at early readers are written with the idea that students will have memorized lots and lots of sight words, and so they will include words with more difficult phonics and concepts that your son has not yet been exposed to in Level 2. Having lots and lots of words that you can’t read in a book is very discouraging!
We keep a list of books that go along well with each level of All About Reading. If you would like the list, I can email it to you. Let me know.
Your son needs to be fluent with the Level 2 stories before he is ready to move into Level 3. If he is still needing to sound out most of the words in each story, he probably needs to slow down in Level 2 and spend more time reviewing so he can build fluency.
By the way, can he read the Level 1 stories smoothly and fluently, needing to sound out no more than a few words per page and misreading or needing help with no more than a few words total? This page has an excerpt of the last Level 1 story and below it is an audio file that will allow you to hear what fluent reading should sound like at that level.
If your son is not fluent with the Level 1 reading, then he is not ready to be working in Level 2. Level 2 assumes a student is fluent with the Level 1 words, sentences, and stories, and a child that is not fluent in Level 1 will soon find the Level 2 reading to be discouragingly difficult.
It’s is great that you are breaking up each story over two or three days. You are doing great with that! However, consider approaching the story a bit differently in those three days. Try having him read only the odd pages of the story and you read the even pages on the first day, so that he reads only half of the story but he hears (and maybe follows along) with the other half. Then the next day, you read the odd pages and he will read the even ones. Finally, on the third day, the story will be more familiar and he will be able to read the entire thing himself with some fluency. This Buddy Reading approach provides the scaffolding he needs, so that the story isn’t too difficult at first, but it also allows him to successfully read the story with some smoothness before moving on. Being able to read the story like that is so motiving for children that are struggling with fluency!
Also, consider having him reread stories from Level 1, or from many lessons ago in Level 2. Rereading stories from many lessons ago allows for fluency development, but also helps children to notice their own progress. When they read a story for the first time is it hard. But when they go back and reread a story for a few months ago, it is so much easier! The child can then get an idea of how much they have improved!
The fluency pages can be re-used as well. You might enjoy our 16 Ways to Make Practice Sheets Fun. (And check out the comments as well–lots of fun suggestions in there!)
Rereading will help accomplish these goals:
– Increase word rate
– Improve prosody. Prosody is “expressive reading.” It involves phrasing (grouping words into meaningful phrases), emphasis, and intonation (raising pitch at the end of questions, lowering pitch at the end of sentences)
– Improve automaticity (be able to recognize most words automatically without having to sound them out each time)
You can also do a variation of buddy reading called “echo reading.” You read a few sentences with full expression, and then your child reads the same sentences, matching your expression as close as possible. Do this for approximately five minutes a day, or whatever is a comfortable length of time for your child. Add in lots of praise when your child shows even a bit of improvement.
The “Fun with Emojis” article gives an enjoyable way to work on reading with expression too. This can be a great way to make reading fun that also sneaks in some extra practice from the fluency pages or readers. Check out Reading with Expression for this activity and others.
I hope this helps, but please reach out to me if you have questions or need more ideas and help. I’m available here or at support@allaboutlearningpress.com, and I am always happy to help! My youngest child took a long time to become a confident, fluent reader, so I understand.
Lorra
says:I also would love this list of outside books.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceLorra,
I have emailed you the list of books that go along pretty well with each level of All About Reading.
Also, you (or anyone else) can request the list by emailing us at support@allaboutlearningpress.com.
Rachel Holthaus
says:Hi Robin, Can I have the outside reading list of books that go with reading Level 1 too?
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI’ve emailed you, Rachel.
Lissa
says:I would love to have that outside reading list please!
Lissa
Robin
says: Customer ServiceI emailed it to you, Lissa.
Beth
says:Great article~ thanks!
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Beth!
Saranya
says:Yes my daughter is reluctant to read books. Her vocabulary is very poor. Even when speaking she uses wrong words, but don’t have a problem while reading text books. She had taken Montessori method during her earlier years.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceSaranya,
It would be very beneficial for your daughter to spend time daily listening to books being read aloud or to recorded audiobooks. Listening builds language skills.
In addition, our How to Build Your Child’s Vocabulary blog post will be very helpful for you.
rakhi jain
says:yes i want to get those jpurnals
Melissa Franzen
says:My son has completed levels 1 and 2 of all about reading. We are just starting level 3. My son is 7, and he doesn’t seem to enjoy the more challenging level 3 stories. I notice he is often skipping/reversing words and reading the first part of a sentence and throwing in his own guess to finish the sentences.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMelissa,
I’m sorry your son is having difficulties with the All About Reading Level 3 stories.
How well is he able to read the Level 2 stories? Can he read them smoothly and fluently, needing to sound out no more than a few words per page and misreading or needing help with no more than a few words total per story?
If he is not yet fluent with the last few Level 2 stories, then that would be the cause of his difficulties with the Level 3 stories. If students are not fluent in the previous level, the stories will be too long and difficult.
If he is fluent in the Level 2 stories, it could be that he has learned that reading fluently is quicker and easier, so he is trying to read Level 3 “fluently” by guessing. If that is the case, just wait until he finishes a sentence and then ask him to reread it exactly as written. This rereading will slow everything down again, so that reading accurately the first time will become the faster approach.
Also, there is a chance it could be a vision problem. Even if a child has fine vision previously, things can change as they grow. He may be having difficulty because he isn’t seeing the smaller print of the Level 3 stories well.
We have a blog post on Overcoming Obstacles When Reading AAR Stories I think you will find helpful.
Do let me know how fluently he was able to read the last few Level 2 stories. Knowing that can help narrow down the issue. I’m happy to help you help him overcome this difficulty!
Holly
says:Oh, and another thing! My grandson has ADHD and is a distractible wiggler who also loves to be read to. When I began reading long chapter books to him, I got him a companion plush “buddy” (as he calls it): a small wolf cub for “A Wolf Called Wander,” a dog toy with three little squirrels in a log with holes for “Nuts to You,” and a baby great horned owl (he bought 2 more) for “Owls in the Family.” He can play with them, or snuggle them while I read, and I hope that when he plays with them after we finish the book, they will bring back positive, comforting memories (and maybe some details about the book itself!). Now, at 8 years old, we don’t require a reading buddy, but I may do it again for a treat.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat a fabulous idea, Holly! I love that you found toys to go along with the books you are reading aloud to increase your son’s connection and positive associations with being read to! Really, a great idea! Thank you for sharing it!
Holly Camp
says:I tutor my 8-yr-old grandson (with AAS AND AAR!) We’ve found that each of us reading either every other page or, on his hardest days, every other sentence keeps the book flowing and he’s able to read more “with a glad heart.” I also give him $1 for every little book (Bob-like) and $5 for a bigger book (Cat in the Hat) he reads alone/aloud. When he has his eye on something to buy, his reading reluctance ebbs! When reading itself is not that rewarding, outside motivation helps a lot.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI did Buddy Reading with my daughter a lot when she was that age too, Holly! It’s a great technique for helping a student that struggles.
Cassandra
says:My second grader says he hates reading but at the same time he loves books almost as much as his bibliophile momma. He does struggle with decoding a little and he refuses to be wrong about something so it can be impossible to get him to sound out words. I don’t know if he is too old to start the All About Reading program…he actually reads at grade level now even though he hates it. We are planning to do the All About Spelling program for next year, though. I wish I had found your product last year when we started homeschooling!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCassandra,
Second grade is not too old to start All About Reading!
All About Reading can be started at any level. We have placement tests to help you determine what level your child is ready for. You will be looking for the highest level that he can read the placement test story smoothly and fluently, needing to sound out no more than a few words per page and misreading or needing help with no more than a few words total. That will be the level he is ready to begin.
You may find our Helping Kids Sound Out Words blog post helpful as well.
Mary Bedel
says:I can’t tell you all how much I appreciate your program. Five of my friends/acquaintances have purchased your program because I praised it so highly. And what’s more important (to me) is that my daughter who struggled terribly is very motivated to learn to read and is keeping pace with her lessons with both ease and enjoyment. Reading quality books is very important in our household and I don’t know what we would have done if she couldn’t ever quite succeed. Thank you so much!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are so welcome, Mary. And thank you for sharing our program with others! It’s the best praise!
Jessica Marin
says:my son likes to do everything except read
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry to hear that, Jessica. However, often children dislike reading because it is hard work for them. Most people will avoid a task that is hard work! In such situations, building a child’s skill with reading so that it becomes easy will help them to stop avoiding and rather find it enjoyable.
Mildred
says:I have a child whom I suspect might have dyslexia he struggles with reading and writing
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry your child is struggling, Mildred. We have a Dyslexia Resources page that I think you may find helpful. Please let me know if you have questions or specific concerns I can help with.
Karen
says:All I can say right now is that some children pick-up reading more readily than others. One of my grandchildren is not that fortunate but because of moms out there that have had the same experience they have found things that work for auditory disfunction and other challenges. Those challenged children when educated properly often end up ahead of children that pick-up reading easier. Thank you for all you do. Language rules are so important to these children. Sounds, decoding is what gets them to read. It is not easy for them but they start reading and grow from there. Don’t push. See when they are tired and quit for some fun time, games, make learning an enjoyable experience for all children.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Karen! Great points and reminders to make learning enjoyable.
JoAnn
says:Yes I have a 4 th grader
Cay
says:Marie Rippel is totally on target with this article. The maxim is true, if you can get them to like reading, they just take off! Our daughter began reading at age 4, and so did our son. It has allowed us to advance them in every academic subject because their vocabulary is greater, and they can study autonomously, with less parental assistance. We begin alphabet familiarity at age 2 with our kiddos, using kinesthetic manipulables like the Teach My Toddler kits on Amazon, then switch to Progressive Phonics (free, just google it) in Kinder, then into regular textbooks in 1st grade at age 4/5. Thanks to the kinesthetic/phonics foundation, our kids are 2 years ahead of regular reading level and in all other subjects except for history. (History has some complex relational concepts that a child just can’t wrap her mind around too early in life.) I did struggle awhile getting our now-5-year-old son to pick up a book and begin reading on his own outside of lessons, and finally hit the jackpot with Batman and pirate readers from the library. (Guess it had to be a subject that he loved.) Marie Rippel is 100% right that a phonics base is critical to strong reading in the early years. And getting them to LIKE reading is also imperative.
Tiffany Lewis
says:I love how this information is displayed. Is it okay to share this information with parents?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWe always appreciate when links to our articles are shared, Tiffany! Thank you.
However, if you wanted to print the information or share it in another way, please email us at support@allaboutlearningpress.com with details on how you wish to do so.
Sarah
says:I am hoping our story will encourage some of you. I have two children with dyslexia. Our oldest struggles mightily with dyslexia while our youngest has a milder form of the same struggles. We have homeschooled from day one, but it wasn’t until 3rd grade that I was able to pinpoint what was going on with our oldest. He compensated in many ways that hid how badly he was struggling, until he couldn’t move forward. I spent that summer reading through The Gift of Dyslexia by Ron Davis and implementing some of the exercises. This was important because we came to realize our son wasn’t seeing punctuation at all. The light bulb moment for us was when he was able to tie the period in a sentence to the stop button on the CD player. We also began All About Reading at the start of his 3rd grade year (we did things in reverse because we didn’t know better and started All About Spelling in 2nd grade). My son’s confidence soared at the start of AAR as he was able to blow through the first level and part of the 2nd. The rest of our ride was bumpy but he graduated from AAR. Now 14 and in 9th grade we are still working through AAS. I love that AAR and AAS use levels and not grades. My son knows he is behind but our focus has always been progress not a grade level. He is ahead in math, so there’s that too! We, as a family, have always used audio books in the car, and we have listened to a wide array of stories. I still group read with all the kids and also encourage reading on their own. Graphic novels are a great way to introduce struggling readers to independent reading. It’s not just potty humor (Dogman I’m looking at you!) anymore either. There are great biographies and non-fiction options being published. Graphic novels have blown me away for many reasons. The pictures help to give visual queues and comprehension for many types of readers and as a child they up the fun content of a book. Many graphic novels were written by dyslexic authors, which should tell us something, too. After years, and I do mean years, of my oldest reading graphic novels because he could tolerate them, and he truly does love stories, I was beginning to despair that he would ever pick up a “normal” book. He is 14-1/2, and he just picked up two historical fiction books that had been sitting on our shelf. He blew through one and is currently reading the other because they are engaging and new. I could not have forced this even half a year ago. I’ve searched for every graphic novel we were okay with him reading and tried to keep options in front of him with no pressure. Oftentimes books go back to the library that he won’t touch. This is a major victory and it has been a long, slow process. He will probably never have the smooth cadence of a reader who doesn’t struggle but he continues to read, daily, and that is the victory I wanted for him more than anything. To enjoy stories for himself. We are in the throes of some of this with our youngest, who also graduated from AAR this past year. We couldn’t afford or travel to the Orton-Gillingham center that is in our area so I’ve had to do a lot of research and trial and error. I so appreciate the additional information that AAR and AAS provide. These programs gave us a big leg up on the things we were struggling with and gave me a springboard to better understand and help my kids grasp strategies to move forward. Maturity after 12 seems to play a big part in reading skills for dyslexic kids, so don’t despair! It’s a slow road but worth the work when you begin to see progress. Celebrate those small victories!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you so much for sharing your sons’ stories, Sarah! I am sure it will be very encouraging to many!
We have a blog post on Motivating Readers with Graphic Novels that includes title suggestions, although most are for younger readers. It would be great if you could add some of your son’s favorite titles to the comments of that post!
Mary Anna Coleman
says:Thank you for sharing your story. I have been using AAR with my son but it has been a slow process, he turned 13 this year and it seems like things are starting to click. If I compare his reading level to other children his age, I can get discouraged but as a believer in Christ – our hope is in Him and we don’t know His purpose in allowing these trials in our life but we know He never wastes what we walk through! This journey is more than being “on grade” with the other kiddos at church, this is character building for my son (and for his Moma, too!) I so appreciate your story. It is great to know I am not alone on this dyslexic road with my amazingly bright but struggling boy that I am privileged to call my son!!
Murielle Vich
says:Thank you for sharing your story. It is inspiring and reminds me that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have a 8 years old girl who struggles with dyslexia and who desperately wish she could read… Your story gives me hope.
rajeev sharma
says:very informative article
Donald Errol Knight
says:Interesting and clear explanation.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Donald.