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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.
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?
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.
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.
Holly Arthur
says:My 11yo daughter did AAR4 when she was in 4th grade after testing her, she did great on the test, but had never learned any rules of reading in public school (she was in public k-3rd) and AAR4 was good for her – she few through it in just a few months. She also did AAS1-4 that year too, 5 and part of 6 last year and we are finishing up 6 now about to move to 7. Little brother did start with AAS1 so she has heard much of AAR1&2 and now 3, and she loves them and is so jealous of the games and often joins in the games …BUT!!! Books her own 6th grade reading level she thinks are boring. She doesn’t want to read them. If I read them aloud, she loves them. She can read a chapter to herself and get nothing from it. If I read it aloud she could repeat the whole thing back to me. But I want her to be independent. I don’t even know where to help her. Sometimes I have her read aloud to her little brother from her books and they seems to help her…we just don’t have the hours in the day to do that everyday. Any ideas or suggestions to get her to love reading on her own? I actually know I was in a similar boat in 3-5th grade and I pretended to love to read because everyone thought I was smart (I was really only good at math! Haha!) but at some point in 5th grade it all changed and I read too much! I always had a book in my hand and to this day I love to read. I just don’t know what to do to get it to clock on for her. I know she is a good reader for listening to her read aloud, but I also know something is missing since she does not want to nor enjoys reading books to herself. Help!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’ve received some great suggestions, Holly. I have a bit more too.
The most important thing you can do with your student now is read-read-read! Set a daily reading time for your daughter to read for 20 to 30 minutes at least five days a week. After finishing All About Reading level 4, students often need more practice to build their stamina for reading and to practice the skills they learned for decoding unfamiliar words.
Only when reading becomes so easy that it is second nature does it become truly enjoyable for a person. Before then, it is hard work and when it’s hard work there is little left for understanding what was read. The only way for reading to become that easy is to practice, practice, practice.
Try to choose books that interest her, both fiction and non-fiction. It is preferable if the books (or magazines or articles) are easy or comfortable for her, even if that means below her grade level. Our article What Happens after All About Reading? has a lot of suggestions.
Have your student keep reading aloud a little each day (10 minutes or so, with the rest of the time reading silently). You can use all of the strategies that she has learned to help him decode unfamiliar words. After she reads to you each day, make note of any difficult words and use those as a teaching lesson the next day where you walk through those syllable division rules and other decoding skills she has learned.
I had my students continue reading aloud to me for short periods into high school. I also found it helpful to have my kids read their directions to me for things like math, grammar, or other workbook-oriented work. Then I had my kids explain what they were to do in their own words. This kind of synthesis of directions helped not only with daily school work but also for understanding things like test questions. It cut down on mistakes due to misunderstanding directions (or misreading them) and helped me continue to further their vocabulary with relation to specific subjects.
When you listen to a student read aloud, you can hear what struggles she may be having with reading and then focus your teaching on those things. You may find that she is skipping small words, reading too fast, getting stuck on difficult words, or reading without expression, in a monotone way. The last isn’t just a stylistic issue; it is quite difficult to get meaning from a long passage read without expression.
Have her sometimes re-read passages she has read previously so that you can work on reading with expression too. Do a combination of “cold reads” (things she hasn’t read before) and “warm reads” (re-reading a familiar passage to work on reading with expression.)
Make and use flashcards for review (this helps quite a bit!). Put those harder words on word cards to give her additional review. Here’s a blank word card template you can use, or just use index cards for those words you want to review.
When my kids were in the upper levels of All About Spelling (especially 6 and 7), I often used the word banks for additional fluency practice and also for teaching words that they didn’t know (sometimes they had heard a word but were not sure what it meant).
We recommend continuing reading aloud to her as well. It sounds like you already have that handled well! I read to my kids throughout high school–there are so many benefits, and it helps students continue to develop language and vocabulary skills plus increase their knowledge base at a pace that might not be possible otherwise. Listening comprehension and reading comprehension are related, and there is also a relation between hearing good writing and being able to write well (hearing good writing helps with a student’s own writing even more than reading good writing does). It may seem odd to be reading aloud to a student that reads well, but it is still important. It doesn’t have to be just fiction, however. You could read history books, science, fiction, the Bible, poetry, and the best thing is likely a variety of all sorts of material over the course of a year.
Watch for words in read-alouds and in your student’s reading that may be unfamiliar, and stop to talk about words to help him know what they mean. Here’s an article on How to Build Your Child’s Vocabulary. You’ll also want to discuss unfamiliar situations to keep adding to his cultural knowledge, and so on.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Linda
says:Some suggestions:
Read aloud together. That way you can read most of it so she enjoys and benefits from hearing the book, and she doesn’t have to work so hard at it. Also, she will hear the words as she reads them, which should help her comprehension. You can adjust how much each of you reads as you see how she reacts. Some people insist on reading everything just right and finishing everything, so that reading becomes a chore. It is alright to stop and talk about the story, what is happening, what do you think will happen next, etc. And, you can stop before it becomes hard and come back to it later. Definitely choose an interesting book, perhaps one she already knows and likes. Reading the same book multiple times has many advantages if she would enjoy that, but not if she balks at that.
There would be absolutely nothing wrong with going back to the levels she loves and is jealous of and working through them at her pace. It could fill in gaps, be fun and build her confidence.
Keep reading wonderful books to them; it builds family bonds, keeps them learning while reading is still hard, demonstrates smooth reading with expression and so much more. It was the best part of our homeschool.
Prayers that she learns to love reading! :)
Courtney
says:Hi,
I just wanted to follow up on the possible eye concern. You would want to see a developmental optometrist. Ophthalmologist track whether you see, but optometrists track how you see – do the letters look big or squiggly? Just something to consider!
Marlo
says:My son was diagnosed with convergence insufficiency by an optometrist. Optometrist study the development of the eyes for 4-6 years. Not all optometrist offer vision therapy. Whereas, Ophthalmologist go to medical school for 4 years and then receive 2 years training on the eyes. My son is participating in vision therapy and has experienced much success. It has and continues to improve his quality of life! If you can, please read Jillian’s Story. It’s about a young girl and her journey through vision therapy. It is worth the time and money!
Carol
says:I must say in just reading this post that I would be VERY CAREFUL here in your advice between an optometrist versus an ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor with additional specialty training in eye conditions, diseases, and surgery, including brain function involving vision. An optometrist is NOT a medical doctor, they have some training in eye anatomy, conditions, and obviously technical training for vision correction with glasses, contacts, etc… but please be careful with making claims that aren’t accurate. There is a huge difference between the two and both have their scope and place in eye care. An ophthalmologist has a much broader scope of training as well as much more comprehensive and in depth training in terms of the eye, eye conditions, and vision. The best place to start if you have vision concerns for a child is by seeing a pediatric ophthalmologist which is a children’s eye specialist. Children’s eyes and muscles are developing, and there are certain developmental windows where patching, etc… are critical during certain years to strengthen the muscles of the eye. I would be extremely cautious to go to an optometrist who claims a specialty in “developmental optometry.” I have had friends who have gone to such optometrists and paid a tremendous amount of precious developmental time and money for “vision therapy” that was completely ineffective and to be honest – it was quackery. They lost not only money, but significant time in their child’s development and vision.
Optometrists are very helpful but they need to stay in their lane. I would recommend seeing a pediatric ophthalmologist for any vision concerns as a place to start. Also be aware that what may seem like a vision issue (and it’s good to make sure their vision is good to rule out any obstacles there) if your child is a struggling reader, but then to recognize it may be a brain issue (like dyslexia). I have children with dyslexia who are now in college and thriving and I’m so grateful I did not waste precious time and resources on vision “treatments” when what they desperately needed was educational intervention – and the earlier it’s addressed- the better. I just want to spare any parent of making that costly mistake. Children are so amazingly resilient and capable when given the support and tools that they need like AAR and AAS.
L.L.
says:Holly, I don’t normally read posts, much less reply to them. But something about your post caught my eye and I’d like to share my experience in case it helps you. I have a now 13 year old with a similar issue. When he read something, he could read the words well, but could not answer any questions about what he just read – even a short paragraph. But if I read to him, the comprehension and retention was incredible.
Our younger child had an eye condition for which we were regularly seeing an optometrist. I decided to make an appointment for this older one to get his eyes checked – even though the “eye exam” from the pediatrician always indicated his vision was great. (This so-called eye exam always tests them from across the room and is very limited.) During the eye exam with the actual optometrist, it was discovered that he is far sighted and he had insufficient convergence. So, his eyes had difficulty focusing on the up close words. His brain was so busy trying to decide where to focus the eyes, it couldn’t retain any information he had read. The child had never complained or expressed this problem. Since his eyes had always been that way, how could he know that wasn’t normal? Some low strength reading glasses made a HUGE difference.
We are also doing vision therapy to train the eyes to track better. His eyes have always “tracked” well during a regular exam (following the pencil without moving the head), but a machine test showed just how much his eyes jumped back and forth between words while reading a paragraph (excessive saccadic eye movements). All that to say, it may be worth considering a visit with an optometrist who is at least familiar with vision therapy to see if there are any vision issues causing the problem.
I don’t know where you live, but this is the doctor who has helped us so much. http://www.brecheenlearning.com.
There is also information on this issue and some exercises in the form of games at http://www.engagingeyes.com.
L.L.
says:Holly,
Whatever is causing your child’s aversion to independent reading, I have prayed that God leads you in the right direction. I do know this is a frustrating place to be. I so wish I had found out sooner what my child’s problem was. If I may, I would like to say one more thing. Vision therapy is often misunderstood and attacked…it is not merely eye exercises. It is also actually training the brain as vision is 90% brainwork. Many people have seen success with it. It can indeed work if the problem is something that vision therapy can address.
Holly Arthur
says:Thank you so much! We actually went to the optometrist (? Ophthalmologist? Now I’m not sure which!) just a few weeks ago, but I was wondering if there could be something like this going on too. I will have to see if I can find a doctor like to recommended around here!! Thank you!
Marie Stewart
says:My grandson(just turned 7) can sound out his words and spell them, but it does not like reading. He says it is because he doesn’t know the book. So I have decided to start reading the book to him first a couple of times and then see if he will give it a try.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMarie,
When students need to sound out every word, they usually don’t have enough focus left to understand and enjoy what they are reading. This could be what he is trying to express when he means he doesn’t know the book.
Your idea to read the book to him first, so he does know it, is a great idea! You could try Buddy Reading as well.
Molly Peters
says:My daughter struggles with reading due to not being taught the basics. I would love to get her help. She is in the 5th grade and now is the time to get it under control!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m happy to help, Molly.
We have placement tests to help you determine which level of All About Reading your daughter is ready to begin with. You will be looking for the highest level that she 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.
Note, our levels are not grade levels. Students finishing the final level (Level 4) have the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out high school level words. (Word attack skills include things like dividing words into syllables, making analogies to other words, sounding out the word with the accent on different word parts, recognizing affixes, etc.)
You may also find it helpful to begin All About Spelling as well. Spelling works on words from the opposite direction (encoding versus decoding) which can be very helpful for students that struggle with reading. However, you would need to do All About Reading as well, as All About Spelling doesn’t include the reading practice necessary for students to become fluent readers. You may find our Using All About Spelling with Older Students blog post helpful.
Please let me know if you have questions about placement or anything else.
Amy
says:My 6 year older loves to listen to stories. He loves acting out what he’s heard, his vocabulary is extensive and he started talking at a very early age compared to most baby boys. He cries and shuts down when it’s time to for him to read but begs to listen to stories in audible and be read to. He did just complete vision therapy which has helped immensely and we completed the first All About Reading curriculum. Although I am finding that All About Spelling is helping now that we’ve started that program, he still is easily discouraged and frustrated. I’m shocked that a child who will listen to and comprehend the entire 12 hour audible of Swiss Family Robinson fights me when it comes to reading. Thank you for any feedback.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmy,
It sounds like your child is really verbal and has amazing listening comprehension! That’s wonderful. It means once he has mastered the mechanics of reading, he will likely have great reading comprehension (listening comprehension and reading comprehension are closely related).
As your child neared the end of All About Reading level 1, how was he doing with the stories? Was he able to read them fluently and smoothly, needing to sound out no more than a few words per page? Maybe he is disliking reading because he is still needing to decode each word. He may benefit from working through AAR 1 again with a focus on building fluent reading. If this is the issue, please let me know so I can offer specific suggestions.
You are probably already doing this, but we recommend working on 20 minutes a day 5 days a week. Short daily lessons done consistently are far more effective than longer lessons done less often.
However, if your child grows tired or frustrated before the 20-minute mark, it is fine to end early. When my daughter was young, we usually did reading for just 15 minutes a day to be able to end before she got tired.
Buddy Reading with Your Child can be very helpful. It makes reading more social and provides the chance for children to master a story over two or three days so they can read it very successfully before moving on. That builds confidence in reading.
I’d love to hear more details about what aspects of reading are the most discouraging or frustrating for him. I may be able to provide specific tips or suggestions to help him overcome those issues and become confident and encouraged in reading.
Sue
says:That sounds a lot like my son, who is now 38. He talked early and well, and enjoyed being read books far above his age level. But he struggled with reading. He turned out to be dyslexic and to have Irlen Syndrome, and to this day, reading is challenging and tiring for him. He prefers to get his information from podcasts and videos. He does find that reading on a tablet is easier, because he can control the amount of text on the screen at one time and can scroll it up and down. Your son is fortunate in that many more assistive devices and apps are available now than when my son was young. I wouldn’t hesitate to allow your son to use devices and apps (especially instructional apps), but also stay the course with print-based phonics instruction, to avoid overreliance on technology that is not always available, functioning or correct. Look for creative ways to make reading fun (e.g. using cloze text and rebus puzzles) and to capitalize on your son’s strengths, such as his excellent oral vocabulary (which will give him an advantage with recognizing words once his decoding skills have improved). Some other things you could try are duet reading and echo reading, where you take turns reading with him (word by word or sentence by sentence) or let him echo your reading line by line. Maybe also some dramatic reading, where you take different parts. And don’t forget “reading on the run,” where you incorporate reading instruction into your son’s everyday activities, such as reading a restaurant menu, environmental print such as road signs, instructions for crafts and games, notes left for him around the house, etc. I now work in adult literacy, and I encourage my students to read books with both text and audio, so that the audio can correct and reinforce the student’s reading. ESL Bits has some books appropriate for young readers. You could ask your son to follow the text with his finger as he listens, so you’ll know he’s using his eyes as well as his ears. Another thing to consider is that your son is still young. His issue may be partly brain maturity; boys tend to mature more slowly. I would advise gentle persistence without undue pressure or anxiety on your part, as that will likely exacerbate your son’s resistance and your own frustration. Learning to read takes more time and effort for people with learning differences, but with patience and perseverance, it will happen. Hope this helps!
Sue
says:Amy, glad it was helpful! All the best!
Amy
says:Wow! This is amazing information and so much help! I can’t thank you enough for this response, I will definitely stay the course!!
Libby
says:My 14 year old son reads so slowly. It’s painful to hear him sound out words and he reads so slowly that I don’t believe he can remember much of what he read. He reads behind grade level… drastically behind. We homeschool and I read much of his material aloud to him for both our sakes. I have him read aloud to me everyday but I know it has affected his self-esteem. He would rather dig ditches than academic work. Ive order All About Reading Level 1 for my 9 year old daughter who exhibits many of the same struggles her older brother has. Would it be a bad idea to have him use it, too? I just ordered All About Spelling Level 1 to use with my son.
Christina Lance
says:Hi Libby,
I use AAR Levels 2 and 3 with my 13, 14, and 15 year-old sons (all dyslexic). We are also using AAS Level 2 and 3. It is fun, it is just a short amount of time every day, but most of all, IT WORKS. It empowers my boys and gives them confidence. They are all capable readers now. It is NOT their favorite thing to do, and I doubt any of them will choose to sit down and read a novel for pleasure, but they are no longer embarrassed about their reading skills. They feel comfortable when called upon to read in church, they feel comfortable reading menus, or traffic instructions. They LOVE listening to books on Audible, on PlayAways from the library, or books read aloud by me. They LOVE books, they just don’t love reading them. But, because of slow and steady work with AAR and AAS, they are confident readers.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Christina, for sharing how All About Reading and All About Spelling have helped your teens can confidence in reading! It’s wonderful to hear how well they are doing!
Dana Boston
says:I understand completely how you feel, & I’m glade to know we’re not the only ones. My son is almost 16 & we are halfway thru level 2.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLibby,
Yes, All About Reading can help your 14-year-old son become a fluent, confident reader.
You will want to use the placement tests to determine which level for him to start with. You are looking for the highest level 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.
Marie Rippel, the author and creator of All About Reading and All About Spelling, has done a lot of tutoring with high schoolers. Here is what she recommends when working with All About Reading with teens:
– Follow the new-concept lessons in the Teacher’s Manual, which include flashcard review, “Change the Word” activities, Activity Sheets, Fluency Practice, and reading aloud to your student. Approximately every other lesson is a “new concept” lesson, and every other lesson is a “read a story” lesson.
– In the Activity Book, you can skip the activities that your students might think are too young, but some of the activities in the upper levels would be age-appropriate; you can evaluate as you go. They are there to provide fun review activities for those that would need and enjoy them. As we state in the Teacher’s Manual, the activities aren’t necessary for older learners; however, the fluency practice pages in the Activity Book will be essential for building fluent reading.
– Marie and many tutors include the Readers, too. The Level 2 readers aren’t baby-ish. Concerning the Level 1 readers, sometimes it depends on the student. We’ve talked to tutors of adults, and the adult students are so happy to be able to read a story that they are thrilled to read the Level 1 readers. They don’t mind the content. But if you are dealing with a “cool” teen, you might want to stick with the fluency practice pages and wait until you get to the Level 2 readers. We use realistic pencil drawings to appeal to the widest age range of students.
– You also don’t have to use the letter tiles if your student finds these too childish (though some older students still enjoy them). They are a scaffolding step, but older students don’t always need them. You can use underlining while writing on paper, a whiteboard, or colored markers, to show when letters work together as one phonogram. We also now have a Letter Tiles app for tablets, which often appeals to older students.
Here’s another mom’s experience using All About Reading with her 14-year-old son.
However, we recommend beginning All About Spelling level 1 with your son even as he works in All About Reading. Spelling approaches words from the opposite direction, which can help a lot with some students that struggle. In addition, since each word your son spells should be read to ensure he spelled it correctly, it will serve as additional reading practice. And if he places higher than All About Reading level 1, doing All About Spelling level 1 will review any beginning phonogram sounds and rules he may have missed.
I hope this helps, but please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns or need more help. We’re available here, by email at support@allaboutlearningpress.com, and by phone at 715-477-1976. We’re here to help as much as you need to help your son master reading and spelling!
Adewuyi Mosope
says:My 10 year old son avoid reading and solving comprehension
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m sorry your child is avoiding reading, Adewuyi. Hopefully, you will find the ideas in this blog post helpful. Also take a look at our Signs of a Reading Problem article.
Paula
says:I find my 10 year old son is too focussed on computer games. It’s all he seems to think about even if I take them away. He is very reluctant to spend time to read even when reading together. I try not to force him but if I don’t he will never opt to read a book. We tend to read at night before bed. One good thing I found was audio books which he does enjoy and he listens to in bed.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAudiobooks are a great way to encourage interest in books, Paula!