hello i am very worried about my dd she is in first grade and is really having problems in reading. i have tried all i can think of but just dont know what else too do. i dont know were all too start .....she is still having trouble with here sight words even the ones from kindergarten. but she does better reading them on like flash cards then in a sentences. it takes her a long time too get threw one of her little books and by time she does she has forgotten what it is all about. or sometimes by time we get to the next page she has forgotten a word she just new a second ago. we have worked with flash cards and read and read and read. i have met with the teacher over and over and she says she will be ok....she is not ok she is very behind and i don't wanna wait till there is no helping. i did go to the principle about it i got him too put her in title one reading. this is 15min extra help 2 times a week for her. but is this enough to really help her. we still do flash cards at home and read extra books not just her homework. is there anything else i could do? does anyone have any ideas. she does try very hard and wants to read better so bad. i just dont know what else i can do for her.

Some kids learn "from the bottom, up" (sight words, sounding words out) and some kids learn "from the top, down" (by having real literature read aloud to them). All kids benefit from meaningful one-on-one time with parents and teachers.

If you're stressing about her reading, she will stress about it, too. That's probably why she's "forgetting" words she just read/knew. She could be picking up on your stress and trying to please you and not focusing on the actual reading.

Have you tried any specific phonics-based programs? I use Wilson Fundamentals with my kids. It's a comprehensive phonics program that started from a needs-based approach (teaching kids who weren't "getting it" from other methods). There are two arms to the Wilson program - one is remedial and the other is a "regular classroom" program that can be used for kids who are just learning to read. I find it thorough and easy to follow. It's a bit expensive, but completely worth it, in my opinion. This is our fourth year using it and I wouldn't have kept coming back to it if I didn't believe in it. My six year old is spelling at a sixth grade level and his reading is off the charts. (We homeschool, but it would be easy for you to use it at home after school to supplement the instruction she's already getting. Each lesson takes thirty minutes to an hour and includes letter sounds, spelling rules, sentence composition rules, sight words, homophones, vocabulary building, handwriting, etc. through drill and games.)

Regarding the sight words, some kids learn them better when given the "outline" of the word. Write the word on a card and then cut around the shape of a word (so the word "cat" would be a horizontal rectangle to the left of a vertical rectangle, if that makes sense, to compensate for the "t" sticking up into the air).

You can spray shaving cream on a table and let her trace the letters of her sight words in the shaving cream and then wipe it over again to make new words.

You could get her a white board and dry erase markers or a Magnadoodle and let her practice her words on that.

I think the most important thing, though, is to read, read, read lots of fun books. Take her to the library every week and let her pick out whatever books she wants and then read for at least thirty minutes a day. It should be fun.

Good luck!

Kara

Has she been tested for any types of reading disorders -- dyslexia, etc.? You are a great parent to be putting the extra effort into it and helping her. Did her K teacher have concerns? Does your library have some books on tape she could follow along with -- my son did very well with these (he's in 3rd grade now). I wish you luck -- children are amazing and deserve every opportunity to do well.

Have you had her vision checked for both near and far sightedness? My sister had very much the same problem and was also placed in a special needs reading group in first grade. The remedial reading teacher was the first to notice it might be vision because my sister did better with flash cards and the chalkboard, but had more trouble with books or the computer, and it turned out that she was farsighted. Once she got her reading glasses, she caught up pretty quickly.

Maybe this isn't the problem, but it's worth checking.

People above have given some great advice. Definitely want to rule out that it's a visual problem, too, like Colleen suggested!

I can't really say what might be going on, but I did want to suggest keeping the reading a fun thing and not a chore. (Even though learning new words & proper grammar is sometimes work!) My mother read to me & my younger brother every night for years when I was a kid, and I LOVED it! (Still love listening to stories )

I remember it, mostly because while my mother was reading, my brother and I would sometimes sit next to her and look at the pictures, or even quietly play on the floor while she read aloud. It was a relaxing, enjoyable time that focused on the story and on having a little fun. As I grew older and could read books by myself I retained that "this is fun" attitude. I still read just about every night before going to bed.

I know reading frequently is not something high to do on everyone's list, but it always breaks my heart when I hear kids say "I hate reading."

You seem like a VERY caring & dedicated mother to want to help your child improve her reading! I'm positive that with time, and trial and error, you'll find what works for her.

I definately agree with what everyone is saying about her eyes. That could very well be a reason she's not remembering because she can only see part of the word maybe and is guessing. It's hard to tell.

I feel though that the 15 minutes of help will be good for her. I had a class like that 2 times a week for my speech in first grade and it improved my speaking greatly (i couldn't pronounce some letters properly) and I think it will help to have time completely focused on reading

thank you everyone i have had her vision test a year ago and it was good but maybe something has changed there. we do go to the library alot!!! i can see it out my backdoor.... i am a very big reader and thats why it brakes my heart seeing her have trouble with it. i know just how much you can get from reading. i have thought about hooked on phonics but would be willing to try anything if it would help.

I've heard good things about Hooked on Phonics, but I've never used it myself so I can't recommend it personally. You could check Ebay or some other auction site to see if they have a used one for cheaper.

Kara

My son is also in 1st grade and wasn't doing very well with reading. We'd sit down to read and it seemed like such a chore. Then one day I really focused in the pictures before we read the page. I had him tell me what was going on in the picture and would point out key things that were in the story. Then it seemed like he had a better idea about the story and reading came easier and was more exciting.

He is now doing much better. It's worth a try.

Here's my story. I have dyslexia and struggled with reading. I was told that one is never cured of it but they teach you how to see the words. Not sure if that is true. I had a wonderfu teacher that rewarded me with John Travolta posters and stuff so I would read.(I was in 7th grade) I can never repay her for that!! Now fast forward to my
1st child. I swore I'd not let her have the same problem. I read to her from birth and we played letter and sound games. She took it in as long as it was fun she was fairly easy to please.(To this day she loves to read) Fast forward to my son. Well I tried the same ways to teach as with my daughter but he didn't want anything to do with it so I HAD to find a way. I would take him to the libary and we'd check out tapes. One with Phonics he loved was called ABC Jungle. I found it and we played it... I had to stay relaxed and make it fun. That is the main thing it's not something that can be forced they have to WANT to do it. My son and daughter were/are advanced readers. My son could read goosebumps books when in kinder one parent maded a remark that she didn't think those books are good for kids his age. I said he loves them and he'll read them that is all that matters.
Now I'm a grandma and I have a grandson that just turned 3 in Jan. He's able to read Biscut books he knows all his phonic. I taught him the same way as my children. It had to be fun and he had to want it. He loves the following Videos Leap Frog Letter Factory - It teaches Phonics, Talking Word Factory -Teaches how letters build words. Learn to Read At The StoryBook Factory, Blues Clues Alphabet Power, Click Clock Moo, Between The Lions videos geez I have more... I'll move on to other tools I use Magntic Letters on a cookie sheet or put them on the frig. Kumon Books Are awsome! There is a wonderful show on PBS called Word World my grandson loves. Check out your local libary I'm sure they have lots of useful resources there. Most of the videos I own are because I tried them out on him from the libray 1st. My sister was surpised when she seen my grandson reading at his party. Her daughter is also struggling. She called me lastnight and said her daughter loves the leap frog videos! She's 6. Sorry for going on and on I'm very passionate about this. I'm also a firm believer in signing to your baby from birth on up. Both my grandkids are able talk to me. But that is another story.

you know if the school is testing her (and they should be) make sure they are not only testing her by reading methods, obviously the results will be wrong if she is dyslexic. She needs to be tested verbally. I have seen it too many times. I had such a hard time reading when I was little...there was no comprehension and it was very stressful, I was in "extra" or the "slow" readers groups and that helped tremendously. But any EXTRA time you can spare and help her, but be very supportive also. I am now a teacher and I struggled all through 1st grade with my reading. Good luck to you and her both.

I have used Hooked On Phonics, and I can highly recommend it, but it takes a lot of dedication on your part as well. My son had trouble in 1st grade too, and we worked on phonics and sounding out words. He is much better now(2nd grade) I think mainly because he has a teacher that encourages reading for fun...also He has calmed down some, so he is not so distracted while reading.

Keep up the good work, and try not to stress some children take longer to get the pathways in the brain laid down. THe extra time in school reading will help her.