Reading trouble and new school year

[koala bear]

Well I have a few things I need to know. Here's a little backround...... My husband and I had our first son when we were 18. We have done really well with the kids in my opion.Our son went to kindergaden and did fine the teacher was a little mean she [yelled at the kids]. And she didn't teach the kids the letters just the sound of the letters.

 

He moved on to 1st grade....report card 1 and 2 where fine. 3 report card he was failing and they told me they were going to hold him back. The teacher never told me there was a problem till it was to late.He did pass but just barley.

 

Now it's just about time for him to go back to school. I HAVE WORKED WITH ALL SUMMER LONG!!! but I worried he's not going to do well this year because he is still having trouble reading.I'm no teacher and I don't want him to hate reading.I help him read and I read to him everyday since the day he was born.

 

Well we are planning on moving three months into the school year and where we are moving the schools are ahead of where the schools here are. So i need to get him reading well.

 

1. How do you tell if the teacher is going to be a good one?

2. Any ideas on helping him read better?

3. What should I do if I feel the teacher is't helping him?

 

I already plan on going in and telling the teacher I want weekly progress reports.

[Samson]

I would strongly consider doing exactly what the previous school suggested:

 

Keeping him in first grade another year.

 

Since he'll be in a new school he won't suffer any embarrassment (which, in any case, is VERY negligible at his age).

[moimeme]

You need to be sure your son doesn't have a learning disorder. If he does, there are teaching methods that can be used to help him. A lot of kids go for years undiagnosed, fall behind in school, and suffer horribly from feeling like failures as a result. You owe it to him to be sure that he's not going to be one of them. The sooner people intervene with the right teaching strategies, the easier it will be for him to make it in school. Here's one site which tells you some of the signs to look out for. He may be fine, but if he's not, he needs assistance fast.

 

http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=43&g=1

[koala bear]

samson I though about holding him back anyway. But he would just wind up with the same teacher and for the first three months of this year everyone would know he was held back. We wanted to move before school started but now we can't find a house. We signed the kids up for football so the soonest we can move is Nov. Thank you for your advice.

 

moimeme Thank you so much that might just be the problem .I told his teacher last year I wanted to have him tested for a learning problem and she said you don't want to lable him in 1st grade. And she didn't think there were any problems. But I told her almost all of those signs. Thank you so much.

 

 

KB

[lydiamarie]

Originally posted by koala bear

she said you don't want to lable him in 1st grade

 

to which you emphatically reply, 'yes i do' providing it is true. because that is how he will get help.

 

some people!

 

good luck kb

[meanon]

When I was choosing a school for my girls I visited several and made an appointment to speak to the Head Teacher. I was shown around all the classroom while the kids were being taught, took all the literature they had and got comparative performance tables from the Dept of Education (I live in England). The tables also covered truancy rates - a good indicator of a school with problems. Once you have been to a few you will get a feel for which are the best for your child. Other mums are also a good source of information. If the schools do not go all the way up to school leaving age, find out about the linked school for older kids too so they can stay with their friends throughout their education.

 

For me, a good teacher is one who can ensure a sufficiently disciplined environment for all kids to learn yet with the flexibility to cater for individual ability. All do this in theory but some are better at it in practice. I'd look for signs of a well ordered, calm environment and ask questions about how individual need is catered for. If you think your child may have learning difficulties then the nature and frequency of support is also important.

 

If he does have a problem then getting the right type of support is vital. Having said this, I'd ask the teacher why she feels avoiding labelling is important - she may know something you don't.

 

Would it be possible for him to repeat the year once he starts at the new school? That way he doesn't feel left behind in the old but does not have to struggle to catch up in the new.

 

I can't remember how old your child is. If they don't already do this, ask the school to set up a note book which comes home with a brief details on progress and extra books for you to read at home with your child. You can also record progress in the note book, that way the teacher knows your views. Usually there are specific words to be mastered at various stages - you may be able to get a list and do flash cards. They work best when you combine them with turn playing games (take a turn, do a flashcard) to keep it interesting. It has to be fun or reading becomes a chore and that's the end of that!

 

I hope you are getting more sleep these days, koala bear

[koala bear]

meanon thank you.

 

I wish we could pick the school he went to. We do have school chioce but you have to have them signed up back in like jan. And i didn't know about it back then.

 

He is seven and about to be eight. Because of his birthday he is already a year older then most of the kids in his class.

 

Another thing about Florida is if your child didn't go to preschool then they get put in the classes with the kids who don't speak english. So that's a nother reason why he is so behind.

 

I am trying to get my other two children into pre-k now. So they don't have this problem with there speech and hearing problems they are far enough behind.

 

Sleep is getting a little better not much. I am getting it when I can. thanks for asking. I HAVE LAID DOWN THE LAW. So, they are listening a little better. And I put a stop to all the kids who live our road being at our house ALL the time. They can only come over if my kids have been good for me.

[moimeme]

she said you don't want to lable him in 1st grade. And she didn't think there were any problems.

 

Yes, because if he does need help, they have to spend extra money on him as well as extra time. Parents of kids with learning disorders have to deal with this all the time The fact is, though, that if he gets that 'label', that makes him eligible for special programs. It's no worse a 'label' than diabetic or asthmatic for heaven's sakes!

 

There are also lots of websites for parents of kids with learning disorders to help them help their kids. But first, get him diagnosed properly and then go from there.

[Samson]

Koala,

 

Your son may or may not have a learnig disorder. Have him checked out.

 

But REGARDLESS: I am a teacher and I'm telling you, the best thing for him will be to hold him back another year. I'd encourage you to consider this with your other kids, especially boys. They are often to immature at younger ages to do the work.................even in the notoriously horrible FL school system.

 

As for a "label," this is ridiculous at this age. There is little to no stigma.

[brashgal]

My son repeated kindergarten last year. He was getting so frustrated toward the end of the first year and started complaining about going to school, begging me to let him stay home. So year two was better, at least for the first semester. He really only protested the first two days of school since his old classmates were now in the first grade. Still had discipline problems though. I asked about testing, they put me off the first time. The second time I asked the teacher said she'd start the process, a month later I had to ask again, finally the testing was completed by year end. Diagnosis ADHD.

 

Because he has the 'official' diagnosis, he is eligible for supplemental tutoring at school - part of their special ed program. Otherwise I would have had to pay private tutors (he still has trouble with reading). Makes me kind of crazy when I think about the tremendous amount I pay in taxes since I live in a nice area.

 

I'm not a young mother and I can be a take charge kind of person (although I'm more careful now about how aggressive I am with teachers having had some bad experiences with my first son). Unfortunately you have to be somewhat pushy and it is beneficial to talk to as many parents as you can about their experiences with testing, special ed, philosophies held by the teachers and the Principal. The more you know, the better able you are to make an informed decision of what to do.

 

I agree with Samson though. Now is the time to hold him back, not wait until the 3rd or 4th grade when he is incredibly behind (it's like a snowball effect, if they don't learn the easy stuff, they have no foundation to build on to learn the hard stuff). Plus, you are moving to a new school district where the schools are more advanced - perfect timing.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[koala bear]

Well How about telling if the teacher is good. Like I said the kindergarden teacher was mean and by the time I tryed to get him out of the class it was to far into the school year and it would have messed him up more. So I explained to him the teacher wasn't mad at him that is the only way she felt she could get their attention and I told the teacher that I didn't think it was right for her to yell at the kids the way she did.

 

Then the 1st grade teacher I went in to meet a few days before school started and she was very nice.She had just became a teacher so I thought she would be good being just out of school. She was older.Much older. Her husband had all kinds of medical problems and both her parents past away during the school year. So she was out a lot.

 

So what do you look for?

And what kind of questions do you ask?

 

I hate to sound stupid but I am only 25 and have never had to do this before.I don't remeber my mom ever have this kind of problem.

I just want what is best for my kids.

Thank You KB

[moimeme]

Ask her what she knows about learning disorders and other childhood problems like AD/HD. See if she understands that these kids need understanding and help, not being yelled at and given suspensions. It is still not part of a teacher's education to learn how to deal with these kids. It's only taught to 'special ed' teachers. Another situation that needs a lot of public attention

 

So she may have learned about this stuff on her own and be very good with your son, or she may not. I hope she's a good one.

[Samson]

So what do you look for?

And what kind of questions do you ask?

 

OK first realise that you are in the PUBLIC school system.

 

You get what your given. There is no shopping (looking for) the best teacher, or school at least theoretically, within the public system. Of course you could move, which you will, and when you do the best thing to do is determine what schools are nearby and how well they scored on standardized tests. This is the best and only chance you'll have to make a choice. Like I mentioned, moving from FL almost guarantees you'll get into a better school system.

 

Now reality. You can actually get the best teacher (talk to year before parents). You can get preferential treatment from the school administration. They WILL NEVER admit this, and you better never ask for it directly, but if you do a lot of volunteer work at the school, you'll be given the "wink and nod" if you request specific teachers.

[Matilda]

I typed this massive post and lost it. So here is the abridged version of what I wrote.

 

Learn as much as you can about reading problems. Don't expect the school to do the right thing without pushing from you. If you ask to have your son evaluated, they are obligated to do it. Ask what reading program the school is using, and learn about that program. The school should be using a "science based" reading program, learn what those are, and if you are moving, look for a school that uses one of those programs.

 

This is a good link about special ed law, this is their reading section. A couple of the links don't work, so this second link is a link to an article that didn't work on Wrightslaw. It is a link to this article: "Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science, What Expert Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do" by Louisa Moats, published by the American Federation of Teachers. (Louisa Moats has also written a book that looked like it might be good.)

 

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.index.htm

 

http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/rocketsci.pdf

 

Here is a link to the state of Florida's reading initiative program to comply with the "No Child Left Behind" act.

 

http://www.justreadflorida.org/

 

Good luck to you. Learn as much as you can, so you can be a good advocate for your son. You can do this!

[Firegirl04]

First off, if you feel that he isn't reading well enough get him into a literacy program. Contact your local library (most of them have something). You could also get him a tutor. You as a parent have a right to contact the teacher at anytime to inquire about your childs progress in school. Keep in touch with the teacher and ask questions.