Stuck with reading
Fetteroll
Kat, who is 12, wants to read "better" but I'm having a hard time getting
out of her what she feels is wrong. She gets frustrated when she says "I
don't know" about something and I try to draw out more information.
She does have brand new reading glasses now but she isn't reading more now
than before.
She seems to be able to process. She reads Captain Underpants and emails
from her friends, which have a high white space to word ratio. She reads New
Moon magazine cover to cover, which is relatively dense type, and has
discussed articles so it sounds like she's processing well what she's
reading. She reads gaming magazines. She goes through one in maybe half an
hour, just picking and choosing the stuff that interests her. But
occasionally I've noticed what she's gotten from something isn't precisely
what it said.
She apparently read every word in a gaming guide that she had while waiting
for a game to arrive in the mail, but usually she looks for specific
information. So she'll skim to find a word, but if there is contradictory or
preliminary information before the part she reads, she'll miss it because
it's more effort than it's worth to read for information that might not be
there.
She read Harry Potter #1 out loud two (or three?) years ago and she read
well, with proper inflection so she was understanding what she read. She
stumbled over words here and there but they were irregular words she'd never
seen written, and no pattern that suggested she was having problems
processing or decoding. She said it was hard for her, but the difficulty
wasn't apparent in her reading. Reading out loud *is* harder than reading
silently but this "hard" seems to apply to reading in general.
She seems to be able to read teeny tiny print better than my old eyes can,
but perhaps not as well as I used to be able to. When she writes page length
stuff, her writing is larger than adult-level book type but it seems in
proportion to some writing I have when I was her age. And when she writes
the conversation balloons in her comics her printing is pretty small.
She has started two adult-level novels that she really wants to read but
hasn't been able to get very far in. She says she "doesn't like to read",
but since that doesn't seem to be true, she seems to be using that phrase to
mean something else, like it isn't as effortless for her as she'd like it to
be. She seems basically to be stuck on the Captain Underpants level of print
for reading for fun for 2 years and hasn't moved beyond it and she's
frustrated.
Hmm, I thought if I wrote it all out, I might see some clues that point in a
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?
And people have mentioned some people like colored films over their pages to
change the contrast. I *think* if that were the case with Kat, with all the
playing around she does with fonts and backgrounds, she would have hit on
something that she was drawn to. But, unless she's having fun, she sticks
with relatively small black type on white. But does anyone has information
about that? I could keep it as a second avenue of investigation.
Joyce
out of her what she feels is wrong. She gets frustrated when she says "I
don't know" about something and I try to draw out more information.
She does have brand new reading glasses now but she isn't reading more now
than before.
She seems to be able to process. She reads Captain Underpants and emails
from her friends, which have a high white space to word ratio. She reads New
Moon magazine cover to cover, which is relatively dense type, and has
discussed articles so it sounds like she's processing well what she's
reading. She reads gaming magazines. She goes through one in maybe half an
hour, just picking and choosing the stuff that interests her. But
occasionally I've noticed what she's gotten from something isn't precisely
what it said.
She apparently read every word in a gaming guide that she had while waiting
for a game to arrive in the mail, but usually she looks for specific
information. So she'll skim to find a word, but if there is contradictory or
preliminary information before the part she reads, she'll miss it because
it's more effort than it's worth to read for information that might not be
there.
She read Harry Potter #1 out loud two (or three?) years ago and she read
well, with proper inflection so she was understanding what she read. She
stumbled over words here and there but they were irregular words she'd never
seen written, and no pattern that suggested she was having problems
processing or decoding. She said it was hard for her, but the difficulty
wasn't apparent in her reading. Reading out loud *is* harder than reading
silently but this "hard" seems to apply to reading in general.
She seems to be able to read teeny tiny print better than my old eyes can,
but perhaps not as well as I used to be able to. When she writes page length
stuff, her writing is larger than adult-level book type but it seems in
proportion to some writing I have when I was her age. And when she writes
the conversation balloons in her comics her printing is pretty small.
She has started two adult-level novels that she really wants to read but
hasn't been able to get very far in. She says she "doesn't like to read",
but since that doesn't seem to be true, she seems to be using that phrase to
mean something else, like it isn't as effortless for her as she'd like it to
be. She seems basically to be stuck on the Captain Underpants level of print
for reading for fun for 2 years and hasn't moved beyond it and she's
frustrated.
Hmm, I thought if I wrote it all out, I might see some clues that point in a
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?
And people have mentioned some people like colored films over their pages to
change the contrast. I *think* if that were the case with Kat, with all the
playing around she does with fonts and backgrounds, she would have hit on
something that she was drawn to. But, unless she's having fun, she sticks
with relatively small black type on white. But does anyone has information
about that? I could keep it as a second avenue of investigation.
Joyce
Betsy
**Hmm, I thought if I wrote it all out, I might see some clues that
point in a
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?**
Hi, Joyce --
On the old AOL forums, Lillian/Wrensong posted about vision therapy and
a parents group that promoted it, PAVE. (Parents Active?... Vision... E?)
I think reading lots of comic book type books COULD correlate to a
tracking problem as the text in thought balloons doesn't stretch as
widely across the page as chapter book text.
Sometimes I chose to read my email and the unschooling.com message
boards in a narrow window, so that the text is more like a column of
text in a newspaper. I find this more comfortable for my eyes. The
full width of the computer screen is definitely too wide for me to scan.
You could experiment with this. Also, I think a bookmark run
horizontally under text might help someone with a scanning problem.
Your daughter's reading development sounds a lot like my son's. Two and
a half years ago my dh was studying for his education credential, and as
a part of his homework he gave my son a "reading test". James read two
pages aloud out of Redwall. He read smoothly and with expression and
only stumbled on "dormitory" and one other word. For a kid who wasn't
reading nearly anything on his own, it was amazing the three and four
syllable words he could pronounce. (He had a strong spoken vocabulary.)
Two years followed this in which it seemed he read only Garfield books.
OK, he read a lot of Garfield the first year. The second year he also
read Calvin and Hobbes and Asterix and Tintin, but he still read a lot
of Garfield and didn't read "chapter books". (Unless you want to
stretch the definition and count Capt. Underpants as a chapter book.)
This was just a bit confounding to me, as I thought I had evidence that
he COULD read chapter books, he just didn't ever read them. But the
amount of time he spent reading comic books steadily increased, and he
would fall on the daily newspaper and read the comic pages with glee.
He told me a couple of times that his head hurt when he tried to read
books without pictures, so we did take him in for a conventional eye
test. The eye doctor, without being a developmental eye specialist,
thought James eyes were tracking fine.
James now sometimes reads a chapter of Harry Potter if I am busy. This
only started within the last two months. He has said that he likes
listening to me read and that it is easier for him to form mental
pictures if he is listening. I have always thought his learning style
was very auditory, so I guess this makes sense.
The other thing going on with James is that he has a strong preference
for books that are funny. (Which isn't at all surprising, as our family
motto is "Only when it's funny." from the handcuff escape scene in Who
Framed Roger Rabbit.) I think funny books have a bigger "payoff" and
they really reward the effort of reading.
I always thought Easy Readers were kind of lame, but maybe I should have
had more of that stuff around as James was easing in to reading. I just
expected him, based on the "test" my dh had done, to be able to read
more complex stuff.
Betsy
point in a
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?**
Hi, Joyce --
On the old AOL forums, Lillian/Wrensong posted about vision therapy and
a parents group that promoted it, PAVE. (Parents Active?... Vision... E?)
I think reading lots of comic book type books COULD correlate to a
tracking problem as the text in thought balloons doesn't stretch as
widely across the page as chapter book text.
Sometimes I chose to read my email and the unschooling.com message
boards in a narrow window, so that the text is more like a column of
text in a newspaper. I find this more comfortable for my eyes. The
full width of the computer screen is definitely too wide for me to scan.
You could experiment with this. Also, I think a bookmark run
horizontally under text might help someone with a scanning problem.
Your daughter's reading development sounds a lot like my son's. Two and
a half years ago my dh was studying for his education credential, and as
a part of his homework he gave my son a "reading test". James read two
pages aloud out of Redwall. He read smoothly and with expression and
only stumbled on "dormitory" and one other word. For a kid who wasn't
reading nearly anything on his own, it was amazing the three and four
syllable words he could pronounce. (He had a strong spoken vocabulary.)
Two years followed this in which it seemed he read only Garfield books.
OK, he read a lot of Garfield the first year. The second year he also
read Calvin and Hobbes and Asterix and Tintin, but he still read a lot
of Garfield and didn't read "chapter books". (Unless you want to
stretch the definition and count Capt. Underpants as a chapter book.)
This was just a bit confounding to me, as I thought I had evidence that
he COULD read chapter books, he just didn't ever read them. But the
amount of time he spent reading comic books steadily increased, and he
would fall on the daily newspaper and read the comic pages with glee.
He told me a couple of times that his head hurt when he tried to read
books without pictures, so we did take him in for a conventional eye
test. The eye doctor, without being a developmental eye specialist,
thought James eyes were tracking fine.
James now sometimes reads a chapter of Harry Potter if I am busy. This
only started within the last two months. He has said that he likes
listening to me read and that it is easier for him to form mental
pictures if he is listening. I have always thought his learning style
was very auditory, so I guess this makes sense.
The other thing going on with James is that he has a strong preference
for books that are funny. (Which isn't at all surprising, as our family
motto is "Only when it's funny." from the handcuff escape scene in Who
Framed Roger Rabbit.) I think funny books have a bigger "payoff" and
they really reward the effort of reading.
I always thought Easy Readers were kind of lame, but maybe I should have
had more of that stuff around as James was easing in to reading. I just
expected him, based on the "test" my dh had done, to be able to read
more complex stuff.
Betsy
24hrmom
<<Hmm, I thought if I wrote it all out, I might see some clues that point in a
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?>>
I think you're talking about a developmental/behavioural optometrist. They do the regular eye testing that an optometrist does (clarity of vision), but they also test the rest of the vision system (clarity being just one component).
Here's a page that explains what they look at in some detail: http://www.vision-therapy.com/About_Vision.htm
Here's a parent's support page: http://www.pavevision.org
And in my quick search (I lost my favourites from when I originally researched this), I even found a homeschooling vision page with a story that sounds similar to the one you mentioned: http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html (Sandra, did you know you're linked from this site?)
One thing to remember is that they will be comparing vision skills to the "average" kid at school, and it just may be a skill that a particular kid will develop later. But if the child seems frustrated it could help out. It's not label-oriented, but will give you an idea of how well your child's vision system is performing.
The practitioner I dealt with and the ones I've read about are very holistic in their approach (my impression was that they are to optometrists what chiropractors are to doctors). I sat with them during the appointment and he patiently explained what he was testing and the results. My kids thought the appointment was fun, and the therapy he suggested for improving my daughter's perceptual skills was some geoboard puzzle exercises we did at home, for as long as she was interested. As an aside, sometimes the results are surprising. My eldest was a very good reader with great comprehension though the examination revealed that he had very little peripheral vision (clear focus area only the size of a quarter). He had never mentioned to me the headaches he was getting when he was reading ... he just really wanted that gaming info! He did some vision therapy in the office for a few weeks, retesting after showed a marked improvement (I sat with him during that as well) and he got glasses which he can use if he chooses.
Just thought I'd offer up what I have learned about the subject.
Pam L.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
variety of directions but it's really sounding like vision. But not an
ordinary vision problem like blurry. She doesn't hold print up close. But I
remember years ago someone said her son had an eye tracking problem that
neither opthamalogists nor optometrists (Kat's seen both in the past 2
years) were trained to identify and he needed a specialist to figure this
out. Maybe there are other vision problems that don't get tested under
routine examinations. What should I be asking for? And how do I screen an
opthamologist to make sure they can test for the right things?>>
I think you're talking about a developmental/behavioural optometrist. They do the regular eye testing that an optometrist does (clarity of vision), but they also test the rest of the vision system (clarity being just one component).
Here's a page that explains what they look at in some detail: http://www.vision-therapy.com/About_Vision.htm
Here's a parent's support page: http://www.pavevision.org
And in my quick search (I lost my favourites from when I originally researched this), I even found a homeschooling vision page with a story that sounds similar to the one you mentioned: http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html (Sandra, did you know you're linked from this site?)
One thing to remember is that they will be comparing vision skills to the "average" kid at school, and it just may be a skill that a particular kid will develop later. But if the child seems frustrated it could help out. It's not label-oriented, but will give you an idea of how well your child's vision system is performing.
The practitioner I dealt with and the ones I've read about are very holistic in their approach (my impression was that they are to optometrists what chiropractors are to doctors). I sat with them during the appointment and he patiently explained what he was testing and the results. My kids thought the appointment was fun, and the therapy he suggested for improving my daughter's perceptual skills was some geoboard puzzle exercises we did at home, for as long as she was interested. As an aside, sometimes the results are surprising. My eldest was a very good reader with great comprehension though the examination revealed that he had very little peripheral vision (clear focus area only the size of a quarter). He had never mentioned to me the headaches he was getting when he was reading ... he just really wanted that gaming info! He did some vision therapy in the office for a few weeks, retesting after showed a marked improvement (I sat with him during that as well) and he got glasses which he can use if he chooses.
Just thought I'd offer up what I have learned about the subject.
Pam L.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/1/03 10:39:39 AM, 24hrmom@... writes:
<< And in my quick search (I lost my favourites from when I originally
researched this), I even found a homeschooling vision page with a story that sounds
similar to the one you mentioned:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html (Sandra, did you know you're linked from this site?) >>
No! I'll go peek at my name (how vain, huh? <bwg>)
It's fun when little things can be a big thrill.
I've never been a diamonds and pearls type of person. I didn't care if my
boyfriends had cars when I was a teen, but I DID love to see my name in the
school paper. (Even if I had to write something to get it in there! <g>)
<< My eldest was a very good reader with great comprehension though the
examination revealed that he had very little peripheral vision (clear focus area
only the size of a quarter). He had never mentioned to me the headaches he was
getting when he was reading ...>>
Maybe he didn't know others didn't have the same aftereffects of reading.
I used to get headaches from reading when I was 11, and I got glasses which I
hated and they didn't help. I quit wearing them, time passed, the headaches
stopped.
I remember lots of parts and systems hurting various ways when I was 10 to
13, and I think it was just different body parts growing at different speeds,
and the discomfort of always feeling new and wrong and awkward. "Growing
pains" were literal with me. My arm and legs would ache. And skulls and eyes grow
too.
Sandra
<< And in my quick search (I lost my favourites from when I originally
researched this), I even found a homeschooling vision page with a story that sounds
similar to the one you mentioned:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html (Sandra, did you know you're linked from this site?) >>
No! I'll go peek at my name (how vain, huh? <bwg>)
It's fun when little things can be a big thrill.
I've never been a diamonds and pearls type of person. I didn't care if my
boyfriends had cars when I was a teen, but I DID love to see my name in the
school paper. (Even if I had to write something to get it in there! <g>)
<< My eldest was a very good reader with great comprehension though the
examination revealed that he had very little peripheral vision (clear focus area
only the size of a quarter). He had never mentioned to me the headaches he was
getting when he was reading ...>>
Maybe he didn't know others didn't have the same aftereffects of reading.
I used to get headaches from reading when I was 11, and I got glasses which I
hated and they didn't help. I quit wearing them, time passed, the headaches
stopped.
I remember lots of parts and systems hurting various ways when I was 10 to
13, and I think it was just different body parts growing at different speeds,
and the discomfort of always feeling new and wrong and awkward. "Growing
pains" were literal with me. My arm and legs would ache. And skulls and eyes grow
too.
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/1/03 10:39:39 AM, 24hrmom@... writes:
<< http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html >>
WOW.
That's a new site by Lillian Jones, and it's COOL===go to the home page.
I'm listed on the side (Sandra Dodd articles) but she Lillian has put up some
articles I had linked too, and her versions are easier to use so I'm going to
change at least one link to get it on her site instead of on a severe
Christian site.
This:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/tammy_cardwell.html
is partly about me. Tammy sent me the link when it was first up and said I
was the person she was talking about. COOL!
And Nancy Wooton has an article there kinda about TV which I am definitely
linking on my TV page.
I'm so glad you brought that link!
Sandra
<< http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html >>
WOW.
That's a new site by Lillian Jones, and it's COOL===go to the home page.
I'm listed on the side (Sandra Dodd articles) but she Lillian has put up some
articles I had linked too, and her versions are easier to use so I'm going to
change at least one link to get it on her site instead of on a severe
Christian site.
This:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/tammy_cardwell.html
is partly about me. Tammy sent me the link when it was first up and said I
was the person she was talking about. COOL!
And Nancy Wooton has an article there kinda about TV which I am definitely
linking on my TV page.
I'm so glad you brought that link!
Sandra
[email protected]
Sandra I know this has been asked before a few months ago.
Do you have a book in the works yet? You do know that many here would
purchase thaws like 1000+. Then there are people who are making the laws that would
buy it, grandparents, teachers, new parents, Trad HS looking for a new way,
universities, library's an on.... You see where im going right?
You would then be able to see your name on the cover of a book! That's heart
pumping-deep breathing joy. I know when I bought a book last year and your
name was in it I was like ahh cool! I called my son over and he said Mom is that
the Sandra Dodd that is on that email group? Yeah I said isn't that neat!
Laura
<<<<WOW.
That's a new site by Lillian Jones, and it's COOL===go to the home page.
I'm listed on the side (Sandra Dodd articles) but she Lillian has put up some
articles I had linked too, and her versions are easier to use so I'm going to
change at least one link to get it on her site instead of on a severe
Christian site.
This:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/tammy_cardwell.html
is partly about me. Tammy sent me the link when it was first up and said I
was the person she was talking about. COOL!
And Nancy Wooton has an article there kinda about TV which I am definitely
linking on my TV page.
I'm so glad you brought that link!
Sandra>>>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Do you have a book in the works yet? You do know that many here would
purchase thaws like 1000+. Then there are people who are making the laws that would
buy it, grandparents, teachers, new parents, Trad HS looking for a new way,
universities, library's an on.... You see where im going right?
You would then be able to see your name on the cover of a book! That's heart
pumping-deep breathing joy. I know when I bought a book last year and your
name was in it I was like ahh cool! I called my son over and he said Mom is that
the Sandra Dodd that is on that email group? Yeah I said isn't that neat!
Laura
<<<<WOW.
That's a new site by Lillian Jones, and it's COOL===go to the home page.
I'm listed on the side (Sandra Dodd articles) but she Lillian has put up some
articles I had linked too, and her versions are easier to use so I'm going to
change at least one link to get it on her site instead of on a severe
Christian site.
This:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/tammy_cardwell.html
is partly about me. Tammy sent me the link when it was first up and said I
was the person she was talking about. COOL!
And Nancy Wooton has an article there kinda about TV which I am definitely
linking on my TV page.
I'm so glad you brought that link!
Sandra>>>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/1/03 11:53:48 AM, HMSL2@... writes:
<< Sandra I know this has been asked before a few months ago.
Do you have a book in the works yet? >>
Yes but I procrastinate. A publisher in Boulder (someone brought that
address to my attention <bwg>) is interested.
I might get my name on the cover of Connie Colten's new book. That was
interesting: Read a book (manuscript) and write a report but a very TINY report,
and it needs to be profound, because it's for a kind of tiny-profound-report
competition. I'd hardly ever thought much about cover blurbs and testimonials
until I was asked to write one! Weird kind of book report.
Sandra
Sandra
<< Sandra I know this has been asked before a few months ago.
Do you have a book in the works yet? >>
Yes but I procrastinate. A publisher in Boulder (someone brought that
address to my attention <bwg>) is interested.
I might get my name on the cover of Connie Colten's new book. That was
interesting: Read a book (manuscript) and write a report but a very TINY report,
and it needs to be profound, because it's for a kind of tiny-profound-report
competition. I'd hardly ever thought much about cover blurbs and testimonials
until I was asked to write one! Weird kind of book report.
Sandra
Sandra
Tia Leschke
>I'm not sure if the situation with Lars fits at all, but here goes. Many
>She seems to be able to process. She reads Captain Underpants and emails
>from her friends, which have a high white space to word ratio. She reads New
>Moon magazine cover to cover, which is relatively dense type, and has
>discussed articles so it sounds like she's processing well what she's
>reading. She reads gaming magazines. She goes through one in maybe half an
>hour, just picking and choosing the stuff that interests her. But
>occasionally I've noticed what she's gotten from something isn't precisely
>what it said.
here know that I pushed him with phonics when he was 12, and he *did* learn
to read. Then he never read. He was still a very slow reader, and there
just wasn't much written material that was worth all that work and time to
read. He read magazines and websites, picking and choosing like Kat does.
Then this year (just turned 16) he took off. He read a Harry Potter book,
only the second book of any kind he had read. (The first one was read
during an unfortunately very boring visit with my mother while we were
trying to get her into a nursing home the year before.) Then he started
asking for books on various subjects - current events, weather patterns,
forests, light. He's been reading these books and websites that I found
him. I *think* he can probably now read whatever he wants to at a
reasonable speed, though reading is still not his first choice for
entertainment. The main difference I can see with Kat's situation is that
he never voiced a desire during those years to improve his reading. Anyway,
for what it's worth.
Tia
Tia Leschke
>We got Lars tested for this when he was maybe 14. The tester said he had it
>And people have mentioned some people like colored films over their pages to
>change the contrast. I *think* if that were the case with Kat, with all the
>playing around she does with fonts and backgrounds, she would have hit on
>something that she was drawn to. But, unless she's having fun, she sticks
>with relatively small black type on white. But does anyone has information
>about that? I could keep it as a second avenue of investigation.
(Irlen's Syndrome) and sent us home with the correct colour of plastic
overlay. There was the possibility of more testing to find the right colour
of glasses (almost always different than the overlay colour) but we never
did that. He used the overlay some but said it only helped a little. I
think for him it was a matter of maturity rather than vision, and then I
probably pushed the real reading back for a few years by pushing him when I
did.
Here's the Irlen Institute's website. http://www.irlen.com/
She also wrote a book called Reading by the colors: Overcoming Dyslexia and
Other Reading Disabilities Through the Irlen Method (New York: Avery Pub
Group, 1991).
Tia
Deborah Lewis
***Kat, who is 12, wants to read "better" but I'm having a hard time
getting
out of her what she feels is wrong.***
Could it be that some things just aren't interesting enough to read and
she wishes they were?
I read a lot, but there are only certain things I can read.
I would almost rather die than read John Grisham, although his writing
style is changing a little and is better for me.
There are certain styles I can't read and I wish I could but my mind
wanders away and I get annoyed and I end up skimming and missing much of
what's there.
Dylan used to cut a small rectangle out of the middle of a piece of paper
and lay the paper on the page he was reading and put one word in the
"window" at a time. He did that for a year or so and it seemed to help
him. I think he liked the white space. I think he wanted to look at
every word at once instead of one at a time. He can look at blue prints
that way sort of scan/absorb and he can figure out patterns and mazes and
building materials by looking at the whole thing at once and I think he
would like to be able to swallow up whole pages of text and then have the
words sort out automatically in his mind they way he can sort patterns.
Deb L
getting
out of her what she feels is wrong.***
Could it be that some things just aren't interesting enough to read and
she wishes they were?
I read a lot, but there are only certain things I can read.
I would almost rather die than read John Grisham, although his writing
style is changing a little and is better for me.
There are certain styles I can't read and I wish I could but my mind
wanders away and I get annoyed and I end up skimming and missing much of
what's there.
Dylan used to cut a small rectangle out of the middle of a piece of paper
and lay the paper on the page he was reading and put one word in the
"window" at a time. He did that for a year or so and it seemed to help
him. I think he liked the white space. I think he wanted to look at
every word at once instead of one at a time. He can look at blue prints
that way sort of scan/absorb and he can figure out patterns and mazes and
building materials by looking at the whole thing at once and I think he
would like to be able to swallow up whole pages of text and then have the
words sort out automatically in his mind they way he can sort patterns.
Deb L
pam sorooshian
Joyce,
I wouldn't rule out some kind of vision issues - talk to Lillian Jones
about it. You could sign onto the HSC email list and search the
archives because she's written about it a lot there.
([email protected]).
But - something that happens with Rosie is that she reads at a certain
"level" (Animorphs was one period and SaddleClub for another long time)
and then she talks about reading more sophisticated books, and wants
to, but just doesn't seem to have it in her to get through them and
gets kind of down on herself and frustrated. Then - a while later -
months, usually, she WILL read them and seem to be totally fine. I
think There is some asyncnroncity - different parts of her brain are
ready to move on at different times.
-pam
I wouldn't rule out some kind of vision issues - talk to Lillian Jones
about it. You could sign onto the HSC email list and search the
archives because she's written about it a lot there.
([email protected]).
But - something that happens with Rosie is that she reads at a certain
"level" (Animorphs was one period and SaddleClub for another long time)
and then she talks about reading more sophisticated books, and wants
to, but just doesn't seem to have it in her to get through them and
gets kind of down on herself and frustrated. Then - a while later -
months, usually, she WILL read them and seem to be totally fine. I
think There is some asyncnroncity - different parts of her brain are
ready to move on at different times.
-pam
Fetteroll
Pam L:
also is on the main page of that site. And Pam Hartley's there too. :-)
Thank you. Now at least I'll know what I'm asking for. Holistic did pop up
in the reading so it sounds like it's part of being a
developmental/behavioral optometrist.
Betsy:
number one on her list of what makes anything appealing! I'd forgotten the
Garfields. She's read every single one. (The other comics you mentioned I
read to her.) Part of the appeal of funny may be the feedback you get on
whether you read it right. But she (and the whole family actually) like
funny movies and TV shows so I think it's genetic :-)
a book she feels it's something for me to read to her and she finds browsing
at stores and libraries overwhelming so doesn't pick out stuff for herself.
Occasionally she has stumbled across a book she wanted so it felt like hers
to read but she never finished them.
I let her know about the bookmark under the line. She says she's tried that
and it makes it go slower but she's going to try it again.
Tia:
to have handy.
talking to me. Maybe that's why I've always been drawn to comics. (Though I
don't have problems reading dense text.) Of course comics are kind of like
movies, with that same connection between pictures and conversation.
it's been at least two years since she read her first Captain Underpants so
it's seeming less likely now.
Thanks everyone!
Joyce
> And in my quick search (I lost my favourites from when I originally researchedYes it was Lillian! (I was thinking Retromom/Christine Web, who, ironically,
> this), I even found a homeschooling vision page with a story that sounds
> similar to the one you mentioned:
> http://www.besthomeschooling.org/vision_skills.html (Sandra, did you know
> you're linked from this site?)
also is on the main page of that site. And Pam Hartley's there too. :-)
Thank you. Now at least I'll know what I'm asking for. Holistic did pop up
in the reading so it sounds like it's part of being a
developmental/behavioral optometrist.
Betsy:
> The other thing going on with James is that he has a strong preferenceHey, more alike than you know. They seem to be separated siblings! Funny is
> for books that are funny. (Which isn't at all surprising, as our family
> motto is "Only when it's funny." from the handcuff escape scene in Who
> Framed Roger Rabbit.) I think funny books have a bigger "payoff" and
> they really reward the effort of reading.
number one on her list of what makes anything appealing! I'd forgotten the
Garfields. She's read every single one. (The other comics you mentioned I
read to her.) Part of the appeal of funny may be the feedback you get on
whether you read it right. But she (and the whole family actually) like
funny movies and TV shows so I think it's genetic :-)
> I always thought Easy Readers were kind of lame, but maybe I should haveWe had easy readers too. One of the problems has been is that if I pick out
> had more of that stuff around as James was easing in to reading. I just
> expected him, based on the "test" my dh had done, to be able to read
> more complex stuff.
a book she feels it's something for me to read to her and she finds browsing
at stores and libraries overwhelming so doesn't pick out stuff for herself.
Occasionally she has stumbled across a book she wanted so it felt like hers
to read but she never finished them.
I let her know about the bookmark under the line. She says she's tried that
and it makes it go slower but she's going to try it again.
Tia:
> Here's the Irlen Institute's website. http://www.irlen.com/Thanks! I'd be really surprised if that turns out to be the problem but good
> She also wrote a book called Reading by the colors: Overcoming Dyslexia and
> Other Reading Disabilities Through the Irlen Method (New York: Avery Pub
> Group, 1991).
to have handy.
> Could it be that some things just aren't interesting enough to read andThat's definitely true of me! I think I need it to sound like someone's
> she wishes they were?
>
> I read a lot, but there are only certain things I can read.
> I would almost rather die than read John Grisham, although his writing
> style is changing a little and is better for me.
>
> There are certain styles I can't read and I wish I could but my mind
> wanders away and I get annoyed and I end up skimming and missing much of
> what's there.
talking to me. Maybe that's why I've always been drawn to comics. (Though I
don't have problems reading dense text.) Of course comics are kind of like
movies, with that same connection between pictures and conversation.
> But - something that happens with Rosie is that she reads at a certainIt's pretty much what I've been going on that it would just take time, but
> "level" (Animorphs was one period and SaddleClub for another long time)
> and then she talks about reading more sophisticated books, and wants
> to, but just doesn't seem to have it in her to get through them and
> gets kind of down on herself and frustrated. Then - a while later -
> months, usually, she WILL read them and seem to be totally fine. I
> think There is some asyncnroncity - different parts of her brain are
> ready to move on at different times.
it's been at least two years since she read her first Captain Underpants so
it's seeming less likely now.
Thanks everyone!
Joyce
Tia Leschke
>Actually, using the bookmark *above* the line is supposed to be a better
>I let her know about the bookmark under the line. She says she's tried that
>and it makes it go slower but she's going to try it again.
idea. I think it helps them move on to the eyes jumping ahead and back,
which is what good readers do.
Tia
Betsy
**
We had easy readers too. One of the problems has been is that if I pick out
a book she feels it's something for me to read to her and she finds browsing
at stores and libraries overwhelming so doesn't pick out stuff for herself.
Occasionally she has stumbled across a book she wanted so it felt like hers
to read but she never finished them.**
I'm a dabbler with a short attention span, so I like magazines.
We've had Muse magazine for awhile. Of course, the only thing James
read for a long time was the Kokopelli comic strip in the front. But
this week I saw him reading an article from it while eating cereal.
Graphic novels are appealing, I just don't always know which ones are
kid-friendly and which ones are hideously violent and morbid.
(Adjectives I would use to describe some of the Batman comics that were
popular several years back.)
We have some Star Wars and Star Trek graphic novels, and I've been
thinking I should look for more in that vein.
(Yes, I am a noodge. Is there a chapter of Noodgeaholics Anonymous near
me?)
Betsy
Betsy
We had easy readers too. One of the problems has been is that if I pick out
a book she feels it's something for me to read to her and she finds browsing
at stores and libraries overwhelming so doesn't pick out stuff for herself.
Occasionally she has stumbled across a book she wanted so it felt like hers
to read but she never finished them.**
I'm a dabbler with a short attention span, so I like magazines.
We've had Muse magazine for awhile. Of course, the only thing James
read for a long time was the Kokopelli comic strip in the front. But
this week I saw him reading an article from it while eating cereal.
Graphic novels are appealing, I just don't always know which ones are
kid-friendly and which ones are hideously violent and morbid.
(Adjectives I would use to describe some of the Batman comics that were
popular several years back.)
We have some Star Wars and Star Trek graphic novels, and I've been
thinking I should look for more in that vein.
(Yes, I am a noodge. Is there a chapter of Noodgeaholics Anonymous near
me?)
Betsy
Betsy
[email protected]
In a message dated 11/2/03 2:24:29 PM, ecsamhill@... writes:
<< Graphic novels are appealing, I just don't always know which ones are
kid-friendly and which ones are hideously violent and morbid. >>
There's a really good one of The Hobbit!
Sandra
<< Graphic novels are appealing, I just don't always know which ones are
kid-friendly and which ones are hideously violent and morbid. >>
There's a really good one of The Hobbit!
Sandra
zenmomma2kids
>>The main difference I can see with Kat's situation is thathe never voiced a desire during those years to improve his reading.
Anyway, for what it's worth.>>
I've got one of each. Conor was slower to start reading. He was
labeled with all sorts of disabilities by the school system, and then
surprised me by reading Harry Potter at age 10, six months after I
pulled him out. He went through vision therapy while still in school,
but I never saw any great difference from having done it. He goes
through bursts of reading novels, but mostly prefers magazines,
comics, books on tape, Anime/manga, and non-fiction with lots of
pictures. He's content with where he is as far as his reading goes. I
do get the impression that too much print on a page still bothers him.
Casey did lots of reading stuff early. I suppose if she had been in
school she would have gotten A's on her reading tests. BUT she is
like Kat and complains about reading anything with too much type. She
also prefers comics and Anime/manga like "Spirited Away." Unlike
Conor, she is not always satisfied with her reading. I do wonder if,
like Sandra mentioned, her eye strain or whatever is keeping her from
print will just go away as she matures. FWIW she was evaluated for
vision therapy when Conor was and tested fine.
Life is good.
~Mary