What+to+do+with+a+7th+Grade+student+reading+at+a+lower+level

=== READING"I have a 7th grade student I'm mentoring who is currently reading on a 1st grade level. She's well aware of her levels and abilities and truly wants to learn and grow. But it appears she keeps falling through the cracks. How can I help this student?" ===

If it's private time I'd suggest explode the code.

Start back at Phonics..even if she has a learning disability learning some things are better then nothing..Be positive and rewarding..attitude is everything:) flash cards, lots of hands on activities....

I agree with Chrystina. some accomodations you can try are books on cd, internet - most books now have cd's with them. as far as her reading goes - if she has average IQ Wilson Language would really help but she needs sped for that. thnks for caring and taking an interest

Get a copy of Direct Instruction reading curriculum; start at RMI and go straight on from there.


 * I suggest 'LeapPad2'. My son wanted to learn in 1st grade just so he could text his friends on X-box Live, but it needed to be fun & engaging @ the same time~ he was reading & writing within 3 months...he's now in 5th grade receiving 'Advanced' marks across the board on both his report cards & state standardized tests~ thank you Caryn Vanwormer,& Leapster!!

Be her advocate, get her assessed, get her an IEP. She cannot be overlooked if she has an IEP.

Great suggestions above! Also work on being able to self advocate so that when she is in other classes she can help explain her needs to other teachers.

High interest books to start with. Check out the .FCRR.com website for activities for the various components of reading she is low in.

See if her parents will get her signed up for raz-kids.com, or even better, Headsprout. I had a foster child of my own who was 3 grades behind, and doing this helped her tremendously.

Assuming this student has average or better ability, she should be able to learn to read. She is likely a dyslexic student with a severe decoding disabiltiy. If she is still a first grade reader, she probably cannot blend sounds well or pull sound apart from a word. These can be taught in age appropriate ways. At this point, comprehension, spelling, and writing will all probably be low since reading well is the key that unlocks all learning. Reading well begins with decoding well. This is the foundation for learning high frequency words and eventually becoming a fluent reader. As a teacher, you will not be able to help this student unless you can meet with her privately one-on-one for a minimum of twice/week. As far behind as she is, three times/week would be even better. There are not easy answers here and it will be a committment of time and effort on your part and hers. You will need to use the methodology and curriculum from a program that has a high success rate for these types of students. You can find out information about these types of programs from www.interdys.org. Some recommended ones that I would look at for older students would be SPIRE, Wilson, the Barton Program, or the programs by Really Great Reading. They will all begin back with the basics of breaking the code of English but the practice reading will not have pictures so will not look so babyish. Also this allows for working with visualization of text and comprehension. I know that I do not know this student but am commenting based on 28 years of working with student with dyslexic type reading problems. Good luck with her. You will not regret helping this student reach her potential. ** The International Dyslexia Association Promoting literacy through research, education and advocacy ** www.interdys.org If it rolls, floats or flies IDA can turn your vehicle donation into support for ...  our dyslexia mission! We'll pick it up free, sell it, then send you a receipt/letter for your deduction.

Get someone from her family involved. Use song lyrics

Is she not in RTI interventions? I have simliar fourth grade student, who was reading on an end of first grade level, now on second grade level, receiving intense RTI, 30 minutes of one-on-one daily with our interventionist. I do what I can, but this 30 minutes of RTI is what has helped her so much. My student is now on a fast-track to getting her SLD label and an IEP. Has your student been screened, receivign any RTI at all?

[|John Daskalakis] Use Read180!!!!

School librarian here so not sure if you want to hear from me but... Baby Mouse books... Have her read a lower level high interest book series so they will be her "friends" baby mouse are graphic and look like a very cool chapter book but they are really not. When she finishes that series find another. There are quite a few. We use the AR program and are looking at funding issues for next year so not sure how we will do our differentiated reading next year.

[|Scotty Humpherys] I would first assess her with Fountas and Pennell Benchmark Assessment to see exactly what her strengths and weaknesses are. This will guide the teacher in making instructional decisions. Next, I bet it's a combination of needs in vocabulary, decoding, and comprehension. P&F LLI kits work well. Good luck!! Saturday at 10:01pm via [|mobile] · #|Like

[|Kerry Coleman] Liz Dunoon - the ten minute tutor program online (designed for children with dyslexia). Saturday at 10:06pm · #|Like

[|Kerry Coleman] @http://acquire.cqu.edu.au:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/cqu:3370 At the end of this thesis is a plan for working with young readers with ADHD. Well worth a look. Best of luck :) ** Compensating for cognitive deficits in students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | ACQU ** hdl.cqu.edu.au This site is powered by the VTLS VITAL repository solution.  Saturday at 10:25pm · #|Like · 1

She should definitely be screened for dyslexia. Talk to your counselor or special ed dept they will know what to do. She has fallen through the cracks, how did she get to the 7th grade still reading on a first grade level?

[|Larry Leonard] Academy of reading- it is a reading program made by Nero science people to help students with dyslexia. Saturday at 10:45pm via [|mobile] · #|Like
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[|Lisa Baker Whitman] Ann Whitten, What are your thoughts on the MTA program? Saturday at 10:50pm via [|mobile] · #|Like
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[|Ryan MacGregor] Wilson program. My mother is a licensed admin for it, and swears up and down it`s the salvation of remedial learning. Saturday at 11:08pm · #|Like · 2
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[|Karen Bird Day] If I were working with her I would use grade level content material that I have read to her to discuss the material. This gives her a way to be part of the class discussions. If you have access to a program like read 180 I would use that. If not sight words, words there way word study, and decoding skills. Saturday at 11:48pm via [|mobile] · #|Like · 2
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[|Darcy Cali] I have a student who is the same in 5th. I use Making Words to Build Phonemic Awareness. I have noticed it helping in her ability to figure out words she she doesn't know. Sunday at 12:04am via [|mobile] · #|Like · 1
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[|Sabrina L. Baltenbach-Lankenau] ECT might will help abit. Sunday at 12:27am via [|mobile] · #|Like
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[|Sandra Sea] Direct instruction using curriculums like : Reading mastery, teach your children well etc.... Sunday at 1:07am · #|Like · 1
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[|Evette Michel Reid] I agree with Karen and Darcy. With older struggling readers you have to use a Top-Down approach where you expose them to grade level material, do a lot with vocabulary, use the repeated reading strategy (with and without recorded text. . .record the text and let her listen and follow along on a page), making words (to help with pattern building and word knowledge, writing. . . I know this may sound strange but writing works well as part of a remedial program because she would read what she writes. Use word banks for writing. Phonics in my opinion, with older kids comes last because progress in this area for older kids can be slow. Older kids need to see progress super fast due to the nature of the content they are learning! I've used all of these strategies with struggling readers in grades 3 and up and have had a great level of success. I wish this student and teacher all the best! Sunday at 1:58am via [|mobile] · #|Like · 2
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[|Evette Michel Reid] Oh yeah and of course sight words! Sunday at 1:59am via [|mobile] · #|Like

[|Jennifer Church Clem] I have to agree with the person who suggested Wilson. We use their Fundations program at our school. The kids read better than they ever did before. It is a phonics program originally written for people with dyslexia. Sunday at 4:48am via [|mobile] · #|Like · 3

I am a first grade teacher and even though some of my students can read on 3rd and 4th grade levels I still teach them phonics and phonemic awareness. Learning the basics of sounds, blends, and decoding will help that child a lot. I also agree with another poster when she said teaching sight words is a great idea as well. Sunday at 5:16am via [|mobile] · #|Like · 3

Lots if good info on here. Lots about dyslexia. As a teacher I agree with many points. As a mom I'm going to share what we learned about our son at age 14 so defn have her vision tested. It may not necessarily be dyslexia. And it needs to be done with a vision skills therapist. Ours was an advanced reader but because of his advanced adaptation skills he went undiagnosed for years. Most are caught young but his diagnosis was severe double vision and depth perception delay (100%fixed after a yr of therapy) but many kids misdiagnosed with reading disorders ADHD etc have severe vision problems. Sunday at 6:12am via [|mobile] · #|Like · 3

I would suggest a reading program called Language! by Cambium. It's a wonderful program that we teach @ my middle school. It goes through 6 steps: Phonemic awareness and phonics, word recognition and spelling, vocabulary and morphology, grammar and usage, listening and reading comprehension, and speaking and writing. What I like most about this program is the way the lessons are taught. It has scaffolded and integrated steps to go from oral fluency to sound to text each day. We have seen growth in our students who are currently in the program. Look into it!

[|Trista E Nabors] you already have done the most important thing = you have shown her that you care and that you are willing to help and work with her. She is now not alone!!! Finding the right program will take a lot of trial and error, but you might just want to back track to the games and work started in 1st grade, but move at a faster pace. Many tablets have audio with their books = kind of a read a long idea. Many online educational games - JumpStart is great = I would also check out Edutopia.org they have tons of information as should your spec. ed and media sciences departments in your school. GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH THIS GIRL!

Ann Whitten's comments above are great! First, get the child tested. You need to know the child's strengths and weaknesses educationally; processing speeds, working memory, short term memory, etc. Diagnose the problem first! Then chose the intervention that will meet those deficits. A vision test is a must...by an ophthamologist not an optometrist. You may want to try colored overlays as well. Research the Irlen Method. I found this helpful for some students.

I have several students that are similar. First, make sure that instructions are read to them or tailored to their level too. These are often overlooked. Also tests and papers can be read to them as needed. Make sure you have them tested, even if it's informally. You need to know three things: where they can funtion independently, where they can function with help, and where they become too frustrated to continue. You should always focus on the second one to help them progress. The other two levels never help. You have to meet them where they are and where they can truly learn. A great resource for students like this is "Diagnosis and Correction of Reading Problems" by Darrell Morris. Hope it helps. Sunday at 7:21am · #|Like

[|Lynne Stanley Landry] It is so encouraging to see such super ideas! Try to be sure her parents are supplementing with recorded books where she is "tracking" words - she needs to see the text and have it pronounced correctly in a "free-read' style with books/texts in her interest area using her headphones.

[|Pat McPartland McCormack] Readc180

[|Linda Ferguson] Let her know that her attitude is the most important factor in her success and that she needs to be reading in every spare moment for years.

[|Denise Albertson] my neighbor is/ was the same child! Last summer she told me she "hated" reading! I told her, she couldn't tell a reading teacher that she hated to read. She LOVED our bloodhound puppy; so I told her, the days she came to play with the puppy I was going to charge her 30 min. of reading. I then downloaded a Boxcar Children book that has a bloodhound on the cover. Yes, i had to help her with MANY of the words, but within 2 weeks she was BEGGUING me to read! She read 2 books during the summer, and in Dec. she was at a low 3ed grade level! Interest and motivation are key!

[|Tracy Anne OLeary Smith] try Fundations or Wilson to help her. Let her know that each day of improvement is a step in the right direction.

[|Amy Freeman Frost] All of the suggestions are great. I agree the student should be tested to determine if she is dyslexic. Some students who were never read to at home, and the parents do not read, have not developed an interest in it; this could be part of the problem. There are so many great online programs that schools are invested in. Find a program that works for her and get a reading interventionist at your school to work with her. She is going to need a lot of time and patience, and one person cannot do it all. Sunday at 9:41am via [|mobile] · #|Edited · #|Like

Wow, what a great story. However, determine if is a learning disability then take it from there. There are amazing reading program for students her age. Start your search on line.

[|The Homework Trap] With that disparity between reading and grade levels, the child study team has to be involved. If the child student team has not been involved, it is probably may be because she is a girl and boys get noticed more quickly for the learning problems they have or that she is a very well-behavior youngster who fails to get notice per "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Assuming that the student is capable of learning, even she cannot read, it is important to make sure she continues to have access to the education she can absorb, even if she cannot read and even as other efforts proceed to help her with her reading. Finally, and most importantly, you must not expect her to complete homework that she is not capable of doing. Even if she can do some, it is out of the question that she can do all. Consequently, you need to either waive homework, or establish with her, or with her and her parents, a time-based homework expectation. There should be absolutely no penalties for failing to complete the work. She needs to be encouraged and credited for what she can do in a limited amount of time while still enjoying a full life that includes play, other activities, and time with her family.

[|Shirley Neal Alston] Push knowing sight words. Start wil pre-primer and work your way up. www.mrsperkins.com is a great site to look at ** Mrs. Perkins' Dolch Words ** www.mrsperkins.com Mrs. Perkins' collection of Dolch word lists and activities for the 1st grade classroom.

[|Ellen Peterson Beck] Also see Marie Carbo recorded books. I have had many kids turned around, one miraculously, using Carbo recorded books. The books are recorded in phrase chunks without music, and at a speed where the child can learn. Googling her will lead to her website and training. Her power readers are very affordable. They have books at her interest level and you start above the actual IRL a year or so above and it can raise their level quickly, IF done correctly and the student is willing to do it correctly.

[|Holly Rogerson Pierce] @http://www.capstonepub.com/default.aspx ** Home - Capstone ** www.capstonepub.com Capstone Publishers imprints: Capstone Press, Compass Point Books, Picture Windo ... w Books, Stone Arch Books, Red Brick Learning, Children’s Library Resources. Sunday at 5:04pm · #|Like

This link will for sure provide some insight and help! @http://www.appliedscholastics.org/study-tech/barriers-to-study-booklet.html ** BARRIERS TO STUDY : Free Education Articles | Applied Scholastics International ** www.appliedscholastics.org Applied Scholastics produces a variety of educational publications for use by te ... achers, educators, parents and students, including free downloadable materials such as the educational articles and booklets contained in this page. Download them here for free and learn more about Study Technology (Stud... Sunday at 5:42pm · #|Like

Look at her tests scores and talk to her to find out how she is seeing the letters could be that she is seeing certain letters backwards which makes it hard for her to discern the word or words. Then have her retell you what she has read after a page or two. You will have to try various techniques to figure out what her learning issues are. Could be she is a built in babysitter or maid at home I dealth with a young lady who was pulled out of class to go home to tend to the needs of her adult parents and grandparents and then tend to her siblings and was still expected to pass her classes. I made up flash cards, mock tests etc. and had other students work with her who lived close to her when she could find time. She managed to pass her test and move on from one grade to the next but it took a lot of work from everyone involved including the young lady for her home life was horrid and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Sunday at 6:07pm · #|Like

Teach her to tell teachers what she needs, not ask. Not aggressive, but understand the strategies that work the best for her. They won't fall through the cracks when they find their voice Sunday at 7:07pm via [|mobile] · #|Like

[|Mandi Sharkey] But that means she needs to know what strategies work first!