LOL about my being convincing! I DID teach argumentative writing, after all.
Yes, just reading and talking/writing about what he's read will absolutely help him with LA! Yes!
I'm kind of shocked at the teacher's comment, actually. I mean, it's nice to be able to read quickly, but if he's *choosing* to read more slowly because he's enjoying it, then I have a hard time thinking that's an honest-to-goodness problem.
I'll accept that he needs to *start talking* about the fact that there are different types of reading that we use in different situations. But seriously, he's 7!
A little perspective there, you know! You LEARN that sometimes you read fast and sometimes you read slowly, for pleasure. I don't think you have to have that down already at age 7!
My best advice about LA is to have him read every day from a variety of sources and styles of writing (directions, poetry, fun kids books, harder chapter books, nonfiction, magazines, etc.), read things that are hard and things that are fun and easy, and to make sure that he isn't just reading the sounds, but that he's comprehending what he's reading.
To check comprehension, you can really just ask questions about what he's read, both to see if he's picking up detail and to see if he's understanding subtlties like character's intentions and feelings, even if those are not explicitly stated. If it strikes you as important when you read it, then it's fair game for a question.
At 7, kids should be starting to ID setting, character, and plot. They should be able to retell stories they've read in an order that is more or less chronological and that hits the main points.
They should be improving their vocabulary, practicing spelling--though this doesn't have to mean spelling tests!--learning the basic parts of speech (noun and verb as well as subject and predicate), and how to divide words into syllables.
We hit most of that through reading and writing. We just talk about things as they come up. I do very little formal work on spelling, vocab or grammar. The less comfortable you are with this aspect of LA, however, the more formality might help you. But don't get overwhelmed. He's 7! You can teach him these basics! Because they are just basics!
Okay, I'm posting way more than I should. Sorry!
I promise I'm trying to be helpful, not merely the annoying former English teacher who won't shut up!
