Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Help with Reading

Sorry, that doesn't look right. I wanted to say that I don't think kids NEED to have tv to become early readers, but that maybe it does help speed them on their way. It goes against my very limited tv stance to say so, but I want to be honest about my opinion.

I think they're sponges, so any input--even from TV--is absorbed.

Better than TV, generally, is human interaction. But I think there's a big exception: if you're not expecting your babies to read yet, you don't know to teach them as if they can read. TV makes no assumptions about reading level, as people do, and therefore kids might learn things from TV that they wouldn't learn from us...because we aren't teaching them that stuff yet.

I haven't had coffee yet, so I'm not sure if I'm making sense...

All true, and DS didn't watch any tv until 2, and never watched Sesame Street (he didn't like it). After 2, he watched some shows on Noggin (liked that channel b/c it had no commercials), but never an academic show. His favorite thing to watch at 2 was River Dance - he had a bit of a crush on Jean Butler!

My son liked the "old" Sesame St. It changed quite a bit when he was small and I really only recall his being a fan as a young toddler.

My current toddler has only seen it once or twice. It's not what it used to be.

Well, I gained more understanding of the reading problem today. DS told me he doesn't like to read because he can't read the books that interest him "like science, novels, adventure stories and myteries.". That gives me some more guidance. He seems to be enjoying reading blaster on the computer, so I hope that the combo of that and EPGY (where he only has to read a few sentences at the most per screen), with possibly renewed attempts at the Wilson method with his tutor will move him in the right direction. He is no longer objecting to writing, so I hope more advanced reading is to follow. Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Have you tried the easy reader type science books? We have some about various polar animals that we got through scholastic on about level 3. Also, what about Magic School Bus science books? They have easier ones and chapter books for that series. And mysteries could be Cam Jansen or Hank the Cow Dog?? I'm all for going with whatever they are interested in for reading. My DS loves Hardy Boys right now but he went through a period where he would read nothing but Goosebumps. Maybe if you can find a series he likes it will inspire him. I'm so glad he's no longer objecting to writing - maybe that will come for my DS one of these days!!

Can't read them because the vocab is too hard? or something else?

I really like the real science for kids books, they might do the trick. It's meant for 4th-6th grade and DD7 is loving it. It does have complex material, just explained for kids, has pictures to break up the text, I've been really impressed.

Here's the link to the publisher:

http://www.gravitaspublications.com/index.html

Incog

It's weird - if I read it to him, he understands the vocabulary, but if he has to sound out words he doesn't recognize, he doesn't understand what he reads. It's like he's so caught up with the details of sounding out the words that he forgets what they mean. Literally can't see the forest for the trees. However, I noticed that he doesn't have that problem on easy books, so maybe we'll keep reading easy books and ratchet it up a notch book by book. (And EandCmom, the problem with the level 3 science books for him is that he is so "well-read" - at least well-read to - that the scholastic science books are too simple for him in terms of content. But I think you're right, I need to find something that peaks his interest so that he'll at least try to read it. Maybe we'll try Goosebumps.)

Have you tried having him scan the page for words he doesn't know first and sound them out/look them up before he reads anything? Then he could read more seamlessly. This sort of pre-reading is something I recommended for my college students, so it's a useful skill for anyone to learn.

If he has trouble remembering the words, he could even mark them on the page (if you write in books at your house) or write the words down on a separate sheet of paper.

Maybe helpful, I hope?