How to Help a . . .
Struggling Reader
What is the most common reason for lack of reading
progress?
Many students who do not progress well in reading struggle
simply because they lack a solid phonics foundation.
To improve reading skills, you should first try to
identify at what point your student failed to gain
the necessary understanding to move on in reading.
For example, how many of these basic steps in reading
can your student easily perform?
- Recognizes the letters/sounds of the alphabet.
- Blends a single consonant and a vowel together
at the beginning of a one- or two- vowel word
(e.g., sa, mu, fe, ti, ro).
- Can add an ending consonant sound to a blend to
form a word (e.g., sat, mug, fed, tip, rod).
- Proficiently applies these one and two vowel rules:
ONE VOWEL RULE: When there is one vowel in a short
word, it usually says its short sound.
TWO VOWEL RULE: When there are two vowels in a
short word, the first one usually says its short
sound; the second one is silent.
- Easily reads consonant digraphs (ck, sh, ch,
ng, th, wh); blends 2 or 3 consonants together
with a vowel (e.g., bla, thru, spi, ste, smo);
and can add an ending consonant sound to form
a giant blend word (e.g., black, thrush, spill,
step, smock).
- Proficiently reads vowel digraphs (e.g., ie,
ea, oe, ee, ai, ue), modified vowels (ar, er,
ir, or, ur), and diphthongs (ou, ow).
- Identifies the different types of syllables,
and where to place the accent (stress) in a word.
- Read paragraphs smoothly, with expression, from
one line to the next.
- Proficiently reads words with vowel and consonant
variants (those which don't follow normal rules
of pronunciation), silent letters, and prefixes/suffixes.
- Has developed good reading comprehension through
these important skills: (1) clear enunciation
of words, (2) grouping words together to sound
like talking, (3) use of proper voice inflection,
and (4) reading punctuation marks correctly.
How can I help my student improve reading skills?
If your child is not very proficient in steps 1-5,
he or she would benefit from going through our Beginning-to-Read
program---followed by the Advanced Phonics Program.
However, if only steps 6-10 are deficient, we recommend
the Advanced Phonics Program.
Click
here to read about our Beginning-to-Read Program.
Click
here to read about our Advanced Phonics Program.
What should I do if the problem isn't a lack of phonics
foundation?
If a student has had a strong phonics foundation, and
still isn't progressing well, there may be an eye
or hearing problem---or a learning disability. We
first recommend that the child be screened by a pediatric
ophthalmologist and audiologist. If everything is
okay physically, then it is best to have the child
tested for a possible learning disability. If it turns
out that he or she does have difficulty in this area,
don't be alarmed. Most of these children have average
or above average intelligence. They simply need extra
help to compensate for an auditory or visual processing
weakness which makes some types of learning---like
reading---a little more difficult. Your diagnostician
will probably make a recommendation regarding whether
to pursue phonics further or to utilize a different
approach.
Note: There is a helpful article entitled
"Detecting Learning Disabilities" at
the beginning of Phonics Lessons for Flashcards
94-118. This was written by Katherine Grete, the
former director of the Talent Development Program
at Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville,
Florida (where the Christ-Centered Curriculum
originated).
Remember: Children with a learning disability need a continual
source of encouragement! Strive to be positive in how you relate
to your struggling reader. Ask the Lord for wisdom to establish
reasonable expectations---in accordance with your child's individual
God-given capabilities. Frequently remind your son or daughter that
he or she can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13), and
then faithfully pray for such strength. You can have great confidence
in the fact God is always faithful to answer Scripture prayers!
(Note: For a rich blessing on how to pray Scripture for your children,
order Dr. John Barnett's exciting book by clicking
on The Joy of a Word Filled Family under "Family
Resources" in the online catalog.)
How can I help an adult who is a poor reader?
Many adults -- as well as foreigners wanting to learn
English -- have benefited greatly from going through
the Christ-Centered Phonics Drill Reader. The "Introduction"
to this book explains how to teach a person to read.
Its word lists (100 per page), phrases, sentences,
and paragraphs cover these skills: initial consonant
blends, short/long vowel words, consonant digraphs,
consonant blends, suffixes (-es, -ed, -ing), vowel
digraphs, modified vowels, diphthongs, consonant and
vowel variants, silent letters, and words with prefixes/suffixes.
The reader includes 1,000 words used in 90% of all
reading materials. As students read through the book,
they will learn five spiritual themes: Creation, the
Fall, the Flood, the Law, and Grace. This makes the
Phonics Drill Reader an especially good tool for missionaries
who want to teach spiritual truths as they help a
person learn to read. A bonus is that faithful practice
in this reader will help increase reading speed dramatically.
Click
here to access the Christ-Centered Phonics Drill Reader in our
online catalog.
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