Liv is very motivated, she loves to read and constantly tells me she wants to be a better reader. She often says she is "stupid" because she can't read well and I have to remind her that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, we just have to work harder if something doesn't come as easily to us as to others. She is very determined to become a better reader and works so hard during our tutoring sessions. She reads very slowly, often whisper-reading the word before she reads it out loud to me and points to each word as she reads. I can see her forming the words quietly and when she is sure that she has it right she will say it out loud. When she knows that she is wrong, she shakes her head and tries again. It takes us a very long time to get through a level 1 or level 2 book and I have determined that she is reading on about a second grade level, even though she is in third grade and was held back in kindergarten (technically she should be a fourth grader).
Liv struggles with decoding and fluency. She is very skilled in phonemic awareness, her problems are all visual and while she has not been officially diagnosed with dyslexia she has had several educators tell her that she has it. She is a master of comprehension even though it takes her a long time to read, and I often don't feel that she is focused. Someone recently told me that dyslexic children seem like they aren't focused when they are, in fact, over-focused. Liv and I have been experimenting with different strategies to figure out what helps her the most with her decoding issues.
My goals for Liv are:
- Make a personal connection to an important feeling in the story. Tell about a time in your own life when you have had the same feeling. (C1-b)
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language. (A5-a)
- Which part of the story do you think was most important? Use information from the story to explain why you chose that part. (C2-a)
I think that the book Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe would be an appropriate book for Liv. It includes two of the goals that I set for her along with several other objectives that would be appropriate for Liv.
I can identify with the students who whisper read the words to themselves. I have one student who does it and if he doesn't think he knows the word, he just shakes his head and I try to tell him to just tell me what sounds he hears or guess what he thinks the word is, and sometimes he knows it and sometimes he really doesn't. I think his issue is lack of confidence in himself. He is really bright, but I think sometimes he is worried that he will be wrong. I would like to learn more about dyslexia. I have read different books referencing dyslexia and they have all told me different things so I don't feel that I have a good grasp on what it really is.
ReplyDeleteI love the personal connection aspect. That definitely is something that can bring about intrinsic motivation to read. WOW- I never thought about dyslexic students being over-focused, but now that you say that, it makes sense. I could see that being very frustrating for a young, struggling reader. I WONDER if the personal connections and being able to step away from the actual reading and just thinking about the work will solve some of the frustration.
ReplyDeleteHeather, I can totally relate to your observation that although she seems unfocused she is actually absorbing and comprehending what is going on. I find this the case with SOOO many of the kids I work with. The classroom teachers tell me all the time how the students are ADD and can't pay attention in class. I observe this as an OBSERVATION when they are with me too. Yet, so many times when I ask them about things that we are doing while they are 'not paying attention', low and behold they can answer me. WOW - I really liked your choice of goals for Liv and they have me reconsidering some of mine for my reader. I WONDER if goal 2 will help her focus on the decoding liek I am hoping it will do with my reader.
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