Spec Ed Test Results- ?

LD in reading comprehension means unable to comprehend what one reads. Basic Reading Skills is another category of LD and that would have more to do with decoding skills, recognizing isolated words in print. Reading comprehension has more to do with drawing conclusions, making inferences, recognizing stated detail about what one has read. Hope this helps.

We are talking about a 1st grader that can’t even really read. He knows letters and the sound they make, but really struggles w/ blending and decoding. He is getting better w/ isolated words, but he really struggles with anything more than that. His teacher and I both agree that when he is read to, he has great comprehension. Does this make sense? I’m really confused w/ this diagnoses!

There are two parts to reading the decoding letter/sound recognition. Then there is comprehension. You are saying he is having difficulty with decoding, but when read to his comprehension is fine?

That sounds llike my dyslexic son. He struggles with decoding, but if there is a book on tape that he just listen to. He understands the meaning what he is reading.

I guess, I don’t understand what they are telling you. I would talk to your psychologist who did the testing.

Good Luck

That was my son. He couldn’t decode but understood everything he heard.

He learned to decode but still had a vision issue that was holding him back.

He understands everything he reads now. While you are remediating the deficit be sure to read to him and provide books on tapes. This will allow him to keep his comprehension intact.

When he finally figures out the code he will be able to understand it if he can understand it when he hears it now. At least that was our experience.

Reading Comprehension and Oral/Listening Comprehension are two different things. It sounds like I too would be confused about his diagnosis. Often a child isn’t able to comprehend what they have read if they have a difficult time decoding words….spending so much time on trying to decode, one often forgets what he/she has read. Sometimes children who struggle with decoding and fluency have learned to compensate as they get older. I have seen children who can use context clues and all those other good things and be able to comprehend what they have read. Hope this information is helpful and not confusing you even more. Also, if he is able to comprehend when something is read to him….for planning purposes-that would be a good accomdation to have for him (i.e. tests in classroom, etc.).

I think I understand a little better now! I guess it is just a part of his dyslexia!? Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to be one in the same. I will not complain about any services that I can get from the school. (Like the testing modifications.)

I was told before that Reading Reflex would be something I could do w/ him this summer. Does this still sound like a good start? Any other suggestions are welcome!

Email me if you want the whole bunch of answers I have typed up for people over the last several months — I found myself typing and posting the same advice to each new questioner, so instead I started saving the whole long posts and sending the ton of info on request. Included are outlines of what I do in tutoring for reading skills, lesson planning, handwriting, spelling.

Just MAKE SURE the school is giving you what your son really needs and not some “watered down bunch of hooey” that they consider reading instruction.

Next year they will be providing the Wilson program for his Dyslexia. I think from what I have read on this board that it is a good program. I am not yet sure what they will do for the “reading comprehension”.

Can anyone tell me if since I am getting an IEP for the LD part if they will include the Wilson Program in it as well?

Well, they *should* include details about what they are doing.

Concerning Wilson or any other program: getting the program is the first half of the beattle. Now get your ears laid back for the second part. The problem with many schools and programs is that the program isn’t actually implemented.
(1) Make sure that enough time is given — three hours a week is minimal; anything less than two is unlikely to show any improvement. That would give the school an opening to write off your kid as unteachable and the program as a failure (so they can go back to whatever it is they like to do), and leave him further behind.
(2) Make sure that either (a) the teacher starts at the beginning and works through the program as planned, or (b) the teacher uses appropriate tests, possibly included in the program, places him in an appropriate level, and works from there, Many teachers don’t want to do the beginning stuff because it seems “too basic” or “too easy” or “too childish” so they skip ahead, and of course it is exactly these basic fundamental skills that your kid needs the most; starting too high is a setup for failure and write-off, as above.
(3) Make sure that the teacher is implementing the *whole* program, *in order*. Many of us were told in teacher’s college that it is uncreative and bad pedagogy to actually follow a text; we were told to pick and choose topics that fit our particular themes, or that appeared to fit the needs of the student at the time. This of course is a disaster to a planned, sequential, cumulative program of phonics (or math).
(4) This is a hard one, but try — make sure that the work in the rest of the day at least isn’t contradicting the reading program. If the student gets a half-hour a week of a systematic phonics program, and 24 1/2 hour per week of being taught that it’s good to guess, which is he going to do? This is why many phonics programs in school “fail” — they are set up without a hope of success.
(5) Fight to get the above policies (omitting of course my strongly worded opinions) written into the IEP – 3 hours weekly, start at the beginning or use program’s own placement, entire program, as written, in order. It’s worth the fight. Then supervise homework to make sure the teacher is actually following the IEP