sped vs. reg.ed with remed.

Marion, I noticed on your reply to the Harry Potter post that your son is reading below a 2nd grade leve, and is entering 4th grade. I can’t speak for how it is at all schools, or how your school will view the situation, but at our school remedial services are typically reserved for students who are reading a year, maybe a year and a half below grade level. By 4th grade students are expected to read words of 1-3 syllables, sometimes more, fluently. The instructional focus is not on learning to read, but on comprehension and written language skills. At our school reading also begins to play a larger role in science and social studies in 4th grade ~ those text books can get pretty intense by 4th grade. My opinion: if your son is reading below a 2nd grade level he needs some intensive work in reading skills. This is best delivered in a pull-out, special ed. program. However, some remedial programs may be able and willing to deliver the same intensive services, though that would probably also be in a pull-out situation.

when kids have below grade level reading skills. My son is beginning third grade now but is a second grade reader. He has an IEP for language arts and is pulled out for resource room. Now, in third grade, there are textbooks for science and social studies. They are above his independent reading level. This is a new problem for us since reading in first and second grade was pretty much confined to language arts.

I was thinking of asking the teacher to give us the assignments the week before and have him read chapters at home with us over the weekend. He could read them with some assistance. Then he would be at least somewhat familiar with the texts.

The only way to deal effectively is to have a really good assessment that pinpoints strengths, needs and information on learning style, so to speak. Then the IEP should identify the goals that should be taught in the next year. This is based on where the current level of function is at the time of the IEP. These goals must be sequential, realistic and be honestly calculated to create improvement. Now, where this instruction actually takes place is up to the IEP team. I like to do most remedial instruction in the resource room. I think the issue is what and how he is being taught, not where.

Marion, You haven’t said if he has been working on a reading course. You have brought up speech remediation but not reading. What are they doing about his reading deficiency?

Hi Beth ~ talk to your son’s teacher and find out how he/she plans to run social studies. They may be planning on using the textbook only as a supplement. You can ask them that any reading be done out loud as a whole class, and to only ask your son to read if he feels comfortable enough to volunteer. If your son is only a year below (often times our 3rd graders are reading at a K-1 level) he might benefit from working on the important vocabulary words at home with you, so that he recognizes them easily when he sees them in the book. Also, if your son is identified as LD he should be able to get books on tape from the Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic. They have most textbooks available on tape. You need a special tape recorder to use them, but it is an option. Speak with his special ed. teacher, or the district sped. director. Finally, as you said, pre-reading it with him at home will always help. You could read it 1x while he follows along, practice the key vocabulary words so he recognizes them, and have him read it the second time. I hope this is helpful~good luck!

Thanks. I am not sure about social studies but the science is very reading based. There is a question after each paragraph and she is going to teach them to read for content. I guess the state achievement exams are going to include science in a year. She sent the science book home with him, after I asked, and we’re going to read the pages together this week end. I am going to try to get him to read a paragraph and then me a paragraph. He loves science and spent the evening pouring over the book. He had my husband read parts of it to him as a bed time story. So his interest should help.

I like the idea of vocab. for social studies too.

We have worked very hard with our son and have got him a lot of help so his reading isn’t horrid right now. Still, I see this gap between him and others and the fact that reading is becoming more than one subject in school. He is identified as LD so if your other ideas aren’t enough, I will look into the books on tape. I wasn’t aware that he was entitled to that, so that was really useful information.

Beth

My son is a 9yo dyslexic is 4th grade. At the end of 2nd grade he was reading at mid 1st level. He did the LindaMood-Bell Lips program over the summer between 2-3, started third grade on a 3rd grade level. Receiving the reading assignments ahead of the rest of the class was part of his 504 plan (same IEP in private schools) he read the assignment with assist at home then was able to feel confident in school with reading aloud and answering questions. It worked very well. This year in 4th we are not having to do the pre-reading but we are now dealing with spelling issues that can come along.

Staying on top of things has been so important. Not waiting for the school to address a problem but going to them if you see any frustration in your child has been a big help. I feel that I am being identified as one of those parents that is in need of a lot of attention. BUT I will gladly take the lable verses my son having any major problems. The general response I have received is very positive because I am a concerned, active parent. Teachers like that type of parent. (So they say)

Good luck.

Another thought–
I third grade last year, in social studies, they started essay questions. It started out as a nightmare, but we were able to start a study technique that really helped. We made index cards with the vocab words on one side and the definition on the other, (my son did the writing). We also wrote the follow-up questions on one side of index cards with the answer on the back. The teacher gave the essay questions ahead of time so we could practice the thought process and sentence structure at home. This was a big help.

Did the teacher give them to everyone or was this part of your IEP? I remember the essay questions being a big jump in third grade for our daughter. I didn’t even ask this question!!! I don’t think I really wanted to know. …..But, I ought to find out.

I can’t even imagine my son doing an essay question.

My son goes to an elementary school with 1500 students. The principal, the director of exceptional education, the speech teacher, ect. all know me by name. I have no doubt I have a reputation too. But my son is reading, which he would not be if I had not got involved.

The teacher gave everyone the question ahead of time in class however, she would put stars around it in his notebook. He would get all content multiple choice answers correct and lose all but 5 points on the essay. He had a problem getting his thoughts organized (big suprise) and getting it on paper in complete sentences and with proper spelling. The new study technique addresses the spelling and we can compose the sentences prior to the test. His memory is so good that once he has it, he has it! His test scores went from 28/50 to 48/50 just from a difference in studying.

This year we won’t have the benefit of knowing the questions before (unless it is an accomadation). I will still have him do the vocab. cards. We also are writing all answers in complete sentences. I think that will get him in that mode.

The only reason we found out there was a problem when we did (at the end of 2nd grade) is we had him privately tested because I wasn’t willing to wait until he was so far behind and his self esteem was beat down to nothing. Once we completed the LIPs program we had a different young man.

My son doesn’t have the kind of memory yours does so I certainly won’t expect the same success. Still, you present some good ideas that are going to help.

Thanks.

We too have gone outside the school for help. My son was identified early (first grade) but the standard program was ineffective because of the magnitude of his disability.

Marion,

My son is going into the fourth grade. He is mainstreamed for everything but reading which he is sent to the resource room. My son is only 8-10 months behind but i still think this is the right place for him. This way he can complete his work without being rushed throught things.

Just a thought

Lisa
new Jersey

Hi Beth and everyone, If your child knows the vocabulary, they know the subject. I teach my students how to visualize vocabulary. What you do is write the word on one side of the index card and then draw the definition. For example, last year I was teaching seventh grade US History and we had the word boycott. I put the word on the overhead and then drew a shopping cart, put a circle around it and a slash threw the cart. The definition was of course people not buying a product to protest usually job related practices. My students did great on their tests and therefore great in general on the subject. I use Visualizing and Verbalizing by Lindamood-Bell in the classroom. I teach my students how to take notes using the techniques in the book. I highly recommend this program for all age groups. Good luck!

Lisa:

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Do you mean your child is using valuable resource time as a study hall? I was under the impression that a resource teacher’s objective was to remediate identified deficits and to provide strategies to both the student and mainstream teachers, so that my students can learn how to work independently with minimal assistance. I am responsible for my own lesson plans and delivering servicess according to the IEP.

Completing school work should be done in the classroom and during after-school help, supervised study hall, or at home. Of course, I am more than willing to help my students with their school-work after school and have done so many times.

Marilyn

Hi Shay,

I always find your posts quite helpful. So here’s my question. I am teaching my almost nine-year old son V/V, although I’ve been using another program, IdeaChain. Currently we are just visualizing words, but I’d love to get examples of how to teach outlining through visualization. Could you share several examples with me? Thanks in advance.

Pat

What a great idea!! Now, I don’t think my son will need this right now. His vocabulary is beyond his years, especially in science, and his main problem is still decoding. But I have V & V on my list of programs to do, eventually.

My son is not sped but the class was inclusive and he received the essay questions ahead of time with the rest of the class in 3rd grade.

Hi pat, At the back of the V/V book are chapters on note taking using a book and lecture. A student who has gone through the V/V course only needs a few words or pictures in an outline to jog memories of facts or concepts. This is really great for those children who are thought to be ADD. Wonder why they didn’t have those kids when I was growing up? Sorry! When you outline like this you use appreviated signs like =,+, & - and whatever the student wants to make up. Topics may have a star beside it, a circle for subtopics, and dots for supporting facts. It is done very fast. A student may draw facts instead of writing them. I have one client that does this and her grades really have improved because her memory has. I suggest that you read those chapters and try it. Sorry that I have taken so long to respond but I have been swamped with a new school year and a new county. I hope this has helped.