I have a copy of a primary (K-3) reading test I will like to have you examine. It is formatted for a PC, and I know most schools have Macs.
If you can use it, it is my gift to you. Take a look at: www.canheread.com
If you are interested, please contact me: [email protected]
Peace.
Arthur
This post touched my heart:
Author: Anitya
Date: 10-05-01 15:11
I have a fifth grade student. She has been with me since April 3. She has severe visual processing deficits, plus some others (psych. is down in the office and I am in my trailer on lunch break here). She has, when she is asked to place her attention upon the task, fair decoding skills. She knows letter/sound combinations in most instances. She is the SLOWEST reader I have now and she is not improving at all.
I use Great Leaps (which worked w/a 6th grade boy I still have in the program). Her words per minute actually go down, now just a day here and there, they go DOWN.
I use this with her daily, I have her on high frequency, graded flash cards to try to increase SIGHT vocabulary. She is given instruction in phonics skills that are weak or need a boost, etc. She is not progressing. I am doing almost everything I can think of.
At this point I want to review the records to see if we ever discussed seeing an optometrist (I don’t think this is a mafor issue). Otherwise, I don’t know. I am thinking of trying “Seeing Stars” from Lindamood Bell.
Any ideas for me. I feel dreadful. This is so reminiscent of some of those cases where the parent is on the parent board (no offense intended) stating that their child is in special education and no progress is being made. Natually this is always the teacher who cannot teach. I think I can teach and I think I am using good and proven methods. However, at this point I just cannot see how this young lady can make rapid progress based upon where she is.
What would you do?
Re: Anitya
Sadly, Ken, she has already been tested and labeled w/LD. This is all that will ever happen at the school. When I brought this up to our psych. who tested her and she revieved the psych. report, she told me this child looked really “dyslexic” and you know we almost never use this term in public school. She thought I should have the child drawing pictures to go with words and the like.
On the positive side, the 6th grader I mentioned has finished all the phonics probes in Great Leaps and is well along the “phrases.” I have added “Read Naturally” to his program. I started him on 3.5 level and have just moved him to 4th grade when his “cold” reading score dropped to a minute something and only fell by another 10 wpm after using the tape, etc. At this rate I rather suspect he will probably finish the 4th grade level (or I will move him up before he does) and be into 5th or higher materials by June. Great Leaps, now combined with Read Naturally has made a difference for him. This fellow could almost read 30 wpm on second grade level just over a year ago.
You have made a good choice in seeking assistance. It is not fair for a teacher to carry the burden for a complex child alone. Before there can be significant progress, your district needs to provice you with a more detailed diagnosis of what is happening.
To give an analogy. Q: to medical authorities I am sick and need help.
Answers: Aspirin helps a wide range of maladies.
Have you tried chemo therapy?
Chemo is expensive, go natural with herbs.
Go to an allergist, many of today’s maladies are reactions to chemicals in the environment.
Don’t do anything, you’ll get better - and you’ve done no harm.
When there is no diagnosis - sometimes a detailed diagnosis with a variety of professionals is necessary - the answers will be all hit or miss. I would not name the program before finding some pretty good ideas as to why her reading behaviors go against the established norms.
The Great Leaps testing you have done is giving you some pretty good information for diagnosis - now get the professionals involved. Good luck.