dyslexia

Could you explain what you mean?

Stairdown meaning as the student reads from left to right he or she will move down to the next line and read a few words and then will move down to the next line and read a few more words. I’m not sure if I’m using the correct term.

Have you tried having the student place an index card under the line he is reading?

This sounds like a tracking problem — not diagnosed in a regular eye exam. The parents would be well advised to get a developmental vision evaluation.

Mary

Actually, the optomitrist who did my daughters eval said NOT to use a card under the lines. He said this teaches the child to read to the end of the line and stop….then move the card…..then read and stop. It does not train the eyes to go left to right and then down to the next one. And I think the right word is tracking.
Why do you think the child is having this problem? I would also suggest you have a comprehensive vision exam if you haven’t already.
I can’t find the web site that lists ones in all the states, but make sure it is testing for developmental vision, such as tracking, binocular vision, etc. If that is indead one of the problems, then the child would need vision therapy, probably offered there (where the testing was done). I don’t know of any home therapy, because you have to know the exact problem first, except you
could probably do a lot of the therapy at home after they taught you at the office.
Melissa’s Mom, Connie

I assumed Lana is a teacher, since this is not a parent board, in which case I think the index card is worth a try.

A developmental vision evaluation would be ideal, but often teachers aren’t allowed to even suggest such a thing to a parent, because of liability issues for the school.

Mary

Another option is to place the index card or narrow marker ABOVE the print. This helps the reader focus on the line but allows for moving to the next line at the appropriate time. When I have some really heavy reading to do, I sometimes use a marker in this way. If the card is held at a very slight slant with the left side down a bit, the next line comes into view at the right moment. You might want to have him hold the card with his left hand so that it doesn’t interfere with looking at the text. Grace

I have tutored a number of students who have been taught to use a card or ruler under the lines. Every single one of them read BETTER when I took the card away from them.

When reading, you want to concentrate on the symbols, words, and meanings.

But the ruler or card under the lines requires the kid to concentrate on coordinating his hands (usually takes both) and on moving the ruler or card a tiny amount to just move one line. An average beginning reader is not all that coordinated, and a kid who has other visual problems will find the card takes his full concentration to handle. And, as the optometrist said, you end up reading only one line and breaking in places where the sentences shouldn’t break. You end up with terribly non-fluent reading and no comprehension at all, because all the concentration was away from the meaning of the words.

If necessary, I do use a pointer, something easy to get and unobtrosive like a retracted ballpoint pen. This is easier to use than a card, doesn’t mess up the fluency, and can also be used to stress left-to-right and to point out missing letters etc.

that might help.

If you are working one-on-one with the student, what I have done is use a mechanical pencil (with the lead retracted, so it doesn’t mark the book) just above the words. I don’t stop on each word, but rather move the pencil slowly along the line.

I didn’t think of this because I use it for a different purpose — to draw attention to a sound or word that hasn’t been decoded correctly. By stopping on the word or circling it, the student knows to take another look at it. I think it would help, though, to keep the student’s eyes on track on the line also.

A couple of adults have posted they use this technique themselves sometimes (moving the pencil under the line of text rather than above).

Worth a try, I think.

Mary

Mary MN,

Are you familiar with the paperback book, “Eyes On Track: A Missing Link to Successful Learning” by Kristy Mitchell Remick? She is a vision therapist who has written this book to share vision tracking exercises with parents who can’t afford vision screening or vision therapy for their child. Information is available on 1-800-422-3499.