Like all of you we thought hard about how to maximize those summer days. Our now 16 year old son has had lots of work at decoding, but reading is still a labor and little of it seems automatic. So, we decided to try a different approach this summer. We have signed up for Read Right (www.readright.com). He will be tested for a reading level and then read with tapes and a tutor (over the phone). Price was reasonable and he gets to call in to his tutor twice a week. Eight week money back guarantee. They will send him reading material for daily free reading, too. They use an iceberg as one analogy. We have done the top (visible) part of the iceberg (decoding, processing…) Now we need to work on all of the processing that goes on below the surface (that remarkable brain). Anyway, I’ll keep you posted.
I so so so believe in assisted reading to build fluency — good luck! Just remind him that the process of improving fluency is more an art, than a science (like decoding). In other words, progress may not be astonishing in 8 weeks. But ‘practice makes perfect’, and if he reads every day, including his tapes, assisted reading, and maybe reading aloud to himself, (or you) I believe he will definitely see improvement.
I’ll look forward to your updates! Best wishes…
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