My daughter, now 16, was diagnosed with an unspecified LD back in 6th grade. ” Something unknown is preventing her from progressing as expected”, were the words used. She attended a special ed reading lab and received special support from her school. We also hired tutors to help her learn to read. Upon graduation from 8th grade, she was reading at grade level and received “most improved student” award. We thought LD was behind us and she was enrolled in regualr high school classes.
The wheels began falling off in highschool and we had her tutored in many subjects. She was able to sustain, with outside help, a 2.0 GPA. As time progressed, I noticed that she was rapidly loosing the ability to comprehend what she was reading and stilll had not mastered well, basic handwriting. More tutors and enrollment in Huntington Learning Program.
Over past summer she demonstrated the ability to read at grade(11) level . Again, I thought it was all behind us. Then the wheels fell off again. She is back to reading at a 5th grade level. She scored a 14 on her first ACT test.
She attends a private( Catholic) school and her grades do not qualify her for testing. I am thinking that our good intentions ( constant tutoring) have compromised her qualification for further testing/support. So now I am seeking independent testing for LD.
Her self esteem is low. She knows she is struggling while being surpassed by her peer group.
Are there other parents out here who have seen these kinds of reading reversals, again and again? Are there other parents out there who, through good intentions, disqualified their child from testing and support, because of independent tutoring?
With help, she can probably sustain a 2.0 GPA. Being realistic, I do not think any kind of support is going to raise her ACT to a level that will help her gain admission to a college. I can’t imagine that she will be bale to survive in college without a lot of educational support.
We are not wealthy. In fact, we have spent the majority of our savings, sans a nest egg for college, on education and support. Where do we go from here?
Re: Who Knew
What is your gut feeling about how much she has been learning, as well as how well she reads? Has she gotten more and more lost, or has it mostly been that she hasn’t been able to express what she really does know? Does she still feel like she’s learning? What kinds of interests does she have? Any career aims, or is she uncertain about her abilities?
Do you have any specifics from those test results (subtest scores)? Did you feel like they were a valid picture of her?
Even a fifth grade reading level doesn’t rule out college (*especially* if she’s been learning stuff and has some good study habits, even if they haven’t been yielding results — but if she hasn’t, they *can* be developed). I work with students every day at college with low reading and math skills. Generally, it’s work habits and having a goal — and having about average intelligence makes it a lot easier — that are far more important. It’s very different than high school. Yes, this is a community college — where an awful lot of students get their two year degree and go down the street to teh U of Illinois, much more prepared to compete.
What grade is she in? If she can have some kind of aim, her last years in high school can be *far* more productive than if she is serving out a sentence. (I would also consider homeschooling.)
Re: Who Knew
I agree, testing can vary tremendously. Also, teacher’s expectations can vary dramatically as well. For the last two years my son had “easier” teachers and was able to easily maintain adequate grades. This year he has a very demanding teacher and it is an incredible struggle.
Have you witnessed your daughter’s reading reversals? I work pretty closely with my son, so I do know he can “forget” how to read. But, I don’t think that’s typical.
Re: Who Knew
I agree, testing can vary tremendously. Also, teacher’s expectations can vary dramatically as well. For the last two years my son had “easier” teachers and had an easier time maintaing adequate grades. This year he has a very demanding teacher and it is an incredible struggle.
Have you witnessed your daughter’s reading reversals? I work pretty closely with my son, so I do know he can “forget” how to read and have the type of reading reversals you’ve described.
My first question would be to ask how these reading levels are indeed being determined
Unless the same people are telling you the numbers I would be skeptical.
Tests can be made to show an improvement if that is what the parent wants to hear; different tests can show different results.
Does your gut tell you she has been funtionning about the same level through all this or do you really think she has had that kind of drop in reading levels?
Have you looked into ADD? Kids with focus issues do not have to be hyperactive and girls are often overlooked because of this. They just quietly daydream and miss what is being presented
This would explain why she could make so much progress in one on one situations where her attention is being captivated.
College?
I have a very adept, top 5% of ACTs nineteen year old who is in the process of quitting college for the 2nd time. Ability does not equal success-effort and motivation play a far greater part!!!
If she REALLY wants to continue her schooling past high school, there are ways. No, she wont be attending Harvard but check into your local community colleges for a good place to start
She may have to take a low class load and take 6 years to get there but it is possible. Our cc has a huge support network for students with learning struggles
There are many, many prep courses for the ACTs, including some that can be done independently on the computer. There are colleges that do not require ACTs and would be fine with a C average in high school
And….college degrees hold no magic! I think as long as she has an interest and pursues some type of further training, she will do fine-probably make more than I do in social services with a degree from a prestigious university!
Have you excluded her from services with your help?
Thats hard to answer. My 7th grader still receives special ed services even though I was told in 5th grade that if he were being tested today, he would not qualify. The fact that he was in the system before allows him to stay in with showing less of a delay
Grades arent the determining factor either. My son actually made high honor roll this first grading period
With private schools, I dont know what situation you are in.
Is homeschooling an option? I homeschooled for 6th grade and it was teh best move I have made in this entire ‘journey’. Yes, I helped up his reading level, but more importantly, I learned my childs strengths-how he learns, what he is good at(math), where his challenges lie
I came out of it confident that this kid was going to be just fine in life even if school continued to be a struggle(which this year hasnt been thankfully)
He came out with a new level of confidence that has held over into his public school experience
I know it isnt possible for everybody because of income needs, etc, but I also think it is worth considering a year or two IF theres a way(even a rough way) to swing it!
She is old enough to do most the work on her own at her own pace and there are dozens of curriculums at your disposal
Best wishes