I am currently teaching Reading Advancement to a number of private students, even though I was never trained in that specific area. It has been quite a challenge, especially since all these students have various unidentified LDs. Working one on one has helped their progress a great deal, but I have discovered strange things about a specific student that have left me stumped. I am desperately trying to educate myself about LDs in order to help this student, since the student’s Special Education teacher doesn’t really seem to be cooperating with me.
This student has been learning phoneme identification for the past 5 months, and has progressed quite a bit. There are some instances of reversing letters and words, though they aren’t frequent. He is able to read relatively well, though I have come to realize that he has no idea what he is reading. When reading comprehension exercises test his understanding of a short story, he is completely stumped, or he remembers the last thing that occurred in the story. He still does not understand the concept of events and putting them in some sort of a sequential order, so summarizing is very challenging for him. He can get through grammar exams but only because he follows the instructions, not because he clearly understands the concepts. We’ve begun playing anagram games with spelling words and it has helped his memory a great deal, though I still suspect he has trouble understanding the meaning of the words…
At this point, I have found that he scores rather high on reading comprehension tests if I read him the story and the questions. We’re facing the end of the year exams, and I’m wondering what can be done to prepare him and what format this exam should take in order for him to be able to be properly evaluated…Any suggestions?
Appropriate Assessment for LD Children
<<At this point, I have found that he scores rather high on reading comprehension tests if I read him the story and the questions.>>
So, now you know that he has great listening comprehension skills, which is quite encouraging. It usually means that he has good potential in reading comprehension, once his word attack skills are in order. What you describe above is listening comprehension—not reading comprehension. This strategy is great for content area subjects such as Social Studies, Science and Math, but inappropriate for teaching reading. State mastery tests generally do not allow a reader for reading tests—only mathematics.
Personally, if I were you, I’d tell the parents of this child to get a tutor that is trained in multisensory reading strategies and who is trained to work with LD students. You may be an excellent tutor for non-LD students, but I think you’re over your head, here. Another alternative is to get yourself trained in multisensory reading programs such as Orton Gillingham, Lindamood-Bell Systems (LiPS, Visualizing & Verbalizing, Seeing Stars), and then you will be more qualified to work with these students.
Marilyn
Re: Appropriate Assessments for LD Student
I have been very slow in sending out my how-to-tutor reading notes, but email me at [email protected] and I will try to get a batch out as son as possible.
Based on my experience in teaching children with disabilities, I have found that alot of my students are auditory learners. If directions, stories etc are read to them they process it better and are capable of answering questins that show their comprehension. For these students accommodations should be written into their Individual Education Plan (IEP) so that they may receive auditory aids and have test read to them. This will allow a student who can read independently but not comprehend the opprtunity to be successful through the use of auditory instruction.
I have had students in an 11th grade literature class for whom I played the cassette as the class read along for every story we read that semester. In between I would stop the tape and ask question based on what was read up to that point. This also helped the students to better comprehend by reinforcing the facts and making real life connections through oral discussion.