My son is behind on his reading level

[CHendon]

My son is in the third grade and is really struggling with reading. Does anyone have any suggestions on books that will not only help him to become a better reader but that will hold his attention. How can I help him? He is behind now on his reading level even though we read every night.

[Onthemove1971]

Chandon-The school district most likely employs Read Specislist who can look at the many reasons why he is low in reading. Could it be he reads it and doesn't remember? Or he visually is not tracking each word? Or he doesn't know the combination of letters together? It would be great to have him accessed for why he is low. If he has Dyslexia then you would want to support his reading with audio material so he can read the we words in print and listen some he is learning by to different modes. But not knowing why is a challange. The sooner you can help him the better it will be for him and he won't give up and hate reading.

Somewhere I read that the impulsivity of ADHD impacts reading because many kid don't keep concentration while reading.

We make sure our son reads early in the day because his medication can help with his impulsivity.

Hope this help.

Take care

[Pennywink]

Everything Onthmove said would also be my first suggestions.

As a children’s librarian, I also wonder what books are you reading & what does he like?

Parents tend to poo-poo these, but children’s graphic novels are great for struggling & reluctant readers. The stories move fast & the pictures really help them remember / make sense of what they are reading. Though it’s a rather silly series, ‘Dog Man’ by Dav Pilkey (who also has ADHD) is HUGELY popular with your son’s age group right now. The ‘Narwhal’ series by Ben Clanton is also popular, and a little easier reading level. National Geographic Kids also have some non-fiction with lots of splashy graphics. Their Weird But True seriesis popular (though not very narrative - it’s just pages of random facts.)

Librarians at your local library should also be able to help you find some books he will like / can read. I would recommend appealing to his interest versus what you as a parent might feel is “quality” material to encourage a love of reading. Also finding a compatible difficulty level is key, as too easy gets boring but too hard is frustrating. My rule of thumb when recommending book is if kids struggle with @ 3 words a page, that is probably a good level - challenging without becoming exasperating.

So there is hope! Famous author Beverly Cleary was a struggling reader as a child - until she was introduced to books she actually liked, then she caught up quickly. 😊

[dubstepMaul]

I agree with Onthemove and rckline. I have two kids (they are adults now) my daughter is eldest and was reading at age 5. Then comes my son who couldn't read at all until age 7!! He is highly ADHD. What worked was finding books on subjects he was really interested in, so that reading didn't feel like more work to him. Progress was slow but he got there.

It was exasperating at first because here was my first child reading and loving books from an early age, then here's my son who couldn't sit still to be read to for more than a few minutes. I decided not to compare them and not push him too much, let him learn at his own pace, with encouragement. I am also an avid reader, so we three were at the library weekly and I made this a fun outing for them both.

He never really did become a book reader, but he reads like crazy all the time on the internet - and not simple short articles, but deep complex exhaustive stuff.

So take heart, your boy will get there. God bless.

[JoyousExpectation]

Yes to what the others said! Enlist the help of your local library. And encourage your son to listen to audio books and read graphic novels and picture books. Picture books have very advanced vocabulary and are not just for little kids! Keep reading together. Any kind of reading and interaction with books is helpful and will encourage him to become a reader on his own terms!

[Pennywink in reply to JoyousExpectation]

There are some AWESOME picture books. Mac Barnett & Aaron Reynolds are some of my faves for elementary.

[JoyousExpectation]

Also leave books of high interest around the house for him to randomly discover and spend a moment with. Things like Guinness book of world records or who would win series about animals fighting. Whatever his interests are.

[Pennywink in reply to JoyousExpectation]

Yes - I hear about Who Would Win a lot on my school visits. 😊

[Cjkchamp]

Check with the school to see if he may be eligible for Title I reading. You could also check with local colleges and universities to see if they offer any programs. My son was in Title I reading and we found an online summer school reading program through a university in our state.

[virgy]

Try “ Horrible History’s “. There are many catagories and the books hold kids and adults attention because they are interesting and funny at the same time. They also come in Dvd’s.

[Jackieedunn]

Capitalize on what interests him as AdHd brains are interest-based. For example, is he into animals or learning about people. Or perhaps he enjoys fantasy books with time machines etc.

If you don’t mind sharing his reading level I can recommend certain titles that my students enjoy most!

[Miablues]

Hi how are you? I wanted to make a suggestion regarding you're son having diffulty with his reading. Did you reach out to the local library for free tutoring? Or maybe research a free grant for private tutoring after school. Maybe even his school can offer free tutoring to help him catch up. I wish you good luck with you're son's reading.

[Miablues]

Oh one more thing I wanted to mention that sometimes they have organization in you're area that can help you're son with ability to read better and help in other areas that might be needed. Sometimes the government, or state funding might have a program to help meet his needs. Good luck with everything!

[Dagamundo]

My son is 8 and also has/had a diagnosed reading delay. Have you tried having read to an animal. Our local shelter has a read to a cat program. Or, if you have a pet he is really connected to. My son loves animals, and animals don't judge you ever. Sometimes having that warm, snuggly friend is a help. My son loves to hear and read Wimpy Kid books...I think he knows them all by heart, but when I have him read aloud to me, we read classic beginning readers like Curious George, Toad and Frog, Corduroy, etc. He likes them and we work together.