When I decided to write this blog, I sat the kids down and asked them if it was okay to bring up issues they face. They all agreed (what were they thinking?).
I will do my best to never embarrass them, so don't be shocked if you don't see their names in this blog. Getting their permission to do this was similar to asking them if I can borrow money from their college savings -- they have no clue what's involved in getting whatever's borrowed back!
Regardless, they said "yes", so one of the first things to pop up is reading. One of the kids has struggled to read fluently throughout his educational career (limited that it may be). This is not to say that he's not intelligent. Quite the contracry. He's a brilliant little kid. He just struggles to read. You probably know a kid like this, right?
So a fantastic teacher of his recently made a suggestion... books on CD (or tape, for all of us who still remember tape players). She suggests having him read along with the CD. Have any of you tried this before?
I just bought at CD today (yikes they're expensive) and am hoping we'll get to it this weekend and that it makes him a better reader.
I understand that these books on CD can be checked out at our local library. Have any of you done this? What about using this type of learning tool for your child? What else has helped?
It is terribly heartwrenching to see your child struggle to do something most of us take for granted, like read. I love to read. I would sit and read books for hours on end (if I only had the time). Heck! I read for a living!
I can't remember what it was like to learn to read. How hard it was to form the words in this wacky English language and make them sound correct out loud or in my head.
As frustrating as this is for me, it must be ten times that for my child. Please share your best methods for helping your child to be a more fluent reader. Maybe together we can find the key to unlocking the mystery of reading for our children.