My son, LD in reading/writing is now in 3rd grade. His reading level is at beginning 2nd grade currently. He has an IEP and goes to Resource room every morning approx 2 hrs, also goes to speech therapy for apraxia and OT for fine motor. This year’s regular teacher has sent home a note detailing each subjects work:
I’m concerned about 1) ‘word study’ a program sounds like spelling tests to me, having parents work w/ child each weeknight on list of words for test on Fri. Last year my son took spelling tests in Resource room. However it wasn’t really spelling tests, the teacher wrote all the week’s words on the board and then she read each word and the students had to identify each and write them on their sheets. So was more identifying words than memorizing spelling. I’d like to keep this up because our experience earlier in 2nd grade for regular spelling tests, was that he (usually) could memorize spelling for tests then forgot spelling thereafter.
2) Social Studies - for the first time, they will be taking tests this year. Guidelines (study guide) are sent home beforehand.. I’m concerned he won’t be able to read the words on the test correctly so will do poorly. Should I ask LD teacher to read him the tests, or have him take the test in the regular classroom but request he be able to ask his teacher for words he doesn’t know?
The school / his teachers have been good about working w/ us and him. I want to approach them this week on my ideas.
Any suggestions please?
3rd grade
Hi Chelsea,
My son also is in 3rd grade, but reads at early 1st grade level. He started school last week and I wrote on this board about my upset when I found they’ve eliminated pull-out resource in favor of co-teaching an hour a day (apparently the RSP aide will come in for the math part). His SLP for oral expression and OT, each 1/2 hr per week have not started up this term yet. I’m in L.A. I’ll be interested in hearing how your child’s class goes, and how the issues you wrote about get resolved.
Re: 3rd grade
Hi, Chelsea.
Janis made a very good point about the resource room. It was shocking to me to find out how many schools don’t use proven methods (my own included)…
Two ideas for spelling words. My fifth grader gets a different list than the other fifth grader. It is high frequency words like “the” “which” “people” “these” etc. Getting these words makes his general writing much easier to read. The list is generated by the spec ed teacher and she tests him on it. Missed words appear on the next weeks test until he has them. Because he tends to forget them, she retests him on the words a few weeks after he’s gotten them and if he misses, the word goes back on the list.
I just heard of a school that uses multiply choice spelling tests for its LDers. They get the regular words but in a multiply choice format. For example, if the word was “education” the choices might be education, educashion, aducation, or edukation. Some parents are happier with this option as it exposes the child to grade level words.
Re: the social studies. My son has a very small tape recorder thingy. Really, it is no bigger than half a post it pad. He can read but not write so he quietly dictates his test answers into the machine. It has a teeny, tiny ear bud so he can replay his answers back to himself if he wants to double check them. Would it work to have the test questions on a machine like that for your child to listen to as he reads them? Just an idea.
Good luck,
Barb
Third grade
my son is also in the third grade. He also goes to the resource room for reading/spelling. Our resource room is not up and running due to testing. My son struggles to put his thoughts on paper……regular teacher had the class writing vocabulary words off chalkboard and then writing their definitions……….really, really hard for my son to do!! The teacher sent note home for him to do at home and 2 pages of spelling. I hated to complain but………that is just too much to ask out of him-we were an hour just on the vocabualry!!! He is a VERY slow processor.
I have already had a situation where they wanted my son to be put on medication for his inattenativeness……on the third day of school!!!!! Last year we tried adderall XR and it worked okay,but my son lost 20 pounds and had a horrible time getting to sleep……..I had to stand up and just say I can’t do that to him!!!
I am just wondering how this year will go????? sure hasn’t startyed off the greatest!!!
Well, Good Luck!!
Tammy
Re: 3rd grade
Tammy,
I routinely scribe for my child. Are you doing this? For vocabulary words his class picks words out of books they are reading. Rather than write them down, David sticky papers them, then looks them up in the dictionary, verbally summarizes them, and I write the word and the summarization down. His teacher supports this because the teacher’s stated goal is to increase vocabulary and give the children practice in using a dictionary and what we do meets these goals. What similar accommadations do you have in place?
How long will your resource room be down? Do you know what program is being used with your child?
Third Grade
bgb-
I did talk with teacher and she going to send words home on Mondays and I will work with my son thru out the week to prepare for test on friday.
I don’t know of a specific program that my son gets-but he does get resource room for about 2 hours daily and speech class one day weekly.
My son is kinda like a puzzle…….when tested(both by school and privately)he did not have the discrepancy to qualify…………he is a VERY SLOW processor. I had to raise a little you know what to get him these services!!!!! Otherwise I’m not sure where we would be!!!! I also have had him tutored by his resource room teacher.
Our resource room will be up and running at the end of this week!!
P.S. I am sure it doesn’t help that there are 29 kids in his class!!!!
Tammy
third grade
My LD son has the option to go to “concept mastery” which is a teacher who will help him take tests or study. She will do things like read a test aloud or help him with a word he cannot decode. You might ask if your school has something similar.
Hi, Chelsea,
First, I would suggest that you set up a conference with the teacher and special ed. teacher. It needs to be defined who is going what. Word study sounds like vocabulary to me, but you just need to ask about that.
What does the resource teacher use to teach reading? It is important to know to be sure it is an effective, research-based method. Two hours is a long time to spend in resource if it isn’t a good program.
You need to amend the IEP and add read aloud (as needed) for ALL tests other than reading. You may also need to keep a science and social studies book at home so that you can read the material to your son since his reading level is below his grade level.
Janis