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Is Your Child A Reluctant Reader?

My son was a reluctant reader. David did not like books during elementary school. He enjoyed them if I read the book to him, but he didn’t show much interest when it came to reading books himself.iStock_000009881952_Small

We tried to encourage him to become interested in books in a variety of ways. Each evening when it was time for bed my husband or I would read to him. We visited the library weekly. I made sure he saw us reading at home. I would ask him to help me read recipes or directions when we were going somewhere, and I would leave notes for him at home.

No matter what we tried to get him interested in reading nothing really worked, until he began to learn to read using an Orton-Gillingham (O-G) influenced reading program. Once things began to fall into place with the O-G reading program he began to read more on his own.

Even though my son was learning the tools that he could use to read and spell he would usually choose books that had stories with strong imagery. These kinds of books lend themselves to vivid pictures the reader can imagine while they read.

teen boy engaged in intriguing reading book under the blanket in night hour

Since many people with dyslexia tend to have great imaginations and be creative it stands to reason that they will often enjoy reading stories that promote the use of their imagination. Reading that does not contain a lot of visual imagery can be more difficult for some dyslexics to read, especially if it is not a subject they are interested in.

I constantly looked for books that David would be interested in reading. Sometimes it was hard to find something he would like. I can’t tell you how many times I wished I could find someone who could direct me to the kinds of books that would hold my son’s interest. Over the years because of the guidance from my son I was able create a list of high interest books that provided a lot of strong imagery and excitement especially for boys. I hope you and your child will benefit from my years of hunting down books.

Following is a list of books my son and other children with dyslexia have enjoyed. Please take into consideration the age level and subject matter before choosing one of these books for your child.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Calvin and Hobbs by Bill Watterson61fM9j2P8KL__SX337_BO1,204,203,200_

Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey

Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney

Dragons in our Midst (series) by Bryan Davis

Freddy and the French Fries (series) by David Baldacci

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Gamer by Chris Bradford

George Brown Class Clown (series) by Nancy Krulik

The Ghost in The Bath by Jeremy Strong

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler

The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle (series) by Bill Myers

Indian in the Cupboard (series) by Lynne Reid Banksindian

Inkheart (series) by Cornelia Funke

Johnny Delgado Private Detective by Kevin Brooks

Kingdom Keepers (series) by Ridley Pearson

Landon Snow Series by R.K. Mortenson

Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles by Julies Andrews Edwards

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

The Littles (series) by John Peterson

Meet The Weirds by Kaye Umansky

Mr. Birdsnest and the House Next Door by Julia Donaldson

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

The Number 7 Shirt by Alan Gibbons

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riorda Stuart Little 1

Redwall (series) by Brian Jacques

Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary

Secret Agent Dingledorf and his trusty dog Splat (series) by Bill Myers

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodges Burnett

Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

The Snake Who Came To Stay by Julia Donaldson

Spiderwick Chronicles (series) by Tony DiTerlizzi

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Time Warp Trio (series) by Jon Sczieska

Tom and Ricky Mystery Series by Bob Wright

 Stuart Little by E. B. White

Who’s A Big Bully Then? by Morpurgo

Wild Song by Jane Eaglandhigh noon books_

The Word Eater by Mary Amato

High Noon Books – chapter books that are high interest/low level readers – bookshighnoonbooks.com

 

I’m sure there are many other books out there that reluctant readers love. If you know of some great books please comment below and let us know!

 

For more information on Orton-Gillingham reading and spelling programs give us a call at 253-857-8186

 

 

 

 

 

Did I Give My Child Dyslexia?

The blame game is something I see many parents start to do when they realize their child has a learning challenge like dyslexia. The experience of going through the process of identifying your child’s challenge can start a roller coaster of FAQ2emotions. If you’ve had similar challenges it may also bring back memories and emotions from your own childhood.

During one consultation, in which I shared results of screeners that showed an eight year old girl was struggling with dyslexia, I had a father who realized for the first time how much he had been impacted as a youngster. When he saw the screener his daughter had completed, in which she had to identify letters and numbers that were reversed, his eye began to fill with tears. I asked him if he had become that ten year old little boy again in school, confused, and frustrated. I asked him if he had dyslexia.

This was the first time he had admitted his struggle. He nodded and cried. He had forgotten the pain, hidden it away, and had pushed his way through school. Now he realized just how difficult it had been on him and he didn’t want his daughter to go through the same struggles. 

Years of Struggling

I struggled to learn to read and spell in school. I spent many years with reading tutors, pull-out programs, and doing Laura and David 2extra practice. When I realized my child had the same struggles, but much more significantly, I knew I had to do something. The thought crossed my mind that my child had gotten his struggles from me, but I wanted to focus my energy on how I could help him.

The most important piece of advice I can give a parent is if you spend your time feeling guilty, remorseful that somehow you have caused your child’s dyslexia, or that it’s your fault, you will be wasting precious energy and time that you need to spend getting your child the help that they need to succeed.

For me I kept my eye on the question, “What can I do for my child today, this week, and this year?”

If you’re feeling some guilt I have some news that might help.

Did you know:

Dyslexia is highly inheritable by no fault of a parent.

In fact, a child who has a parent with some degree of dyslexia will have a 40 to 60% chance of also developing dyslexia.

This risk increases when there are other family members that are also affected by dyslexia. If both parents have Dys 2adyslexia then the child will have a 100% chance of developing dyslexia. The tendency for dyslexia to run in families has been confirmed by multiple studies. The Dyslexia Research Trust says there are ten important genes that have been identified so far. Many of these genes are involved in the baby’s development of the brain during pregnancy.

A small minority of people with dyslexia acquired the condition after they were born. The most common causes of acquired dyslexia are brain injuries, stroke or some other type of trauma. 

Did you give your child dyslexia?

Perhaps, but today should be about what you can do to make learning more accessible and easier for your child.

Get specialized dyslexia screening that will help to better understand and identify the problem so that a better-targeted tutoring program can be provided. Outcomes tend to be better for children who are identified early and receive effective support and tutoring.

To learn more about the dyslexia screening that we can provide please go to dyslexia screening.