7 yo, reading, summer, what to do?

[Bookworm?]

I haven't posted on this forum before but thought you ladies might be able to guide me in the right direction. My 7 yo ds is finishing up 1st grade in public school. He's been in what they call a modified(low) reading group all year. Summer school was offered to him and I declined. He seems really burnt out with school and I think summer school would make it worse. He struggles with reading at home. I have always read to him and encouraged him to read. When he won't read out loud I just read it to him (except his homework). I don't want to make it a battle or put too much pressure on him. I really would just like to help him improve in reading. He does well in other subjects especially math. I love the idea of homeschooling, but dh isn't on board at this time and I'm not sure I have the resouces to succeed at hs. I would really like to make this summer fun for ds while helping him to retain and improve his skills.
Any ideas for creatively helping a struggling reader? I kind of feel like school has taken the love of learning right out of him. Any thing that seems like learning to him he quickly dismisses. I've considered a possible learning disability in this area, but really it's too soon to tell. He is such a hands on guy, how can he learn to read in a hands on way?

[AngieB]

Take him to the library and sign him up for the summer reading program. Usually they get prizes for keeping track of how much they read. Let him pick out what books he wants to read.

[mammastar2]

I think reading to him, or having family read-alouds on summer evenings, is a great idea.

So far as hands-on goes, keep an eye out for fun summer projects that involve reading instructions - building stuff and so on (I'm not handy, so sorry that's not more specific!).

I'm not a video game fan, but if he enjoys them, maybe look out for ones that involve reading - not 'educational' ones, but just ones where you happen to be reading as you play.

I'd stay away from anything school-y if he's burnt out. Definitely not those summer workbooks you see for sale, or book reports, or required reading of any kind!

[Twocoolboys]

I agree, head to the library and have him pick out some books. There are all kinds of great books that boys that age enjoy. Captain Underpants or Star Wars books or even comics are great reads. If he's into Legos, there are Bionicle books and some Lego easy reader books. My ds has really liked reading Garfield books for the past year or so. He's almost 8, so he's about your ds's age.

Maybe even go to the bookstore and let him know he can buy whatever two books he wants. I do this with my boys once in a while. The last time we went, my 7 yr old ds wanted a Garfield book - lol.

[Thalia the Muse]

Great suggestions. Mostly, I think it's important to find things that HE wants to read -- for a lot of boys that might be comic books or nonfiction, instead of the novels that others of us prefer. Is he interested in subjects like sharks, dinosaurs, sports, volcanoes, or gross facts? There are easy reader nonfiction books about all those things, with lots of pictures and high-interest content.

[jbpoetmom]

Maybe he could get hooked on a series to read or be read to?

Dragon Slayer Academy

Matt Christopher (sports)

Junie B. (fun to listen to on tape)

Geronimo Stilton

A to Z Mysteries

[mom2ponygirl]

Calvin and Hobbes comic books. Very rich vocabulary, but just naughty enough to keep a boy intrigued!

[mamaley]

Our children sound very, very similar.

He really liked those book clubs last summer, so we'll definitely be doing that at the local library, and the local grocery store.

There are these math worksheets that he likes from school called Drops in a Bucket, and I found them for sale online for both math and reading. I went ahead and bought them, just to give him some practice. It doesn't take long to do them, and each question is a different skill. http://www.frog.com/catalog/merchant...egory_Code=2nd If you want to check it out. He actually thinks they're fun, but then again he's been doing them once a week all year long.

Good luck!

[Linda on the move]

When my kids were at the stage where they could read but it was still a lot of work, they really liked book and tape sets at the library. They could follow along in the book as the tape read, but didn't have to stress about the hard words.

Play boards games that involve a little reading (like monopoly).

Have him help you read a recipe while you make cookies together, (or playdough or whatever works for you guys).

Try duet reading. You and he read aloud together at a steady rate. Studies have shown this helps improve fluency (one of my DDs loved this, the other hated it).

Keep reading to him!!!! He will eventually be able to read quite well (they all do eventually), but I think kids gain a love for the written word by being read to, and that is what makes them avid readers.

Playing computer games such as Zoo Tycoon really encouraged one of my DDs to improve her reading. It is amazing how much they work at doing something when it is something they actually want to be doing! What does he really like to do?

I don't care for the term *struggling reader*. He is an *emergent* reader who would like to like have a lot of fun with you this summer! Kids believe about themselves what we believe about them, so see him as *successful*.

[GuildJenn]

Just to add to this, remember that reading doesn't just happen with books.

Signs at the zoo, museum, or wherever all count. So do cereal boxes. Labels on toy cars, or brochures. I'd concentrate on making the summer fun, pointing out a lot of opportunities to read, read a book a night, and just let him decompress.

[Bookworm?]

Thanks

These are all great ideas! We will spend more time at the library this summer. We haven't gone as much as I would like due to time, but we will start. He has recently shown an interest in the rain forest and likes Magic Tree House books so we are reading Afternoon in the Amazon and I will be picking up more rainforest books this weekend. I think he would enjoy comics too which I hadn't thought of for awhile. You are all right, I will just follow his lead and interests.
Linda, thanks for the reminder about being a successful reader. I had always thought that kids will read when they are ready and that no amount of pushing will change that. He is only behind by school standards, not his or mine. I will keep this in mind throughout.
Thanks you all, I will check out some of these books and links.

[A&A]

Get him books on tape (or CD) to listen to and follow along in the book. Get computer games that teach reading (while being fun, of course.)

[A&A]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

He will eventually be able to read quite well (they all do eventually),

I teach high school English. This isn't always true.

[ChristaN]

He may be beyond this, but has he tried www.starfall.com at all? My younger dd really liked playing the games on that site.

(BTW, if he is close to reading Magic Treehouse books, he is not at all behind on reading for a late first grader. Those are, I believe, early to mid 2nd grade books.)

[jbpoetmom]

Originally Posted by A&A

I teach high school English. This isn't always true.

i'm sure!

but if you have a parent who cares and takes an active role in your reading and tries to help instill a love for it early on - i'd say the chances are very good that a child will end up reading quite well . . . it's too bad every child doesn't have that :

[1xmom]

We do the reading club at the library as well. They usually have pretty cool themes. I try to go on the opening day, which really gets dd excited and ready to read.

[Sunflowermommie]

Originally Posted by ChristaN

He may be beyond this, but has he tried www.starfall.com at all? My younger dd really liked playing the games on that site.

(BTW, if he is close to reading Magic Treehouse books, he is not at all behind on reading for a late first grader. Those are, I believe, early to mid 2nd grade books.)

I second the Magic Treehouse books!! My 7yr dd is really enjoying these.

Book one is Dinosaurs Before Dark

[ani'smama]

My 7 year old dd is enjoying the Magic Tree House books right now as well. I have had a hard time getting her to sit down and read this year - I finally decided to try a chart to track the books she reads, and after she finishes 5 chapter books we do something special to celebrate. She picks the treat. It has been working out great.

[Bookworm?]

No, he doesn't read the Magic Tree house books himself. I read those to him. I'm hoping he will get tired of having to stop in the middle since I have 2 other children to tend to and start trying to read some of it himself. His reading level is more along the lines of the Level 1 books. He has read some of Cat in The Hat to his sisters. Anything more than that and he gets frustrated which I don't want. Many of the books that are at his reading level are not very interesting. The ones I've found that he can read and enjoys are the Ready to Read and Step into Reading Level 1 and some 2. I will find more that he is interested in. The main problem I have is getting him to do it. He just wants to be read to. I'm hoping with books of interest to him lying around and plenty of time this summer to pick them up that he will take the initiative.
Ane yes, reading happens everywhere. I've tried things like giving him his own grocery list at the store but he is quickly bored with it. Does journaling sound like a good idea to help with this? I thought maybe keeping a jpurnal at home might help as well.

[bdavis337]

My son, age 6, reads well above age/grade level. But he doesn't do so on demand, and he'll only read if HE wants to do it. When we read together, we often take turns, I read one page, then he reads the next. When we're driving we try to find words that start with the letter ?? on billboards and roadsigns, and we play the alphabet game on the highway.

If he asks me what we're doing this weekend, I direct him to the calendar in the kitchen. It's large enough that he can see it easily, and he can read the activities on his own.

I like to leave him little "love notes" as well. Just a sentence or two tucked under his pillow, in his lunchbox or in a toy I know he'll find.

How about "treasure map" games? All the clues written out so he has to find one clue and read it successfully to find the next one, with a prize totally unrelated to reading itself, like a card that says "let's go rent a movie tonight!" or "it's PIZZA night! at 5pm, join us in the kitchen for homemade pizza and salad". Stuff that appeals to his age and interests, but without reading as the end result.