# Young reader Vs. Frustrated Mom



## Stacie (Jun 22, 2008)

Hello everyone! I have been reading the posts on the forum for a while, but this is my first post.

We are not as of this time "100%" homeschooling, my DS made the decision he wanted to go to school, so we let him with the thought of "see how it goes". Well so far, so good...

My DS is almost 6 and has made it through kindergarten...and I am working with him after school on homework, and now during the summer on his reading and writing. The problem I am having I think is me....While I want(ed) to homeschool, I also have realized I get very frustrated when we go over words time and again, but if they are out of the order he memorized them in he does not recognize them....this makes reading (for me) very frustrating, and in turn he becomes frustrated. 

So...I thought if anyone will have real world knowledge and tips, it'd be you all! 

Thanks for any help at all!

Stacie


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Children don't have "permanent long term memory" until age 7 or 8. This is the average age, there are kids who's brains click in sooner or later. "So what", your asking. The point is unless he practices reading every day or so he will lose everything he has learned. My Mom was a K teacher. She had her kids reading very well by the end of each school year, but the next year in 1st grade they had to start all over again with the exception of the 1 or 2 kids who's brains had clicked or had parents that worked with them over the summer.

My son (the oldest) was an early clicker. Once he learned the word, he pretty much had it. So I was floored when DD was "normal". I thought I had messed it up. NO, her brain just hasn't made the "switch" yet. So, this summer we will work on re-reading all the stories from her reader that we have all ready read and continue to talk about the phonics rules she has learned.

Maybe knowing this will help the frustration, it helps me about 75% of the time....I don't want to talk about the other 25%.

Edited to add: Make up some 10 or so flash cards of words. Mix them up and go through them every morning at the breakfast table and then at lunch (I assume you are home with him) Then each day, together pick one word to add to the flash cards. Continue going through his list, just add in the flash card work, too. Before long you will find works you can "retire" some words from the flash cards and add back them in occasionally when he needs a booster.


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## Stacie (Jun 22, 2008)

Yes, I am at home with him, so it is easier. We have been reading, but I will absolutly try the flash cards...we had them, but he memorizes patterns and shapes, but not the meaning behind them, so it seemed to me they weren't working, but I am willing to try again.

Sometimes its nice to know you aren't alone in the world of "how to teach your child when you are still learning..."


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

My sister stuck flashcards on the item named....chair, door, book, etc....My 7yo I used the DK books...My First Words, Dictionary and Encyclopedia.

Make a chore list for him on the frig.....look thru sale flyers with him....get some books on tape with corresponding books....scholastic makes a few phonics set and I have some corny video(VCR) things that my 7yo loved. Sight words etc in the 4-5 tape set. I should get those things she's outgrown and sell them to someone who needs them!


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## saremca (Jun 19, 2008)

You might want to check out books by Raymond and Dorothy Moore from the library. They explain why boys generally aren't ready for reading and writing as early as girls are. After homeschooling 2 girls, their books really helped me relax with my son (who also turned out to be dyslexic).


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## Mrs.Logan (Jun 16, 2008)

One more tip, perhaps you need to try a different "learn to read" method.

You can pick up Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons for like 12 bucks. It helped my son. Im using it with my daughter now.

Mrs.Logan


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## Stacie (Jun 22, 2008)

Thanks for all of the help! I will try the other methods and see what fits us the best....
stacie


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## harplade (Jul 14, 2005)

I had a daughter who was an early 'clicker'-read at 4 1/2. My son, on the other hand, took until a little past 7 to read. Now at 7 1/2, he is reading amazingly well for the short time he has been reading. The whole school system is so frustrating in pushing kids to read when they may not be ready.
I know with my son, if I had made a big deal about him not reading, it would have really been a mess-he's very sensitive, second child to a very, very bright big sister, etc. Work on things he can do and make him feel good about that-keep reading to him, especially books that are past what would be his reading level and let him know the wonder of good books.

I would also try different methods in a very non-threatening way. "Teach Your Child to Read in a 100 Easy Lessons" worked great for my daughter but was not the best method for my son. We worked very slowly on sounding out words and one day, he just got it. Now he's reading words like-category, environment, oceanography, etc. 

It'll come-just don't get frustrated

Harplade


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## saremca (Jun 19, 2008)

harplade said:


> I would also try different methods in a very non-threatening way. "Teach Your Child to Read in a 100 Easy Lessons" worked great for my daughter but was not the best method for my son.


Funny, because that's how it went for us too. My daughters both did really well with TYCTR, but my son was completely baffled by it. Alphaphonics worked perfectly for him, that and a whole lot of patience.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My kids were just the opposite. My son was reading by himself by age 5, my dd didn't pick it up until about age 8. And yes, it was the same words over and over and over and if it wasn't repeated daily she would forget what she had learned.

Have you checked out the Blue Bug book series? That is a wonderful series with pictures and big words, just right for early readers. Other than that all I can suggest is to be patient and keep in mind that he is not doing this to frustrate you, it simply has not clicked.


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## Lilandra (Oct 21, 2004)

try the short story begining books like spot and fluffy the guinea pig stories. their pictures help tell the story and are a good boy story stuffs. the hardest thing with my son was finding stories for boys. he really liked goodnight moon, the hungry catapillar and dr seuss's green eggs and ham... but we found most early reader books were for girls or just too stupid of a story for his farm kid mind. after he learned how to read a bit better, we started giving him magazines like sports illustrated for kids, highlights, and motor trend and his interest took off to where he was reading tom clancy in 5th grade


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## Stacie (Jun 22, 2008)

THANKS! 

Thank you to every one who replied to my post, I have tried the different suggestions and it seems the continual reading plus the flash cards are going well. 

I am going to try to find the "teach you child to read in 100 easy steps" next time I get out to the book store.

Stacie


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