Reading

*****Read text first, then go back and watch videos - I don't like lots of text without pictures so I slid them in*****

I had another hemi parent ask me about the special issues we face with reading, and I couldn't think of anything. I literally drew a blank. I know as a teacher that girls tend to be more right brained than boys, but my daughter doesn't have a right brain, and I know that learning creates neural connections, and that because my kid doesn't have both sides that sometimes it takes longer for connections to be made. SO, we read a lot because our house has books piled everywhere, and all but Big Al spend hours doing it (Big Al is a great reader, but she is an extrovert who doesn't want to do anything by herself and shuns solitude).





When Blondie entered kindergarten I felt blindsided by the difference between her and other students.... sort of. I was used to dealing with her body differences, but wasn't sure where she would fit in a classroom. I knew she wasn't going to be as quick as her sisters in learning new things, but I didn't know that almost average would be just so hard. Here we have this tiny little girl that terrifies teachers as soon as I go into detail about her learning difference (because at first they just see the arm and leg). At first I fight (almost every year now) for her to be allowed to run and play tag, and climb things, and fall down like other kids and for the love of GOD please let her do everything on her own - in fact MAKE HER (I'm finding that I'm a bit different than other hemi parents in my philosophy - I run from extra help, where others embrace it -- maybe I'm still in denial). Once we get past that lesson it inevitably turns to the idea that she learns differently -um... duh.....she has half a brain. Some things (she cares about) zip right along. For instance, she has very little issue with math (as long as she isn't bored and is paying attention), but reading is a whole different ball game.

In kindergarten is was all she could do to identify letters and remember their sounds, but we did it. In first grade those darn blends about did her in. She cried everytime she read, and it was an exercise in patience when listening to her struggle over words. She simply sounded things out, stories weren't understood by her unless we read them out loud. One day she would be tested, and fail miserably, and the next month she would test right at grade level. I had no idea what to do, so we kept reading. This year we switched her school, and I think that took some pressure off of her. This school is for kids who don't fit the norm. Blondie tests at exactly grade level (which honestly means slightly behind), so she does not qualify for resource (although I keep waiting for someone to tell me its time to test - but I'm not beating down the door - we do a lot at home). This school has an academic assisstant for every classroom, and teachers are given WAY MORE training than I am (as a typical public school teacher) in learning differences.




This year we have seen less crying over reading (or hiding her books in the garage as she walked into the house - YES she did that) and more connections with her reading. BUT we also give her as many experiences as we can (just like with all our girls) so she can have a foundation to make connections to her reading. We read with a card or ruler covering up a bunch of the text below so her eyes don't wander when she starts looking for help from pictures. We make her read everyday. This year her teacher suggested she try reading WITH books on tape to increase her fluency (speed) in reading. Blondie is testing just one level behind (typical for us - a little bit behind, but not enough for resource help).




In the first video, you see Blondie reading by herself - she has already listened to the story so she knows what is coming, and she enjoys this book (Diary of a Fly). The second video shows Blondie trying to read as fast as the CD, but with absolutely no luck.... so we'll keep trying - maybe with easier reading books. The third video is Blondie reading a book she hasn't seen before (notice the card and the weight bearing on the left elbow). I ask her questions at the end, and she gets a bunch of it, but MISSES the two foot tongue - she says that the giraffe has a tongue that comes from its foot, or goes from its mouth to its foot, etc. THOSE are the examples we try to combat because they are all too frequent. So we keep reading, all types of picture books, and chapter books (she reads short pages, I read long) like Magic Treehouse (I stay away from Junie B unless I'm reading because the language is butchered to sound like a child), or Charlotte's Web. The more powerful words I can help her hear (like regurgitated - which she now knows means "thown up" and she thinks flies are MOST disgusting), the more she will use them in her speech, and eventually connect them in her reading.... at least that's my theory. I liked this article about how the brain learns to read, but I'm partial to brain research, having a hemi kid, and being a teacher. Check it out, I'd love to hear other opinions.