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albeto
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| Posted: March 03 2007 at 6:11pm | IP Logged
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I'm new to homeschooling this month. My ds (almost 12) has Asperger's Syndrome and this kind of learning seems to be most logical to be effective for him. One problem I see is his aversion to reading. One of the things that killed his joy of reading was this "book club" the teacher had them do each week. First it was books the kids chose (most of them were stupid, in my opinion, or way beyond his comprehension). The kids got together in groups and rather than discuss the books, they chatted, giggled, hung out, teased each other. Teacher finally chose a book for the whole class to read and she would guide the discussions but the book was the world's most boring book I had ever read!!! I'm sure others might find it a bit entertaining, but for ds, this character study of unremarkable, boring sixth-graders recalling things in flashbacks did NOT work out.
Now he doesn't like to read at all. I've been reading out loud to him these days just so he will dissasociate reading with this unfortunate class but reading out loud takes much longer. Also, due to his Asperger's, his reading comprehension isn't so great (I LOVE the idea of narrating! I've learned so much in the last week about what he comprehends!! NO school can give a parent this kind of real knowledge). I'm trying to get past one book before we move on to another topic all together but the going is slow and I wonder if there might be a way to really encourage him about the world of good liturature.
Currently he can't really handle anything too exciting (suspense makes him very uneasy so we're slowly working on tollerating that) and he likes science so Archimedes and the Door of Science is a great re-introduction so far. I'm afraid if his book knowledge is limited to DK and Usborne type visual encyclopedias he'll miss the connections people make to each other and to their environment, the impact they make on the world around them, etc.
Any ideas? I don't need to rush him but goodness, we can't take a month to get one book read! There is so much good real life stuff to be learned through books and I'd hate for his knowledge of ancient Greek to be limited to Archimedes!
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: March 04 2007 at 8:05am | IP Logged
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I would try books on tape and continue to read aloud to him as much as possible without making it seem forced or rushed. We always have books on tape going in the car so that even on a 10 minute drive to the store, we're listening. Dh reads aloud to the kids every night once they are in bed. A year ago when we remodeled and I didn't have as much time or space to sit with the kids and read or work on projects, we were almost constantly listening to books on tape. We borrow heavily from the library and borrow ebooks through my mother's library. Audible.com is very popular.
Many people who pull their older children out of school let their kids go through a "detox" period of several months in which they don't do formal schooling at all (or at least don't cover the subjects that were causing trouble at "school"). So if you're able to read at all, you could consider yourself ahead of the game. I think that the main thing is to look at the big picture and realize that this is a process. It will take time to regain the love of reading and that's okay. You've started down that path -- now walk, don't run.  In public school, he probably wouldn't have read Archimedes at all, so even if it took a month, he's "read" one great book! 
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Karen T
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| Posted: March 04 2007 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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One other thing to think about is having several books going at one time and getting through each one more slowly. Maybe a fiction book that he might enjoy and just read a chapter from each - it doesn't have to be formal schooling time. You can read some during lunch or at bedtime, to space it out during the day. When you pick up the book, just ask him if he remembers what was going on when you left off - that encourages them to pay attention in order to remember next time.
My 7 yr old is just beginning to read sentences on his own; he's not ready at all to tackle anything harder than 3 letter words and very resistant to formal lessons. We do a page in PHonics Pathways each day and then I have him read from CHC's little stories for little folks but any real literature is read aloud either by me, dh or books on tape. We have "quiet time" for 1.5 hours each afternoon where the 7 and 5 yo are in their rooms. They can color or play quietly and I put books on tape on since they don't read yet. (I spend that time with my 8th grader)
I love books on tape! Our library has a lot, and it also has digital download for lots, although it's more adult books.
karen T
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helene
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| Posted: March 04 2007 at 6:26pm | IP Logged
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We just finished reading Heidi aloud (again!) and my 8 y.o. reluctant reader (a boy) justloved it! There are many life lessons to be learned- relationships between people and relationships between God and men- and the lessons are presented so gently and lovingly. No hype, no terrible suspense, happy ending. And though it is about a girl, she is a tomboy and her best friend Peter figures largely in the book. My son was very much engaged during these read-alouds (he could not read it himself yet) and I could see how much the character of Peter touched his heart....especially the detailed chapters chronicling Peter's struggles with school and learning. Just an idea.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 05 2007 at 11:48pm | IP Logged
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One thing that seems to help is to let the kids keep their light on after bedtime for whatever time works for you (15 min, 30 min) ONLY if they're reading/looking at books.. my non-readers will look at picture books, some even pretend to read non-picture books.
Also when reading aloud.. is it any suspense? or just suspense held over.. I'm thinking there was a book that we read where the chapters were usually stopped just before a climax of the story.. to encourage kids to want to get the next chapter the next night... some of them were way to suspenseful for the age of my kids.. so I'd simply read to the end of the situation and stop then.. even when mid-chapter.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Advice for reluctant reader?
