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Help needed -tears during school time
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Please help!!
I am having a challenge with my dd 11.5 who is a very strong auditory learner. I am not sure what to do here!
We are doing history module 1 so she was assigned to read the Golden Goblet for term 2. She “read” it in 2 days. The problem is that she skimmed it. We have had an issue with skimming for a very long time. I have tried having her daily read out loud and some other things but not sure where to go from here.
I am getting tired of reading or reading with her, all of her assigned materials to make sure that she digests everything. I have 3 other kids to school and wanted to transition her this year to more independent work. Should I have her listen to her books on CD and just give up on fixing the skimming problem?
This week, during science reading, I suggested that she and I read the passage together, sliently and she insisted that she could not narrate it back unless I read it out loud to her. I have been trying to wean her off ME reading to her.
We do lots of read-alouds as a family. Science and history are together in the morning.
My 12YO just finished Golden Goblet within a few days, too. I find that he has a much easier time narrating if he listens to an audio book than if he reads it on his own, so I try to include a little of all three (read-alouds, read independently, audio books).
Can you suggest to her that she read-aloud to herself – or to a younger sibling? When I was in college I often had to read my books aloud to myself to keep my brain focused. Reading and remembering and retelling is hard work!
One thing that occurs to me is that you might try restricting the amount of reading she’s allowed to do in a book on a given day. The required smaller reading might encourage her to dig more deeply. If she enjoys listening to books on CD, that is certainly a valid option.
I have an auditory learner as well, a 14-year-old daughter with Asperger’s. Short readings are helpful for her too. I still read aloud all spines for her. I’ve found, too, that she’s happy to read for herself anything that she really takes an interest in. I let her choose her own science this year for that reason, and she loves it. I do set general limits on how much she can read each day, even for that.
Why not simply limit her to 1 chapter per day with a narration immediately after. I have some voracious readers, but school books I require to be read slowly. If need be use audiobooks, but I would encourage you to contine her using all modalities of learning and not always play to her strengths.
Thanks so much for responses. This has been a frustrating week.
Reading out loud to herself I think would be really a great idea!
She was supposed to read it silently to herself, ONLY one chapter per week, and then narrate to me but she thought that the Golden Goblet was so good that she couldn’t stop reading it. Although I know that she did a lot of skimming and did not read it carefully.
I guess I will have to find a different book for her as an independent history reader and then HIDE the book. I am also thinking that I will read the chapter ahead of her so I will know what is in it.
Cat of Bubastes? Is this too hard for year 5/6? Or if she just skimmed the Golden Goblet, then maybe she could read that book over – one chapter at a time?
For the other subjects I can just continue for this term, some hand holding, and then maybe have her do more independent reading in term 3?
Would love to hear any other thoughts if anyone has time.
Sounds so much like my daughter….. I did this and so far so good, but the new hasn’t worn off either…..
I have her read out loud and record herself, (long story short, we have an old iphone that I allow her to use at certain times) I use the recording capabilities on it….. after she reads out loud, I have her narrate and if she doesn’t do well, then I have her listen to her own recording and try again…. HTH
Not sure if this will fit your situation but one speaker at our co-op last year talked about learning styles & achieving balance. What I am trying to get at is ……take her weakest subject & teach it to her strongest learning style. Take her best subjects / easiest subjects & teach it with her weakest learning style. So if she is an auditory learner than use that method with her weakest subjects , and if she struggles with visual then use that with her stronger subjects.
Again not sure if this is what you were looking for , or if it’s right for your situation.
Hope you get some more ideas to help!!
Jamie
My dd13 (just turned 13) is reading it with no issues and enjoys it. It is available as an audiobook, too. I haven’t read it so I can’t speak to difficulty. I will say my dd is a very strong reader.
I went and listened to Dr. Madeline Levine this past week. One point she made that I thought was really cool and counter intuitive for most of us was this: focus on your child’s strengths rather than on their weaknesses. Because chances are very good that the areas they are good in are the areas that they will persue in life/career/etc. She did make the disclaimer about general skill levels, etc. But her point was that she sees so many parents and children in her practice that are hyper focused on the one area where their chlld isn’t perfect. And that they seldom recognize the many strengths of their child.
Not to suggest you are doing this at all. Just that the others discussions here made me think of this point. And maybe how often we are inclined to focus on those one or two areas that are not what we think they should be instead of the eight or ten areas that are rocking and rolling. I know I do it.
Just a different perspective on what you’re going through with your child’s narration and reading styles. Maybe you could step back and see how or where this “skimming” could be a strength? Or maybe you could embrace her need to be read to and incorporate the other children to make it relevant for everyone on some level? Auditory learning may be her biggest strength … maybe focus on how to encourage that in various lessons. Could she record herself reading and then listen to it to “get” it for narrating?
Thanks so very much for the input – great perspective! She does amazing oral narrations and has an incredible auditory memory. This really does help me relax. You are right, we cannot force our kids into a certain mold – encourage but not force. I never thought of skimming being a strenth in some situation. Hmmmm……..I will have to chew on that. Thank you.
I have been concerned about the skimming because she has expressed much interest in getting a college degree in biology, specifically in ornithology. I know that she is still very young (almost 12) but I think that she will want to pursue a college degree no matter what – we are not pushing her onto the college path but I see her being greatly interested in that.
SOOOO, from what I remember about college and from what I have heard from present college students, it is reading, reading, reading. I guess I was looking at it as an essential skill for college success but only for one certain field. Maybe God has other plans for her. Maybe she will choose a different degree or no degree!
I like the idea of her reading it out loud to herself and then recording it – and for me to rest in the way that God made her.
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