Please give me your best tips on helping with reading for 2nd/3rd grade

rachel

9802September

My daughter was doing super well in reading by the end of 1st grade (scoring very high on end of year assessments), then over the summer she dropped dramatically (scoring fairly poorly on beginning of year assessments in 2nd grade) and now tells me she hates reading. And I worry about this sudden lack of interest. Ideas on how to help her like reading again and/or get her reading level up? I’m at a loss on what to do.

5 answers

• mhcorons

  90September

  A reading interventionist told me once: the best way to help your kids with reading is to read. Let them see you read. Read with them. Read to them. Let them read to you. Read books. Magazines. Billboards. Cereal boxes. Getting used to the flow of words is the best thing for them.

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    rachel—That’s great advice. I hadn’t thought of the little reading moments, like cereal boxes. I remember always pulling out the comics from the newspaper as a kid (dating me much??) and it’s a good idea to find little things like that. Thanks!!!

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• CharleeTSmith

  90September

  This is similar to one of my kiddos. Scoring above grade level kinder and 1st. Then dropped to needing extra resources for 2nd grade. I think my kiddo has been dealing with test anxiety. He just really knew the kinder 1st grade stuff really naturally and when reading required a bit more effort he became discouraged and the tests have been daunting.

  I looked up practice tests for the program they use online and ordered reading workbooks from a company called Spectrum that has passages for the kids to read then comprehension questions after - much like a reading test. I try to do one or two passages a day as a part of his daily reading. It’s helped my guy feel more comfortable with test taking and his most recent test jump quite a bit. We’re still not back to above grade level, but his confidence in reading is coming back. I also let him read things based on his interests (Minecraft novels, Sonic the hedgehog comics, ect.) We’re also trying to have him read simple books to his younger siblings, but the toddlers aren’t cooperating for that. 😂

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    rachel—That is fantastic idea. It hadn’t even occurred to me to consider some test prep. I will ask them the name of the test so I can do that. The crazy thing is I actually specialize in test prep for law school! 😂 I can’t believe i didn’t think of that. 🤦 Have you felt like reading simpler books is helping him regain his confidence? I feel like that could be a really good strategy. I have a kindergartener who is supposed to be read to for 20 minutes/day as homework, and I’m wondering if I can somehow combine these two needs…
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    CharleeTSmith—I had never heard of testing anxiety until I was talking to someone about how my boy is reading so much better at home, but his test scores are showing him struggling and they mentioned if the tests aren’t reflecting his actual level then it might be that. So I get it! I do think reading the simpler things reminds him that there are things that are “easy” for him. He used to tell me “I can’t read!” But now it’s just “I don’t want to read.” Which we’re still working on, but is improvement.
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    rachel—That’s a step in the right direction for sure! I told her this morning if she can read for 15 days in a row we’d go see the new Wild Robot movie in theaters (a book we listened to on Audible). That seemed to get her excited, but I guess we’ll see after school if she’ll read!

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• 

  mamajen

  210September

  Try reading things besides books. We did a lot of word searches for a while that helped with spelling & learning to love reading. Reading recipes, instructions, how-to-anything helps them link reading with more likeable things. I also like putting subtitles on if they watch a show, I think they follow along sometimes.

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    rachel—She LOVES word searches. Brilliant! Subtitles is also an excellent idea. Thanks!!

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• mamaenjoyslife

  140September

  I think that the score might not necessarily reflect reality. She may have just been very bored with the material for the test & didn’t try much. Do you know if there were certain areas of the testing that were worse than others?

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    rachel—It was every single measure that dropped dramatically. I’m wondering if I should request a new test?

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• courtcarp

  3803w ago

  I taught middle school literature and writing and so many avid readers got to middle school and lost interest and/or experienced a decrease in scoring when tested. For many of them, I could point to them getting their first phone and see a correlation between the two. Now, while correlation is not always causation, they most definitely showed more interest in screens than the pages of a book. I’m not saying that reducing screen time is the solution in your particular case (especially as your daughter is still in 1st grade), but it is worth considering as part of the equation. Screens (particularly audio/visual media) systematically recalibrates the way we process and take in information—especially if other considerations, such as ADHD or other behavioral factors are present. The age and overall cognitive development of an individual is a huge factor to consider on that point as well.
  Combating disinterest in reading can be difficult, but there are some vital points that others have already mentioned. Establish a community and culture of readers in your home. Commonly ask what others are reading and discuss your own reading habits. Let them see you reading. Utilize audio books on occasion. Read assigned reading with kids and discuss it together when you can.
  As mentioned in other comments, adding variety to their reading experiences is very helpful in their development as a reader and critical thinker. Newspapers, magazines, brochures…it’s all beneficial.

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