E Book Reader

Technology has the potential to help dyslexics quite considerably .One such technological aid is an E book reader. The E book reader is a small portable computer device which enables you to download books which you can read wherever you are.

There are a number of readers available for example : Kindle Amazon , Nook( Barnes and Noble), Sony E Reader, Ipad, Reeder ( this brand is sold a lot in Turkey) etc.


Advantages

The font size can be enlarged.

Kindle ( Amazon) has a text to speech option allowing children to listen to the book while they follow the text, which in turn can help to improve comprehension.

The text to speech facility also would enable dyslexic children to tackle a more difficult book than they would normally read by themselves. In addition this option would be useful not only for recreational reading but for reading textbooks.

Children are generally drawn to technology and it might help to make reading seem more appealing to reluctant readers.

Possible Problems

The initial cost of the e book reader .

Some publishers have decided that it is a copyright infringement to have the book read out .As a result not all E books allow you to use the“text to speech” option.

Unfortunately the choice of e books in Turkish is considerably more limited compared to books written in English. The “Kindle Reader” does not read Turkish books .

I wonder if it will be tiring on the eyes reading from the screen constantly. ?? Some readers have anti-glare screens so they can be used outside in bright sunlight.

If you are going to invest in a e book reader do some thorough research first before buying …

Check whether books in the your language can be downloaded .

Is there a text to speech option ? .Not all of them have this option– with some you have to purchase another programme to enable you to get speech to text.

I would be interested to hear anyones feedback about the use of e readers for dyslexics.

A great blog with useful information about technology and dyslexia is Ian Smythes technodys site.

http://technodys.blogspot.com/

Tar Heel Reader

With the long summer school holiday upon us I am trying to get my son to improve his English.I recently came across a useful site that could be used for dyslexic children to do some online reading and writing.

The Tar Heel Reader site is a collection of free,easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics. The books can be read online or downloaded. They are all speech enabled.

The books are intended for teenagers who are just learning to read ,however many are also suitable for younger children who are beginner or struggling readers and also for English language learners. The books have very simple wording so they are suitable for dyslexic children.Books are also available in a number of different languages such as Spanish and German, as well as English.

Some of the books may be inappropriate for your child so it is best to create your own favourites page of the books suitable for your child.To do this you need to be a registered user.

Besides reading a book, students also have the option of creating their own books. They can make their own books using pictures from the Flickr collection or using their own photos. To create a book you will need to register for free.

This site is a result of collaboration between the Centre for Literacy and Disability Studies and the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

www.tarheelreader.org/

NB Tar Heel is a nickname for the state and people of North Carolina.

Get your child to make their own books and put them online as this may help to encourage your child to want to write more !!

Please see the article I wrote about talking / audio books for dyslexics.

101 Ways to Get Your Child to Read

101 Ways to Get Your Child to Read : A useful short guide for parents of children with dyslexia ...

Patience Thomson won the Quick Reads Learners’ Favourite Award in 2009 for her book “101 Ways to get your Child to Read” . In a previous dyslexia blog article I talked about Quick Read books .. These are short books designed for for adults with literacy problems.

This is an accessible, friendly and valuable book for all parents which gives tips on how to get your child to read if they can’t or won’t read..

Patience Thomson is a writer, lecturer and expert on reading. She was a head teacher at a school in London for children with specific learning difficulties and she co-founded Barrington Stoke, a publisher of books for reluctant readers.

When receiving the award she said "I am thrilled to win this award. It is an immense tribute to the parents, pupils and colleagues who, over the years, have taught me so much about the true nature of reading difficulties and how to overcome them”

If you look at the NIACE web site you can find a short podcast where Patience Thomson is talking about her book..

http://www.niace.org.uk/news/podcasts-videos


Quick Reads 2009: Interview with Patience Thomson - [1 MB] March 4, 2009 - 17:11

You can buy the book from Amazon.com :

101 Ways to Get Your Child to Read

Patience Thomson
ISBN: 9781842996713

Publisher: Barrington Stoke
1.99 pounds

For a review of the book see :

http://parentingbooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/101_ways_to_get_your_child_to_read

GET READY TO READ !

Here is a great resource for those who have pre-school children .As I have mentioned in other dyslexia blog articles early identification of dyslexia is very important. If parents and teachers can be made aware that a child may have problems learning to read early on, then there is more chance that the child can catch up with his peers.

Get Ready to Read !

This site includes a screening tool which can show how good your child’s pre-reading skills are as well as offering ideas of activities to boost literacy skills …

Get Ready to Read! (GRTR!) is a programme from the US designed to help build the early literacy skills of preschool children.

It is an initiative of the National Center for Learning Disabilities., USA.

It provides a screening tool to assess reading skills in pre-school children.

There is a 20-question research-based screening tool which can be used with four-year-old children by a teacher or parent. The score will show if your child's pre-reading skills are weak, strong, or somewhere in between. This tool is designed to screen a child twice during the year before kindergarten. The screeening tool is in English and Spanish.

In addition there are activities and resources to help improve childrens literacy skills. These include interactive games as well as printable activity cards.

http://www.getreadytoread.org/

THE CARRON ELECTRONIC LIBRARY

Reading resource for students with dyslexia :

The Electronic Library consists of 250 books which are available in six different levels of reading ability. The library is suitable for dyslexic children aged 9 to 15 and is available for PC only.

The library allows users to read a chapter of a title at the computer every day without the supervision or intervention of any adult . This is made possible by the fact that the programme will on request, voice any unfamiliar words as they are encountered. A chapter from the book can subsquently be printed out and then can be read out loud to an adult.

(Please note they are not talking books – the programme voices individual words only if the user touches any letter key and is otherwise silent. )

A Maths course is also available for younger children .

For more information go to :

http://home.btconnect.com/CARRON-PRACTICAL/rrec04.htm

A number of these electronic books are available free from the following address :

http://www.schoolwork.bz/

PHONIC BOOKS

Here in this dyslexia blog article is some information about some free phonics books parents can use to help their their dyslexic children.

The Specific Learning Difficulties Association of South Australia SPELD(SA) has produced a number of Phonic Books which use the sequence of sounds used in the Jolly Phonics early literacy programme.

www.jollylearning.co.uk.

The books are free to use. You can make a donation if you wish so that more can be published in the future.

Each book is published with suggestions on how parents, tutors and teachers can get the most out of the book.

SPELD (SA) phonic books require Adobe Flash.

The books are grouped in a developing order based on the order of sounds introduced in the Jolly Phonics early literacy programme.

The printable versions of these phonic books have been designed so that once printed, the pages can be folded in half to create an A5 book.

http://www.speld-sa.org.au/

GUIDE TO CHOOSING BOOKS FOR DYSLEXIC READERS

In a previous dyslexia blog article about reading I mentioned that it is important to help your child to choose appropriate books for your child to read.

Dyslexia Action and Waterstones (a well–known UK bookselling chain) have produced a guide, designed to help children and parents choose books that are more suitable for a young struggling/reluctant reader who has dyslexic difficulties.

Further information and a downloadable pdf of this guide may be found at Waterstones.com/ DA or www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Waterstone's Guide to Books for Young Dyslexic Readers :

http://www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/pdffiles/waterstones.pdf

Guide to Choosing Dyslexia-Friendly Books for Kids :

http://www.waterstones.com/wat/images/special/mag/waterstones_dyslexia_action_guide.pdf

List of graded books

“Teachers and adults, who are supporting children as they are learning to read, need books of graded difficulty that can be matched to children's reading levels. This is particularly important for children with literacy difficulties, as they need to practise their reading skills with a wide range of books at the appropriate level.”

The Dyslexia Institute has produced a list of graded books which might be useful to parents …

For more information go to : www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/graded.htm

List of books sorted by grade :

http://www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk/pdffiles/gradedsort.pdf

NB Dyslexia Action was formally known as the Dyslexia Institute..

WORLD CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK

World Children's Book Week is a week-long celebration of children's books.It was started in 1919 and is celebrated primarily in schools, libraries,and by bookstores. Typical events during Children's Book Week include storytelling, author visits, and activities related to books. The goal of Children's Book Week is to encourage a love of reading and books among children.

Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America thought up the idea of creating a Children's Book Week, In 2008, Children’s Book Week moved from November to May. In Turkey however The World Children's Book Week is still celebrated in the second week of November.

The Children’s Book Council Foundation, ‘Every Child a Reader’ is responsible for planning official events and creating materials.

http://www.ecarfoundation.org/

http://www.bookweekonline.com/

Unfortunately in Turkey most schools don’t encourage children to enjoy reading !! Very often students have to read certain books from a specified book list. In most cases the books on this list are usually quite difficult and heavy .In addition they are often forced to read a certain book for their exams.The end result being that children form a negative attitude to reading They see reading as a chore not as something to be enjoyed .For this reason most children seem to dislike reading..!!

If a child is dyslexic then the situation is made much worse as they may well already have a negative attitude to reading since they find it difficult to read !!

Children's reading preferences or reading speed and level are not taken into consideration. Generally the school administration,select certain books according to the class grade level and which are related to exam subjects. Unfortunately this makes reading a nightmare for dyslexic children.

Reading needs to be made more enjoyable for children in order to get them to read more. World Childrens Book Week is generally viewed by many schools as just a formality. However it could be celebrated in a more interesting, creative and interactive manner.

Here are a few suggestions;

Every class could convert their classroom door into a cover of a book.

Children could dress in a costume of a hero from a book they
like.

Children could make up a play about a short story they have read and act it out.

Mothers and fathers could be invited to read a story they like to the children.

In short, this week can be made more fun and enjoyable !!!

HOW TO HELP YOUR DYSLEXIC CHILD WITH READING

The first step for children at school is to learn to read.Once they have achieved this goal they are expected to read in order to learn.

If children who are dyslexic are not given sufficient support at an early stage with literacy and do not become proficient in reading then they will encounter difficulties at school later on.They can fall behind their peers due to their poor reading skills.

In Turkey children are expected to learn to read with 3 or 4 months of starting school. In some cases children have already learnt to read when they start school. Since 2006 Turkish children are taught to read by the “Sound based sentence method” (ses temelli cumle yöntem).Sounds are learnt initially.After these sounds are combined to form syllables,later on syllables are made to form words and finally words to form sentences.

As children progress with reading they learn to recognize and say the word as a whole, although longer more difficult words may be broken down into syllables. Dyslexic readers find it difficult to automatically recognize words. Whereas an average child will need to see a word 4- 10 times for automatic recognition – a child who is dyslexia may need to come across that word more than 40 times. For this reason constant practice is essential.

In the school settting all children generally often get insufficient reading practice, apart from reading their text books.Also nowadays at home because of the lures of the TV, internet and playstations children tend to read less and less ! For this reason parents need to play an active role to encourage child to read and to improve their reading skills.This is specially crucial for a dyslexic child in order that they can catch up with their peers.

How to Choose an Appropriate Book

First impressions
The books should look attractive

Subject choice
Don’t go for books, which are easy to read, but whose stories are babyish and boring. Choose an exciting story . Consider your childs interests - for example if he is interested in football choose a book connected to this theme.Don’t limit yourself to just books – but comics,magazines, anything your child might want to read.

Font Size
The writing should not be too small or too big.

Language
Avoid books where the vocabulary is too complicated.

Style – keep it simple!
Look for a simple and direct style.Avoid books with long complicated sentence structures full of sub- clauses.Read several books written by the same author with him as it’s easier to guess what’s coming next if the style is a familiar one.

Keep it short!
Your child may have a short concentration span for this reason choose books that are short, exciting and satisfying and that match the interests of your child. Short stories can be more rewarding for dyslexic readers, who will gain confidence from finishing a book. Also choose books with short chapters.

Illustrations
Eye – catching, age-appropriate illustrations will help to encourage young readers to read the book. It will also help to explain difficult words and identify characters.

The book should be not too hard for your child to read

How can I tell if a book is too hard ?
The Five Finger Test
Encourage your child to test a page of any book before reading it. Let your child put a finger on each word he cannot read. If more that five fingers are used on any one page,he will not be able to read it without help.

Tips to help your child

Read to your child on a regular basis,sharing the enjoyment of a good story. This is important because it introduces him to a much wider vocabulary and also you can act as a good role model for reading.

Visit libraries and bookshops with your child. Encourage your child to like books.

Set aside a time for reading each day when you can be alone and undisturbed with your child.

Remember dyslexic kids have good days and bad days. You may find that their reading ability can fluctuate a lot.

Summer holidays are very long in Turkey – so make sure you maintain reading practice during this period.

Keep a record of the books your child reads – make bookmarks,prepare a blog, take photos.. This helps to show what your child has achieved.

Once your child can read by himself , each day your child should practice a minimum of 10 minutes reading out loud and 10 mins of silent reading.

Read aloud reading
This exercise is designed to make the child aware of both the sound and sight of the words; and their flow, as it stores both together in your memory.

Correction
When your child is reading out loud and he makes a mistake – immediately give him the correct word – don’t make him struggle sounding the word out – as it will interrupt the flow of the reading.

Silent Reading
It is more difficult to know what's going on when your child is reading silently. You will have to ask questions to monitor his comprehension after he has read silently. For your child to be successful explain the most important words or any new vocabulary prior to his reading silently. Do some reading yourself to encourage him while he's reading silently !!!
NB Your child will have better comprehension when he reads silently

Use a pointer- such as a pencil or your index finger, and move it along the line you are reading. Sometimes find it difficult to keep their place and also this can help to speed up their reading.

Alternative Reading Techniques you can try with your child:

Echo Reading- involves you reading one line of a story and your child repeating the same line after you have read. Increase the number of lines read at one time as the child's reading improves. Ask your child to follow the story with their finger to be sure he/she is looking at the words. Let your child read first with easy materials.

Choral Reading- involves a story that your child has read before or that is easy for him/her to read. Read the text together. Lead the reading by using expression and appropriate pacing.

Reader's Theatre is a read-aloud activity. Roles are distributed and each person reads when his/her character speaks. This should be done with easy reading materials for your child that includes conversation..

Partner Reading involves sharing reading. You read a sentence or half the page, and ask your child to read one sentence or half the page. As reading improves each partner can read an entire page or section.

Taped Stories provide good samples for listening to fluent reading. Parents could tape themselves as they read a book to their child. When using a taped story have the child follow the text with his/her finger or read along to help with fluency. Have children tape their own stories and evaluate their reading for fluency.

Repeated Reading involves your child in reading the same books or stories more than once in the same week.
One minute reading. You could find a short simple passage for your child to read (preferably one that doesn’t contain conversation).Get your child to read this passage for 1 minute (3 times ).
Please note : before your child reads the passage out loud - ask them to read it silently.
Afterwards you can count how words your child read in 1 minute (minus the number of mistakes). . The number of words read results can be put on a graph to show progress.
You could also tape record your child reading orally,before and after you begin this activity – to demonstrate progress made.

Paired Reading
1. READING TOGETHER
You and your child read the words our loud together. Make your speed as fast or as slow as your child's. Your child must read every word. If your child struggles with a word and then gets it right, show that you are pleased. Never let your child struggle for more than 5 seconds.If your child struggles for too long or gets a word wrong, then:
Just say the right word yourself, and
Make sure that your child repeats it properly.

2. READING ALONE
When you are reading together your child may want to read a bit alone. You should agree on a signal for your child to tell you to be quiet. This could be a knock on the book, a wave of the hand.When your child struggles for more than 5 seconds, or struggles and gets it wrong, you say the right word for your child. Make sure that your child says it right as well.Then you both go on reading together, until your child feels good enough to read on alone again, and asks you to be quiet. You must always remember to go back to reading together when your child has had problems with a word.

TRY OUT SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES AND SEE WHICH ONES YOUR CHILD PREFERS.

Remember reading difficulties may be a challenge, but they are not a disaster ,there is a lot a parent can do to help their child !!

JOLLY PHONICS

During the long school holidays I started to teach my son to read English.I am using Jolly Phonics to teach him.I think this programme is ideal for parents teaching reading to their children since it is clearly explained and comes with numerous ready made printable worksheets and flashcards.

Jolly Phonics is a British programme for teaching reading, writing, and spelling using phonics. It was created by UK teachers Sue Lloyd and Sara Wernham.

Jolly Phonics uses Synthetic phonics to teach children to read .In this method children learn the individual sounds of English first and then they learn how to put them or blend them together to read words.

In Jolly Phonics, each of the main 42 sounds that make up the English language has an action.For example the letter ‘a’ is taught by running the fingers up and down the arm simulating lots of ants running about tickling the arm.

The programme uses a multi-sensory approach, which is ideal for children who have dyslexia to learn to read .It has fun characters (Inky Mouse, Snake, Bee, and Phonic) which will attract children .Jolly Phonics could be used with older children. My son is 10 and he enjoys reading the books !!

http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/

TALKING/ AUDIO BOOKS FOR DYSLEXICS

In this dyslexia blog article I want to talk about audio books..

Recently I read in a Turkish newspaper about the Turkish National Library having audio or talking books available for blind people and that they are planning to expand their collection in the near future. It made me start thinking about talking books for dyslexics and their availability.

Audio books are very useful to those with dyslexia, as well as for people who have a sight problem. Audio books allow struggling readers to enjoy the same popular books as their peers, while at the same time improving listening and reading comprehension skills.It means that dyslexic children can read books above their normal reading level.

Unfortunately there are not many talking books in Turkish, unlike in English.There are few childrens books available which have accompanying tapes.

It is a very beneficial exercise for children with dyslexia to listen to a cassette tape while following the words in the book. Hearing the text read aloud can improve the child’s reading ability .

The only option for parents in Turkey is to make their own recordings for children to listen to !!

Here are some organisations which have audio books available in English :

National Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic ( USA) RFB&D

This is a voluntary non-profit organisation.

If you are an individual outside of the U.S., you may only borrow books that are in RFB&D's Classic Cassettes format.

RFB&D does not distribute digital versions of audiobooks outside of the United States, except to U.S. citizens who are temporarily residing abroad

You will need to use a specialized DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System) playback system to access their digital books.

Individual Membership is now free to individuals with proper certification of disability.

www.rfbd.org

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)The Library of Congress

You can qualify for the free talking books programme if you have learning disabilities or dyslexia and also a specific accompanying visual or physical handicap.( proof of disability is required ).

http://www.loc.gov/nls/eligible.html

To qualify for the Talking Books programme, "Eligible readers must be residents of the United States, or, American citizens living abroad".

For information about the NLS Services to American Citizens Abroad see:

http://www.loc.gov/nls/overseas/index.html

Listening Books ( UK )

Listening Books provides audio books for people with special needs ,including dyslexia They have a library of over 2000 audio books.They offer audiobooks on both MP3 CD and from their website via internet. .There is a yearly membership fee of about 20 pounds.

Sound Learning which is part of Listening Books provides audio books for young people to support their learning. It has 1600 children’s and young people’s titles. There is a yearly subscription for members.

Please note you must live in the UK .

www.listening-books.org.uk

Bookshare ( USA )

Bookshare offers about 50,000 digital books etc to people all over the world with disabilities such as dyslexia.

U.S.citizens temporarily living abroad can register their permanent U.S. address on Bookshare for U.S. membership. If you are permanently residing abroad, you can register your international address for international membership.
Bookshare is free to US students with qualifying disabilities. Proof of disability is required.

Currently 5,000 books are available for download to international members, based on copyright permissions granted by publishers and authors. These include children’s titles from Scholastic. There is a membership fee in the region of 75 dollars. Books are in DAISY format, however Bookshare offers two free DAISY readers with membership.

Calibre ( UK )

You can join Calibre if you have dyslexia and live in the UK. Calibre has the largest lending collection of audio books in the UK in open format ie you don't need special playback equipment. There is no subscription fee only there is a small charge for the print and CD-R catalogues for adults. Children can join ‘Young Calibre ‘

http://www.calibre.org.uk/

Commercial sites :

Audible Co UK - 20,000 downloadable commercial audio books.

http://www.audible.co.uk/


Spoken Network - There are over 9000 titles to choose from by major publishers such as the BBC, Harper-Collins, Simon & Schuster, Brilliance, Blackstone, and Hachette Spoken Network requires no special eqipment.

www.spokennetwork.com

The Right to Read Campaign –

The Right to Read Alliance is made up of 19 charities including: Dyslexia Action and the BDA. It is trying to push publishers to make all books available in an accessible way for everyone, including those with disabilities.

“Up to three million adults and children in the UK who are blind, partially sighted or have a reading impairment such as dyslexia are denied the right to read. A shocking 95 per cent of all books published never become available in large print, audio or braille, or electronically. The Right to Read Alliance believes this discrimination must end.

People with sight problems or reading disabilities are like everyone else – they want to read the same book, at the same time at the same price.

The situation is bad enough for Visually Impaired people. But since 2002 they have at least had the right to change the format of books to something that they can read – eg by scanning them – without having to get the permission of the publisher. Dyslexic people, and organisations acting for them, still don't have that right, so that dyslexic people now find it even more difficult to find audio books, for example, then they did before. The Right to Read Campaign is campaigning for the same rights for all reading impaired people”. ( quote )

http://www.rnib.org.uk/

Books for All - is about learning materials in accessible, alternative formats, for people who have difficulty reading ordinary printed books. It contains information of where you can get hold digital and audio books.

http://www.books4all.org.uk/Home/

A blog about talking books ..

http://talkingbookslibrarian.blogspot.com/


BDA lists some information about audio books ..

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

HOW TO HELP YOUR DYSLEXIC CHILD WITH READING

‘Learning to Read and Reading to Learn’

The first step a child at school must make is to learn to read and once they have done this they read to in order to learn…

Slow readers and dyslexic children if they are not given sufficient support at the first step will as a result struggle with the second step...

When children are first taught to read in Turkey they learn to read syllables. As they progress they learn to recognise and say the word as a whole, although longer more difficult words may be broken down into syllables.

Dyslexic readers find it difficult automatically recognise words. Whereas an average child will need to see a word 4- 10 times for automatic recognition – a child who is dyslexic may need to come across that word more than 40 times. For this reason constant practice is essential.

In the school setting all children generally often get insufficient reading practice, apart from reading their text books. Also nowadays at home because of the lures of the TV, internet and play stations children tend to read less and less !

For this reason parents need to play an active role to encourage child to read and to improve their reading skills. This is specially crucial for a dyslexic child in order that they can catch up with their peers.

How to Choose an Appropriate Book

First impressions

The books should look attractive

Subject choice

Don’t go for books, which are easy to read, but whose stories are babyish and boring. Choose an exciting story . Consider your childs interests - for example, if he is interested in football choose a book connected to this theme.Don’t limit yourself to just books – choose comics,magazines,etc.In fact anything your child might want to read.

Font Size
The writing should not be too small or too big.

Language

Avoid books where the vocabulary is too complicated.

Style – keep it simple!
Look for a simple and direct style.Avoid books with long complicated sentence structures full of sub- clauses.

Read several books written by the same author, as it’s easier to guess what’s coming next if the style is a familiar one.

Keep it short!
Your child may have a short concentration span for this reason choose books that are short, exciting and satisfying and that match the interests of your child. Short stories can be more rewarding for dyslexic readers, who will gain confidence from finishing a book. Also choose books with short chapters.

Illustrations
Eye – catching, age-appropriate illustrations will help to encourage young readers to read the book. It will also help to explain difficult words and identify characters.

The book should be not too hard for your child to read.

How can I tell if a book is too hard ? – The Five Finger Test.

Encourage your child to test a page of any book before reading it. Let your child put a finger on each word he cannot read. If more that five fingers are used on any one page,he will not be able to read it without help.

Tips to help your child.

Read to your child on a regular basis,sharing the enjoyment of a good story. This is important because it introduces him to a much wider vocabulary and also you can act as a good role model for reading.

Visit libraries and bookshops with your child. Encourage your child to like books.

Set aside a time for reading each day when you can be alone and undisturbed with your child.

Remember dyslexic kids have good days and bad days. You may find that their reading ability can fluctuate a lot.

Summer holidays are very long in Turkey – so make sure you maintain reading practice during this period.

Keep a record of the books your child reads – make bookmarks,prepare a blog, take photos.. This helps to show what your child has achieved.

Once your child can read by himself , each day your child should practice a minimum of 10 minutes reading out loud and 10 mins of silent reading.

Read aloud reading- This exercise is designed to make the child aware of both the sound and sight of the words; and their flow, as it stores both together in your memory.

Correction - When your child is reading out loud and he makes a mistake – immediately give him the correct word – don’t make him struggle sounding the word out – as it will interrupt the flow of the reading.

Silent Reading - It is more difficult to know what's going on when your child is reading silently. You will have to ask questions to monitor his comprehension after he has read silently.

For your child to be successful explain the most important words or any new vocabulary prior to his reading silently. Do some reading yourself to encourage him while he's reading silently !!!

NB Your child will have better comprehension when he reads silently.

Use a pointer- such as a pencil or your index finger, and move it along the line you are reading. Sometimes find it difficult to keep their place and also this can help to speed up their reading.

Alternative Reading Techniques you can try with your child:

Echo Reading- involves you reading one line of a story and your child repeating the same line after you have read. Increase the number of lines read at one time as the child's reading improves. Ask your child to follow the story with their finger to be sure he/she is looking at the words. Let your child read first with easy materials.

Choral Reading- involves a story that your child has read before or that is easy for him/her to read. Read the text together. Lead the reading by using expression and appropriate pacing.

Reader's Theatre is a read-aloud activity. Roles are distributed and each person reads when his/her character speaks. This should be done with easy reading materials for your child that includes conversation.

Partner Reading involves sharing reading. You read a sentence or half the page, and ask your child to read one sentence or half the page. As reading improves each partner can read an entire page or section.

Taped Stories provide good samples for listening to fluent reading. Parents could tape themselves as they read a book to their child.

When using a taped story have the child follow the text with his/her finger or read along to help with fluency. Have children tape their own stories and evaluate their reading for fluency.

Repeated Reading involves your child in reading books or stories more than once in the same week. You could also tape record your child reading orally, before and after you begin this activity – to demonstrate progress made.

Paired Reading – 1. READING TOGETHER
You and your child read the words our loud together. Make your speed as fast or as slow as your child's. Your child must read every word. If your child struggles with a word and then gets it right, show that you are pleased. Never let your child struggle for more than 5 seconds.If your child struggles for too long or gets a word wrong, then:
Just say the right word yourself, and
Make sure that your child repeats it properly.
2. READING ALONE
When you are reading together your child may want to read a bit alone. You should agree on a signal for your child to tell you to be quiet. This could be a knock on the book, a wave of the hand.When your child struggles for more than 5 seconds, or struggles and gets it wrong, you say the right word for your child. Make sure that your child says it right as well.Then you both go on reading together, until your child feels good enough to read on alone again, and asks you to be quiet. You must always remember to go back to reading together when your child has had problems with a word.

TRY OUT SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES AND SEE WHICH ONES YOUR CHILD PREFERS.

WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY 23 RD OF APRIL

Not only is the 23rd of April Childrens Day in Turkey, it is also the World Book and Copyright Day !!

World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on 23 April organized by UNESCO to promote reading , publishing and copyright. The Day was first celebrated in 1995.

According to Milagros del Corral from UNESCO “we must make sure that books are accessible to everybody everywhere".

How accessible are books for children who are dyslexic in Turkey I wonder ??

There are NO publishing companies in Turkey who produce books which are especially geared to children who are struggling readers !!!

Whereas in the UK, companies such as the well- known Barrington Stoke publishing company produce books to help children to enjoy reading. They publish accessible, enjoyable and unpatronising short books for children who are dyslexic, struggling to read, or simply reluctant to sit down with a book.

For more information see their site :
http://www.barringtonstoke.co.uk/

Also in the UK, the Quick Reads Initiative produce Quick Reads which are short, exciting books by bestselling writers and celebrities for adults with literacy problems, aimed at improving reading and boosting self-esteem.

Nine out of 10 of the people who have read the compact titles "told researchers their reading has improved and they feel better about themselves.

Quick Reads was developed as a collaboration between leading authors, publishers, government bodies, educationalists and the BBC. The first set of titles were launched on World Book Day 2006 .

Books are generally written in the 20,000-word range (With no more than 128 pages ) and are supposed to consist largely of one- and two-syllable words, short sentences and brief paragraphs.

For more information see the Quick reads site :

http://www.niace.org.uk/quickreads/user/index.php

Also listen to :

http://archive.niace.org.uk/news/audio/Dyslexia-Quickreads.mp3

HAPPY CHILDRENS DAY TO ALL IN TURKEY !!

FLUENCY

What is Fluency?

Fluent readers are able to read words accurately and effortlessly, with appropriate expression. The can recognize words automatically. Readers who have not yet developed fluency read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is very choppy.

Why is fluency important?

Fluent readers do not have to concentrate on decoding the words,so they can focus their attention on understanding the meaning of the text. Less fluent readers, however, need to concentrate more on figuring out what the words say, leaving them little time and mental energy for understanding the text. Thus, the lack of fluency often results in poor comprehension.

First of all, children at primary school learn to read – later they read to learn. If a child’s fluency is poor and they can’t understand fully what they are reading in class this will affect their progress and academic achievement. For example if they are taking a test, it will take longer for them to complete and answer the questions. They may make mistakes due to misreading or misunderstanding what they have read.

Fluency and dyslexic children

Most dyslexic children will have poor fluency as they will have difficulty with decoding words and also they often find it hard to recognize words automatically.
Reitsma (1983 ) – states that :

“Some children need only a few exposures to making a letter or letter pattern automatic. Children with reading disabilities sometimes need as many as 40 to 100 exposures before the letter patterns becomes automatic. The average child needs between 4 and 14 exposures to a new word to recognize it automatically. Children with reading difficulties may need 40 or more exposures”

This really brought it home to me that as a parent it is imperative that I make sure my child undertakes reading practise everyday .The trouble is that often dyslexic kids read less due to the fact they don’t like reading because they struggle with it. !!This has a spiral effect as the less the child reads the worse the situation gets


Fluency Techniques


In Turkey most teachers rely primarily on round-robin reading to develop fluency. In round-robin reading, students take turns reading parts of a text aloud .Round-robin reading however is not very effective in increasing children’s fluency.

Here are some of the reasons why:

Students only read small amounts of text for a short time.
It invites inattention and disruption in the class – other students get bored waiting for their turn.
It consumes valuable classroom time.
It causes anxiety and embarrassment for students struggling with reading ,such as dyslexic children.

If possible talk to your child’s teacher and explain the problems your child has with reading outloud ( round robin reading ).It is preferable for dyslexic children not to be forced to read outloud. If they do have to do it they should be given the text before to pre-read it.

Here are some fluency activities to try with your child at home :

With all of these techniques at the beginning select easy materials and progress as their reading improves. Ask your child to follow the story with their finger to be sure he/she is looking at the words.Make sure your son or daughter reads every day.This is especially important in the long summer holiday.

Partner Reading involves sharing reading. You read a sentence or half the page, and ask your child to read one sentence or half the page

Echo Reading involves you reading one line of story and your child repeating the same line after you have read. Increase the number of lines read at one time as the child's reading improves.

Choral Reading involves reading a story together. Lead the reading by using expression and appropriate pacing.

Taped Stories provide good samples for listening to fluent reading. There are a lot of these available in the UK but here in Turkey not so many.As a result parents could make their own tapes by recording themselves as they read a book to their child.

Paired Reading - A parent will read aloud together with the child. The child is allowed to decide when they wish to read aloud alone by making a signal. If a child makes a mistake while reading solo, the parent indicates the word, waits for four seconds, and then provides the correct word. The parent and the child then return to reading together, until the child signals that he wishes to read alone again.For more information on this technique look at an earlier article labelled paired reading.

Reader's Theatre .In this you read as if you were in a play.Each person is alloted a role from the book and then they only read when his/her character speaks.You will need to find books or stories which include a lot of conversation.

Repeated Reading involves your child reading the same book or story more than once in the same week. Preferably choose a short passage or story ( about 50-200 words) .You could also tape record your child reading orally, before and after you begin this activity – to demonstrate progress made You could time them and see how many words they can read per minute . You could then record the amount of errors and words read per min and use this to illustrate progress.

Reader's Theatre .In this you read as if you were in a play.Each person is alloted a role from the book and then they only read when his/her character speaks.You will need to find books or stories which include a lot of conversation.

If you persevere with some of these techniques you will see an improvement in your child's reading - but remember it takes time and patience !!!

A useful article from Reading Rockets about fluency with other links:

http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/fluency

EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

Developments in computers can be of great benefit to children with dyslexia.Computer programmes can be used to assist the learning process. While there is no substitute for individual tuition, computer programmes provide valuable reinforcement, variety and can increase motivation.They can be very useful for parents who are trying to help their dyslexic children.

There are now some cd roms available in Turkish which can be used to practice reading, writing and maths.

Below are a few I have used with my child :

Mine'nin Matematik Evi – Logomotif
3- 7 - Millie's Math House includes seven activities where kids explore numbers, shapes, sizes, patterns, addition and subtraction as they build mouse houses, create wacky bugs, count animated critters, make jelly bean cookies and answer math challenges.This has won some awards.

Akıllı Çocuklar- Logomotif
Akıllı Çocuklar 1, 3-7
NB Akıllı Çocuklar 2 ve 3 – for older age groups

Okumayı Çok Seviyorum- Logomotif

Aimed at supporting children who are just learning to read.Contains a variety of stories and games .

BİLBUL 4 İşlem – Kara Korsan’ın Hazinesi- Logomotif

A pirate game which involves correctly answering addition,subtraction multiplication and division questions to reach some buried treasure.

ALFABE – Eurosoft
For 3-7 aged children. It introduces children to all the sounds and letters of the alphabet It is in both Turkish and English.

I haven’t used this one – but it may be useful :
EL YAZISI - Konuşan Harfler - Eurosoft

For more information :

http://www.eurosoft.com.tr/

http://www.logomotif.com.tr/

ABRACADBRA

ABRACADABRA: A Literacy Resource

http://grover.concordia.ca/ABRA/current/index.php



ABRACADABRA is an interactive computer tool designed for use in Canadian primary schools. This web-based software was designed by CSLP (The Center for The Study of learning and Performance ).It is meant to aid beginning readers of English.


It covers all literacy skills :

• Sound,letter and words ( alphabetics)


• Reading fluency


• Comprehension


• Writing
  

Research studies have indicated that ABRACADBRA could be a useful tool to help second language learners as well as struggling readers


Most Turkish children study English at school, so ABRACADBRA might be a useful programme to try out with your child to help with their language learning at home.Remember that generally if your child has dyslexia they will often experience difficulty in learning foreign languages.They often encounter problems with English because the syllable structure is complex and correspondence between letters and sounds is inconsistent.As a result they will generally find it very hard to read in English.

SALLY GARDNER - WRITER OF BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, WHO IS DYSLEXIC.

Sally Gardner who is dyslexic, was originally called Sarah, but as a child she couldn't spell her name, so later she changed her name to Sally because she found it easier to spell!!

She did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools. Despite this, she went on to become a very successful costume designer.

After the birth of her children, she started first to illustrate and then to write childrens books. In 2005 Sally Gardner won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Gold Award for her book I, Coriander. Previous Nestle prize-winners include some of the UKs best childrens writers - Anne Fine, Quentin Blake, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline Wilson.

Sally Gardner is proof that dyslexia does not have to stop you from being a successful writer !!

Some of her books are available in Turkish – they are printed by Doğan Egmont.I would recommend them for children who are dyslexic as they have interesting story-lines and the chapters are usually about 4 pages long.The font used in the books is reasonably large.!!

Here are some of her book reviews :"The Invisible Boy has enough humour and action to keep less confident readers as well as assured readers turning the pages." (Books for Keeps )

'All the books in the Magical Children series have satisfying stories, scintillating crisp sound effects and lively,humour-filled readings’ – ( The Times – Christina Hardyment)

If you follow this link you can hear Sally Gardner talking about her award winning book : Reading Aloud with Michael Rosen - Sally Gardner

http://www.teachers.tv/video/3426

You can visit her own site at : http://www.sallygardner.net/

PAIRED READING

What is Paired Reading ?

It is a simple technique which is widely used to help slow or struggling readers.Many dyslexic associations recommend this as a technique for parents to try with their dyslexic child in order to improve their reading skills.

Who is it for ?

2nd grade students and above, who are slow readers .Volunteers could be the child’s mother or father, a university student – in fact even an older pupil could help.The student would need to be two years older or in 2 classes above the child.

Why do we use Paired Reading ?

to increase fluency and accuracy.

Research has shown an marked improvement in reading age.After 6 weeks, if done regularly fluency increases by 3 times and comprehension by 5 times.

Increases childrens confidence and self-esteem.

There are social benefits as well to both students and volunteers. There is sometimes less bullying of the younger children as a result of carrying out paired reading.

How to do Paired Reading ?

Together with the child you read outloud.

Decide on a quiet signal to be used by the child when he or she feels she is ready to read alone – like a tap on the hand.

If the child makes a mistake give the child 5 seconds to self-correct , if they don’t

Point to the word.
Say the word and get the child to repeat the word.

Then you will join back in reading together again- until again the child feels confident to read again by him or herself.

Give plenty of praise – for example if the child self- corrects – uses words like bravo, well done etc

When and how often should paired reading be done ?·

It can be done at home or school 3 times in a week for about 20 minutes.It must be carried out for at least 8-10 weeks .

Which type of books should be read ?

Books or magazines can be used as long as they are at the childs reading level.The child should be allowed to choose their own book or magazine to read as long as it isnt too hard for them.Preferably choose a book with a large font – small print will be more diffcult to read. With the child read the first page of the book together, if he or she makes more than 5 mistakes then this book is too hard for them , so ask the child to select another book

http://www.dyslexia.ie/paired.htm

http://commonweal.co.uk/videopairedread.htm