Keep your children reading
Most students spend the summer enjoying the outdoors, playing with friends and taking a much needed break from the daily academic routine. However, children who struggle with reading or have learning disabilities, may lose some of what they have learned over the summer and spend the first few months of the new school year playing catch up.
"A study conducted by Harris Cooper at the University of Missouri reports that children who are not exposed to books and reading during the summer months experience an average three months of grade-level equivalency loss per summer," said Julie Galambos, owner of True Potential, a home-based tutoring service. "When tallied over a student's elementary years, the loss is equal to two full academic years by the end of Grade 8."
For those students who struggle or having learning disabilities, they may already be behind students their age when it comes to reading ability. Typically when a child needs an assessment for a learning disability or a reading problem, they wait for a two year difference," she said.
So a child, say in Grade 2, wouldn't be assessed for a learning disability because their reading ability can't be compared to a kindergarten student. Problems with reading aren't identified until later on and sometimes students fall through the cracks. Catching it earlier in age is always better since it gives the child more opportunity to be learning at the same level as other students. They may continue to fall further and further behind. "Sometimes, it's so far gone that other students are reading to learn, not learning to read," she said. "Students in the same grade may be working more on comprehension ... it can create a big catch up."
After high school, Galambos went to college and then worked as an Early Childhood Educator for about 12 years. She then decided to return back to school in 2002 and received her bachelor's degree from Brock University in child and youth studies. She also worked at Brock as a teaching assistant in the learning disabilities, diversity and development and child development courses.
Her studies and background working with children, prompted Galambos to open her own business in January. She offers free consultation for parents and their children and has a one-on-one tutoring program designed specifically for the needs of the individual child.
Some of the common areas of focus for children with reading difficulties include: phonemic awareness, helping the child to understand the sounds letters make; blending, where some students have difficulty with joining letters together to make smooth sounds; fluency, the rate or speed of reading; and comprehension, problems understanding what is being read.
"I offer very structured one-on- one tutoring, it's really about drilling it in and getting them focused," she said. And she always makes sure reading is fun for the children it helps to keep them focused and wanting to come back for more. It's based on fun," she said. "I give them stickers, prizes and challenges. It gives them a reason to work hard. A lot of parents know that trick."
This summer, there is hope for those children with learning disabilities or children who just sometimes struggle with reading research has shown that if children read for pleasure in the summer, even as few as five books, their acquired skills can be maintained, she said.
Galambos is offering one-on- one tutoring throughout the summer. For parents who just want to help their children to start reading over the summer, she offered a few tips. The first tip to get kids to put down the game controller, MP3 player or walk away from the computer, is for parents to read with their children. "Allow your child to select an age appropriate book and read it together," she said. It's a great way to be a good role model and to spend time with kids, she said, all while giving them some encouragement and offering help when they have trouble long the way.
"There's lot of ways to get your children reading," she said. "If you're planning a trip, have them help plan the route, read the maps or help with the itinerary. You can also bring books in the car or have a book on tape or CD." Another way to engage a child in reading is to start a book club where both the parent and child read the same book, then discuss and ask questions.
"The more children read during the summer, the more success they will have in September. For children who struggle, summertime is especially crucial ... ongoing practice is the key to reading success."
Maggie Riopelle
7 July 2009
