My daughter is 6 and is frustrated with learning to read and math skills...need suggestions?

Question

I have bought workbooks for math and reading, and have practiced with her and we read 2-3 books everyday sometimes more. She has her own library card and we check out books all the time. She gets frustrated with sounding out words and often guesses instead of trying and she cries thinking that she's not as smart as the other kids at school. In math she is not bad she is having trouble with adding and subtracting bigger number. Are there any good learning programs that anyone has had success with that they could recommend, I am only six years in here and this is my only child, I know she is only in the first grade is this normal, I just want to make sure I do everything in my power so that she can feel successful in what she does. Help!!

Answer 1

Have you tried taking her to the doctor? She could have a form of Dyslexia which is:

Dyslexia is a term that has been loosely applied to reading disabilities. Specific definitions for dyslexia vary with disciplines. Those in medicine define dyslexia as a condition resulting from neurological, maturational, and genetic causes, while those in psychology relate dyslexia on the basis of the specific reading problems evidenced and give no reference to causation. All disciplines would probably agree that dyslexia is evidenced by persons of otherwise normal intellectual capacity who have not learned to read despite exposure to adequate instruction.



How Is Dyslexia Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of dyslexia usually begins with an awareness by parents or teachers that a problem in reading exists. A physician is often the first diagnostician to explore the nature of the difficulty. The medical practitioner should investigate the cause of the reading problem by conducting a complete physical examination and obtaining a comprehensive health history. If indicated, the child should be referred for a neurological examination. If dyslexia is suspected, the physician should refer the child for further evaluation and treatment by a specialist in psychoeducational diagnosis.

The major purpose of the diagnostic process is to isolate the specific difficulties associated with dyslexia and to suggest appropriate educational intervention. Usually the diagnostician will employ a battery of assessment instruments that explore the relationship of specific reading problems to the intellectual, achievement, perceptual, motoric, linguistic, and adaptive capabilities of the individual. Based on the results, an intervention plan can be implemented by a special educator or remedial reading teacher trained in specialized reading techniques. No one remedial reading method works for all reading disabled students. Therefore it is important that the teacher have mastery of many different techniques.



What Are Some Of The Characteristics Of Dyslexia?
An individual is identified as dyslexic when a significant discrepancy exists between intellectual ability and reading performance without an apparent physical, emotional, or cultural cause. Common findings in the history include, but are not limited to: (1) family history of reading problems; (2) a predominant occurrence in males (males to females 8:1); (3) an average or above average IQ and, not uncommonly, a proficiency in math: (4) no enjoyment of reading as a leisure activity; (5) problems of letter and word reversal; (6) developmental history of problems in coordination and left/right dominance; (7) poor visual memory for language symbols; (8) auditory language difficulties in word finding, fluency, meaning, or sequence; (9) difficulty transferring information from what is heard to what is seen and vice versa.

Specific reading problems associated with dyslexia include difficulty in pronouncing new words, difficulty distinguishing similarities and differences in words (no for on), and difficulty discriminating differences in letter sound (pin, pen). Other problems may include reversal of words and letters, disorganization of word order, poor reading comprehension, and difficulty applying what has been read to social or learning situations.



What Factors Contribute To Dyslexia?
Ocular Problems
Several reliable studies (Helveston 1969; Blika 1982; Keys 1982; Hiatt 1984) have found that dyslexic individuals have no greater incidence of eye problems than do individuals with normal reading ability. Such parameters as visual acuity, stereo acuity, ocular alignment and motility, fusion status (break point amplitude), and refractive error have not been shown to be significantly different in poor versus normal readers. Individuals with reading problems should, however, have a careful eye examination as part of an overall medical examination. There is no scientific evidence that visual training (including eye muscle exercises, ocular tracking or pursuit exercises, or glasses with bifocals or prisms) leads to significant improvement in the performance of dyslexic individuals.

Language Problems
According to Mattis (1978), the primary contributing factor to dyslexia is an auditory language deficit. Approximately 86% of the individuals identified as dyslexic evidence an auditory language disorder that prevents the individual from linking the spoken form of a word with its written equivalent. In light of this, any individual with reading problems should have a careful evaluation of his or her language capabilities and where indicated, appropriate speech and language intervention should be provided.

Visuo-Spatial-Motor Problems
In contrast to language problems, visuo-spatial-motor factors of dyslexia appear less frequently (Robinson and Schwartz 1973). Approximately 5% of the individuals identified as dyslexic have a visuo-spatial-motor problem that interferes with sequential organization, scanning, and the perception of temporal and spatial cues. Although visuo-spatial-motor confusion is common in young children who are just learning to read, these problems do not tend to account for severe and persistent reading difficulties unless the child has missed so much basic reading instruction that he cannot get caught up. Assessment of visual, spatial, and motor capacities should be included in the diagnosis of any coordination or orientation disorder; however, there is no scientific evidence that interventions such as neurological and sensory organizational training, laterality training, dominance training, balance beam, or reflex inhibition will significantly accelerate reading performance.

Other Factors
The importance of general intelligence in learning to read has been examined and shown to be a critical factor in both reading and language abilities. Investigations of the role of dominance in handedness, eyedness, and mixed laterality have produced no consistent conclusions. Studies investigating low birth weight, EEG abnormalities, temperamental attributes, attention deficit disorders, birth order, food additives, and chemical allergies have yielded mixed results. What is clear is that a wide range of factors can be associated with reading difficulties but that these factors work differently in different children. There is no simple formula for diagnosing and treating a dyslexic child. Each one requires his or her own individual program.




Keep in mind she might not have this problem or if she does it could be mild. Talk to her doctor and he can help you find out the problem.

Answer 2

Just reassure her and let her know she is doing a great job, learning takes time. Have you spoken with her teacher? What does S/he think of the situation. If she is having trouble with the books you are reading make sure they are age appropriate, or perhaps even try books aimed below her age that way she can feel successful, this will boost her confidence and that will inturn help her to improve.
Sounding out the words is only one way of learning to read, guessing the word is fine, when she does this encourage her to look at the pictures for clues as to what the word might be. My daughter started school this year, every night they bring home a book to read. When the very first book was sent home it included a letter to the parent explaining how to use the home reader.
Step 1: look at the book with your child, discuss the title and the pictures. Discuss what the story is about.
Step 2: Read the book to your child.
Step 3: Let her read the story back to you. Do not worry about correcting mistakes and use the pictures for clues when she is struggling.
In regard to sounding out words, there are some 220 words that make up a thing called the Dolch Word List, you may have heard of them as sight words. Some of these words are on the list because they do not sound as they are spelled, they are also the 220 most common words that appear in written text. A child can learn to recognise and read these words by sight.

www.kidzone.ws/dolch/kindergarten.htm

this is a website that lists the dolch words. It includes lists to print, flashcards and activities to help your child learn these words, once she has learnt these reading will eventually become a much easier task.

In regard to math, it sounds like she is doing ok. Learn counting in ones, twos, fives and tens. Use coloured counters to practice sorting into colour groups and number groups and let her use the counters to work out sums as this may help her by visualising the thought process. If you are still really unsure the best person to speak with is her teacher.

Answer 3

Don't put her in a special class. She is only 6 and her brain is still developing! You wouldn't put an infant in a special program if it didn't roll over at 4 months....give her time to blossom into a good reader. Remember it was just 2 years ago that she learned how to count to 10!! Math and reading take time and practice to learn, that's why it is taught throughout elementary and middle school.
It sounds to me like your daughter is not motivated right now. The transition into first grade and the new and more difficult material can be very hard for 1st graders. Just keep practicing reading like you are (maybe even get her easier books that you know she'll be able to read, that way she'll feel confident and what to learn more).
Just remember to start out small and work your way up. Start with reading the letters of the alphabet, then learn the sounds, then learn what to letters sound like together, then learn how to read "cat" and "dog", etc....
Same goes for the math. Just keep explaining it to her in short and simple sentences. Use a real life example (if I have 10 apples, and I buy 3 more, how many do I have? And let her count them herself).
Just always remind her that she is smart and give her incentives and rewards to learn them. Motivation is the key! If she is motivated, she will learn.
Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Reading: There is a book that I love to work with kids that age with. It's Dr. Seuss, "Fox in Socks". I have taught countless K-6 grade children to read with that book. It starts off with a warning that the book is dangerous.... kinda sets the tone, and is then filled with tongue twisters, that avid readers who like to read fast get really bogged down on. It is dangerous for adults.... but for the person just starting to read, it is pages upon pages of pictures with words that start with different letters but end with the same sound. Fox, socks, box, knox.

In addition I highly recommend the "Bob" books series. http://www.bobbooks.com/
Bob books give a beginning reader a good sense of accomplishment because each book is very short and starts very easy.
One of the things that you must remember as you teach your child to read, is that reading is only fun, when its fun. I am sure there are some really nice astrophysics books out there that if I picked up and started to read, I would not have a clue as to what they were saying, I would have to guess at the pronunciation of most of the words, and quite frankly I wouldn't care anyhow.... therefore I would never finish reading them. Your daughter is in the same boat. If she is reading at a level below what she is being asked to read, she will find it hard to figure out what the words are, will be frustrated easily, and won't finish the book. That's where the Bob books come into play as each book flows into the next so easily the child will not realize they are learning to read.

As for Math, there is really only two things. The concept, and then the memorization. Once the concept of addition is gathered, then its all about memorizing that when you see the phrase 5+7 you think 13. This works throughout math, all the way to finding the first derivative of X squared. If your daughter has the concept of adding, then flashcards are probably the best memorization tool that I can recommend. When my daughter was having difficulties with memorizing addition, I did try some computer problems like "Math Blaster" and others. They did not seem to help anything at the time, flashcards were best.

Answer 5

Whatever you do, make sure you help her to laugh through this whole process. There's nothing wrong with where she's at as long as she has a good attitude about herself. You're doing just fine, don't worry.

Watch PBS programs designed to help kids with reading and math. There are also some moderate to great computer programs that can really help make this fun, but some programs are limited or confusing and it's hard to tell until you've already paid for it. Try asking her teachers and other parents for recommendations before you buy. As far as I know, Leap Frog makes good products and they won't take over your computer when your girl studies. I find any computer program gets kids motivated to learn in a way that others don't. The game format relieves tension and helps them learn more easily.

The main thing is to be consistent and motivating without stressing her out. Have fun and be sure to give her a little space when she knows how to use the program/toy. It's nice to be near each other, but don't hover too much so she won't always feel like she has to perform for you. This way she can ask for help when she needs it, but her "work" will become more of a personal goal that is fun for her.

Good luck and Have Fun!

Answer 6

Try Putting Her On The Internet. Seriously There Are Tons Of Sites That Help With Reading And Math.

Answer 7

Try to make learning fun. There are tons of activities that you can do that are not pencil and paper. Scholastic has some great teacher resources that could help you out with ideas. Also, do some pair/share reading. Read along aloud with your daughter at bit slower pace for you and a bit faster for her. When she comes to a word she doesn't know, don't make her sound it out, you just keep reading. This is one strategy. Since she is so young, she may still not have fully developed phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is her ability to hear and manipulate sounds. Rhyming games are good for developing phonemic awareness. If confidence is a factor, there are things that you can do to boost that as well. Does she have younger siblings? If so, choose an easy book that you know she can read and have her read it to her younger siblings. This boosts her confidence as well as having her practice fluency, which a component to good reading skills. If nothing works at home, discuss it with your daughter's teacher. There are programs that she can be placed in at school to help out. Most schools have a Title I reading program and some have a Title I math program. Don't let her get too frustrated. You want her to WANT to learn.

Answer 8

First of all I want to congratulate you for being patient and caring for your child. I think you've done the possible and is aspiring now for suggestions how to make your child read and not be frustrated by it. As a mother , a Kg and grade school teacher; I tell you children starting to learn are showing signs of frustrations, but if the sounds of the alphabet was given to them properly, then they will not have much frustration as the one who's only guessing and memorizing the words. My Kg children are being taught the sounds properly and clearly. I am also doing Phonetics with them; likewise we are reading simple sentences and a simple story book. It starts from simple and then it progress to more words and vocabularies. Get a separate copybook for her to put all the words she can't read and revise it with her all the time. I also give my KG and grade 1 children entertainment in words; like spelling contest, game words and computer games which are exciting for them. We also watch entertainment video ; films for children or cartoons and music too; they need to get this sort of things too to help their imagination. There must be a wholesome atmosphere. I suggest that you divide time for all of this. In Maths, there are actually techniques in adding and subtracting bigger numbers. I suggest that you get a very exciting mathematics book for your kid. Likewise, your reading books. More power to you and hope you'll child succeed in her reading.

Answer 9

1. Read to her 15 minutes a day (This is time that you read to her, not time that she reads to you.)

2. let her play games on the computer from websites such as: www.pbs.org or www.sesamestreet.org or www.noggin.com.

3. talk to her teacher - find out what method she's using to teach reading/math to your child. (phonics/word chunks/whole language, etc.) If you don't think that method will work for your child, get her transfered to a different teacher. Otherwise, use the same words to describe the learning process at home as she learns at school. (my daughter's teacher asked the kids to sound out words and try to spell them. It didn't matter if they spelled the word wrong. The teacher wanted them to be able to hear the sounds at the begining/end/middle of the word. Learning the right letters for that sound--esp which vowels--came later).

Answer 10

There is a reading program called "Jolly Phonics" that worked really well with my son. It uses pictures and actions to help children learn the different phonics sounds. Their website is at
http://www.jollylearning.co.uk/

The school that they used it at taught 3 year olds to read. A number of students who didn't join the school until 1st grade and were behind in their reading skills managed to catch up very quickly using the program. It is fun and it allows the children to experience success in reading and get excited about it.

It really is a wonderful program. If you decide to try it, I hope it helps! Good luck!

Answer 11

Ok. Get something like numbers or beans and make her solve the problems by subtrating or adding them. For ex: 5-4=? ok so you line up 5 beans and tell her to take away 4 beans and ask her how many are left and for reading teacher her the vowles A,E,I,O,U and the sounds of the letters if that does not work brake down the word.