My son is in the 2nd grade and he can't comprehend what he reads...How can I help him?

Question

I put my son into reading intervention and make him read for 15 to 20 minutes every night. But, that is not working. He is not ADD or ADHD. He his good in math but when it comes down to asking him questions about what he read....his answers are all wrong.

Answer 1

Do you read to him? He needs you to read to him while he follows along. Ask him questons as you go like "What do you think will happen next?" and "why do you think he did that?" "what would you have done?" The more a child is connected to a text, the better he comprehends it. Try asking some questions that kind of set the scene for reading. For example if the two of you read MARY POPPINS together, you could ask him to tell you aobut his favorite babbysitter and why he likes her and what kinds of things they do together. This helps him conncet to the text. Also, when you read together, stop reading when there is a predictable word or repeated text next (like the I'LL Huff and I'll puff part of three little pigs). Help him use the pictures as clues. He will begin to model his reading after they reading you do together. You can read only books that interest him--but are too hard for him to read on his own. This helps keep him interested and motivated.
For his 15-20 minutes let him read to you on his level and TALK ABOUT WHAT HE READ. Ask him about the begging, middle and end of the story. Ask him what the problem in the story was and how the problem got fixed. Talk to him about the characters and setting. Ask him if he would tell his best friend to read this book and why. Ask if he had written the story or drawn the pictures what we he have done differently.
Also, let me APPLAUD you for taking an active part in your son's education. Keep working with him and let him know how much reading helps you in life. Let him see you enjoy reading (even if you don't) so he knows it is ok to take time for that.

Answer 2

This sounds like a reading comprehension problem or maybe a little dyslexia. Some kids come around later than others.

My son was in exactly the same boat. A real whizz at math and I swear, he seemed brain dead when it came to reading. He would write some of his letters backwards but 35 years ago, they didn't test the kids like they do now. All of a sudden around grade 4, his buddies were into a game that required that they read scenarios and write their scenarios out. That was the motivation he needed and now he's teaching at a local community college.

Sometimes I think that if we don't make too big a deal out of it, just by day to day exposure, the young one comes around. Sometimes if we harp and fret over it, our reaction becomes the focal point for the child and the anxiety that stems from that impedes his progress.

Give him a chance. As long as he keeps trying, I'm sure he will overcome this.

Tell him "Good luck" from me....it's nice to see a parent take a real interest in their child's progress. Bless you.

Answer 3

I have a reading comprehension disability. Forcing him to read more will just frustrate him more and make him quit trying. He needs someone experienced in working with reading disabilities who can help him learn to read differently than other people do. Most reading interventions only encourage reading in children who can but won't read. He needs specialized help.

I had to re-learn to read, slowing down and concentrating on each word. I could read aloud and get every word right, but when I was finished I would have no idea what I just read. With the help of a wonderful teacher who specialized in reading disabilities, I learned how to cope with this problem. I am now a children's author. With the right help, he can overcome this too.

Answer 4

HA HA HA...We went through the same thing last year. It takes tons of work and patience. We've been told that boys are typically slower than girls. The typical thing that each kid learns at his own pace.

What helped us was going to the local library, getting some EASIER books and having our boy buzz through those. Gradually build up towards harder and harder books. This helps build his confidence about reading. Pre-read the book yourself and ask questions after each page or section. 'What color did the boy say the bird he wanted? How many times did the girl knock on the door?, etc.' Things that made our son aware of the words.

After all that, some summer school he is at least reading at grade level right now. We continue to work and push him with his reading comprehension. Good luck to you and just try NOT to get frustrated and continue working with him.

Answer 5

If his comprehension is poor then he obviously needs to work on the basics more. Has his teacher given you any suggestions?

Does he have a firm grasp of letter sounds? Can he blend the sounds together to put together the words? Or does he struggle with the basic phonics?

Maybe he gets overwhelmed if there are too many words on a page? If that is the case, it might help him focus if you covered up the rest of the page and only revealved a few words at a time.

Do you remove distractions so you know he is focused on the work?

Has he ever had his eyes checked?

Answer 6

I had the same problem when I was in the second grade. Hooked on phonics worked for me. lol It works well, try it. I couldn't read for crap, but did well in spelling, but just months after my Mother had me use hooked on phonics, I was doing great. Then when I got into the 5th grade, my teachers were surprised because I was reading on a college level. (Try having a 10 year old read the Scarlett letter, or some of the older classics.)

Answer 7

Maybe what he is reading is not interesting to him. I would suggest finding something that is exciting to him, like a mystery, adventure or something funny, to help improve his comprehension skills. I sometimes read the first chapter of a book to my kids to get them interested and let them take it from there. My son loved Magic Tree House mysteries, but they may be a little advanced for 2nd grade. Captain Underpants books are easy and funny. My kids love to read as long as it isn't required reading for school.

Answer 8

Try putting him in a reading program offered by places like the Sylvan Learning Center. They are professionals who can pinpoint your son's strength and weakness and set up a plan to better his reading skills.

Answer 9

Try talking with the teacher or special ed teacher about whet they think is the problem and let them test his reading skills. Our school recommends "Hooked on Phonics" and you can actually buy it in stores now, not just order it. Take him to the library and let him pick out books that look interesting to him..Maybe read it to him, while he follows along...good luck to you...

Answer 10

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