My 7-year-old son is a very good reader, but when it comes to writing he rushes through it, is often messy and doesn’t have the attention span to write as much as he should. He really does not enjoy it. Many children show similar habits, but how do you know if it’s an issue that needs intervention? How we can help as parents?
nyparenting.com gives some helpful tips.
What if your child just doesn’t like writing?
Not liking to write doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem. Work together with your child’s teacher to figure out if there really is an issue, and if there is it’s most likely related to one of these causes:
• Reading and writing are tied closely together. Good readers are usually good writers, and vice versa. Is your child currently reading on grade level?
• Can he talk about what he knows but cannot express it well in writing? He is losing points on his work because of an inability to state what he knows in writing.
• His writing is unreasonably slow. He is writing a couple of sentences when other students are writing 10 times that number.
• He is trying to pack too much information in a single sentence.
• He is a perfectionist trying to write the perfect sentence or paragraph.
• He is easily distracted after writing for a short period of time.
• He avoids writing — even using it in social media.
• He makes a lot of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar in his writing.
How about a child that exhibits poor reading comprehension? For example, they read a short story and moments later can’t remember or explain what they read?
Here are some things nyparenting.com suggests that you can help your reader with:
• Preview a story and then read it to your son, or have him read it to you. Before reading the story or part of a story, ask him to find the answer to a question about the setting, characters or problems that the characters are facing. This will help him learn to focus more on the content.
• In order for him to learn how to read school textbooks, teach him the SQ4R study technique, which is explained in great detail under “SQ4R” on our website, www.dearteacher.com. It involves surveying what is to be read, writing questions to be answered, reading content, answering the questions aloud and then writing the answers and finally reviewing what has been read. Because this technique involves a lot of steps, your child will need to practice it many, many times to master it. If you use the technique with him, he will master it faster and quickly see the advantage of using SQ4R.
What if you suspect a learning disability?
Remember that children with learning disabilities often have normal IQs. The issue lies within the brains ability to process and use information.
“They could have an auditory processing, visual perception, communication or other disorder. There is no one description that describes all children with learning disabilities.”
The first step is learning all you can about learning disabilities. Nyparenting.com suggests these websites for good information: LDonline at www.ldonline.org and the National Center for Learning Disabilities at www.ncld.org.
Next, work with your child’s teacher and ask for a formal evaluation of your child.
Lastly, your child will be observed in the classroom and should receive a psychometrist test. The results will help determine if your child has a learning disability and if he qualifies for special education services.
