I Don't Understand

[SmileyPR]

I have a boy at school who has a lot of difficulties to read. He is the only one who still doesn't know all the basic letter sounds (consononants, short vowel sounds, sh-ch) and he needs one to one help to read simple sentences to work out bending.

 

The thing is that he is the one who fears less when challenged to write about his drawings. He might not use all the letters, yet he tries his best and makes good attempts. He is the 2nd youngest in my Reception class (will become 5 next month).

 

Then, I have other children who can read, even with fluency, but who are more 'insecure' at the hour of writing.

 

Why does this happen?

[Marion]

I think some children get hung up on 'doing it right' once they realise there is a right and wrong way of spelling it makes them afraid to try.

[SmileyPR]

But I always tell them that we are all learning, that I don't expect them to do it 'right' . I praise them a lot for all their attempts. I even tell them that the rubber/eraser is our best friend because we can make up for our mistakes .

 

If I am doing something wrong, I do want to improve so I can help them better. What else can I do?

[Guest]

Have you seen the ideas on 'Speech teach' Smiley? Although it says they are for speech therapy there are some good ideas for reinforcing letter sounds -here's the link:

http://www.speechteach.co.uk/p_resource/sp...peech_intro.htm

[Marion]

I don't think it has anything to do with your teaching Smiley (in fact Im sure it doesnt) sometimes it's home expectations and sometimes it seems the children themselves feel that it has to be right.

[Inge]

Not just the children, can be from parents too.

[SmileyPR]

Thanks, kermit21, for the web link. I will surely take a look at it as soon as I can .

 

Thanks also, Marion and Inge, for your insights. Indeed, I have also noticed that in some children.

 

Can you imagine that one of the children told me after the Christmas holidays that he had been studying his "Reading Tests" during the holiday ? WHAT TESTS??? I see a lot of pressure in some cultures, a lot of competition.

 

In another case, I have a child who sometimes covers up his mistakes acting like a clown, trying to be very funny. He had some difficulty in body control and I worked that a lot during P.E. lessons, which has helped in even in other areas. In this case, the parents don't seem to be the ones pressuring him... although his mum did tell me that there had been a time when the boy's grandfather did expect a lot from the child. At the beginning of the school year, this boy used to say: "I don't want to do that" everytime he just feared he couldn't achieve his expectancies. He doesn't say that anymore ! The job is not finishe, by it has advanced quite a way .

[Guest]

I know this is an old post - just wanted to offer my empathy. I have a little girl in exactly the same situation (just resloved to the fact she isn't ready yet) although the powers that be mean I will be trying to find ways in which to engage her learning the sounds and linking them to reading and writing. I do think she just needs a little more time to develop in maturity though (she's a bright spark with lots of personality!)

I can't help it (I appologise beforehand) but i loave, detest and hate the idea of rubbers being used unles in specific art activities eg. rubbibg and drawing into charcoal with them.

I've watched my niece (5 years old) play with her etcher-scketch. She gets me to sit beside her and role plays writing and then rubbing it out. I guess she's picked this up by the amount of mistakes she's made at school. (she has limited language & therefore cannot explain what she is doing)

I think they breed a fear for making mistakes and sometimes it is the mistakes that we as teachers can help children children to learn by. I'd rather teach it's o.k to make a mistake and not reinforce the need to 'cover it up' or erase it!

Hope I haven't offended

Skylight