Who can I talk to about my son's reading problems and lack of help from the school?

Question

Our son, who is in grade 6, has always struggled with reading and avoids it like the plague. Some of his teachers say he is about average with reading and writing in his class. He gets over whelmed with reading and struggles to read something that is even a page long. He also has very poor writing skills. Some teachers won't even give him additional help or time. Now that he is going into jr high we are more fearful he will be left behind that much more. What future does he have? Is there someone or somewhere we can go for help?

Answer 1

start with the principal, his physcian, and the school pyschologist.  turn the TV off at home and encourage reading -does he read aloud to you or others??  consider an alternative school such as charter or private for a more specialized education.

Answer 2

After all the years in school I bet not ONE person at school has EVER mention him getting help thru special ed services, right??

It just APALLS me that schools just let kids just go on by without helping them at all.

Legally, the ONLY way a school is obligated to help with a childs problem is that the child has to be in special ed or have a 504 plan.

If a child does not have either of these, the school doesnt' have to do a thing.

The first thing you need to do is write a letter to the district special ed director like this

Dear (name)                               Date top of letter!

This letter is to request an initial full educational evaluation testing in all areas of suspected disabilities to  determine if my child can qualify for special education services as specified by IDEA law.

My child is (name) in (grade) in  (teacher) class at (name of school).  His problems are -

(here list all problems, but by law you don't HAVE to)

I understand the district must have my written consent in order to perform this evaluation. Please consider this letter my written consent.

I also understand that the district has 60 days from the date of my written consent to have the evaluation completed and hold an eligibility IEP meeting.

I am requesting a copy of the evaluation report with all scores included at least 5 days before the eligiblity meeting so I can be an informed member of my childs IEP team to make informed decisions for his education.

Thank You

NOW, keep a copy of this letter for yourself. They will probably tell you that you will have to wait till next year- ILLEGAL

They will probably tell you NO they won't do it at all - ILLEGAL

They will probably tell you that your child will have to go thru their 'intervention team program' before this evaluation can be done - ILLEGAL

They will probably tell you that your child will have to have a 'screening' done to determine if he can have the evaluation done - ILLEGAL

If they tell you ANY of these things, the next legal step is to file a formal state complaint with your state dept of education for violation of IDEA law  300.503

Answer 3

find a sylvan learning center.  if test scores are ok, the school wont help you.  reading problems arent the same as learning disabilities.  get a tudor.

Answer 4

Sounds like a learning disability and he should have some testing done.   Get yourself a parent advocate and they will tell you what to do.

Have  his eyes tested --this helped my nephew.  Go to someone good and tell them your concerns.

My son is 13.  I home school him now because we got tired of dealing with the school and the runaround.   Puberty will be coming up soon then you have their moods--part of being a kid-- to deal with so it's good you act on this now.   Offer a special treat after the testing.

Our son tells us that when he reads a page he forgets what he reads!    I'll ask him to write 24 down and he writes 42!  Grammar and spelling---yikes!  He struggles with this and I have to consult an expert--this is going to be expensive--so it's good you still have him enrolled in school.

I found public school appalling, really.  These kids just get passed from grade to grade.   You caught this at a good time.

Good luck with your problem!  I 'll think of you often.

Edit:   At least you know you are not alone.  The fact that the school says he is average in reading and writing means that he is intelligent!

Answer 5

Hire a tutor (Sylvan Learning Centers, etc,a teacher needing extra money)....as a parent you have to be willing to sacrifice your own time in order to help your child develop in areas of weakness...  Teachers can only do so much.   He will have much success if you provide him more learning tools. If you do not, he will become miserable to live with and be around, Everyone's  life will go on but he will become stagnant, possibly withdrawing so much and internalizing his frustration he will drop out, and worst case scenario, not be a productive individual in society...just another angry, uneducated young man. He  will have to start off with the basics and it will be hard and it will suck but it is necessary, phonetics, ABC's... etc...because you provided him the  opportunity  to be in a judgment free learning environment where he can focus, will mean the world to him later on and to you as well...

Answer 6

Start with a speech pathologist. They should be able to help you.

Answer 7

Contact your local "Area Education Association" or AEA.  Tell them your concerns, they can arrange independent testing from what his teachers are telling you.

Answer 8

I would call the school and ask if they have an RTI team.  At our school it's called TST (teacher support team).  In Illinois there must be six weeks of interventions by RTI before a referral can be made to special education.  That would be my first course.  If that option is not available I would ask that he be placed into a Title 1 reading program.

EDIT: I'm just stating the  policy for the district and special ed coop I work for.  Our coop will not take a referral unless interventions have been tried.  And also it is not illegal to not do the evaluation.  It just has to be addressed.  The team can determine that an evaluation is inappropriate at this time.  I'd be glad to provide a copy of that form, which I've signed once this year.  In addition, the 60 days is 60 school days, so the evaluation may not be fully completed until the beginning of the year.  Testing MAY by done in the summer, but it's impossible to *force* team members to meet in the summer.

Answer 9

Put your request in writing to have your son tested for special education. Date it and submit a copy to the principal and one to the teacher, with an additional copy sent to the special needs director of the school system if your son is in public schools.

If not, start with the director of the local school system. Public schools have to test even home schooled or private school students.

The school may insist on RTI (Response to Intervention). You must insist that you want testing to run concurrently with any academic interventions. If the teachers are worth their salt, they already differentiate instruction (which can be interpreted as interventions) and their grades should serve as measurement of your child's improvement, or lack thereof.

Learning disabled boys in reading and writing experience difficulties that you have described. To read for one hour is as physically exhausting for a learning disabled student as a five mile hike.

Answer 10

Maybe he is better at school with his teachers and worse at home because you give him extra attention when he does poorly.  Try getting him into fiction books that will really interest him.  My nephew recently started reading sci -fi books and now he loves reading and his grades have drastically improved.  I know it may be hard to hear, but try to focus on his positive aspects.  You ask what future does he have like you are worried he will be a janitor or something.  I like the post about getting a second opinion.

Answer 11

Finding a tutor would be your best bet.  Sylvan Learning provides tutors but it can get pretty costly.  Check your local listing (phone book, internet, etc...) for educational help/ tutors.  It might be benificial too if you schedule a meeting with the school principal and let them know what your problem is.  Alot of times the school will know of a tutor or program your son can go to.  It also shows them that you're concerned for your son's education and it's a way for you to vocalize your concerns about his teachers.  I think that it is pretty crappy that his teachers can't find the time to help him.  Sounds like you should mabe look at different schools.

Answer 12

Hi.

I am from the UK, so I am not totally conversant with the age level of grade 6, although I presume it is about 10 years of age?

The thing with literacy and it is what most people forget is that it is dependent upon thorough development of spoken language, particularly sensitivity to rhyme and alliteration, syllable structure, onset and rime of words and in general, being conversant with the sound system of English.

If your son is struggling, then the first place I would look would be for some discrepancy here!  It is usually a problem with some aspect of processing the spoken word, which causes problems with reading and writing.

Hope this helps.

http://www.snowdrop.cc

Answer 13

Try my website on him for 15 minutes.

www.geocities.com/carjug

Write me at carjug att yahooo dott comm. I want to know if he reads aloud for meaning.

I observed a lot of kids in North Carolina schools who were in the same boat as your Son. It was sad to watch their time being wasted by an uncaring school community.

Comic Books.

Nonfiction. Whatever he wants.

Go to the Library with him.

Books On Tape. These work wonders.

Shop online with him for something he wants.

Answer 14

You will have to be proactive

Go to school and be assertive (not aggressive) and let it be known you want help

See, the squeaky wheel still get the grease

If push comes to shove, go to your school board, starting with the member(s) serving your area--but don't just jump to this stage!

You have the "no child left behind" in your corner

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=no+chil...

Answer 15

I agree with some of the other answerers who suggest requesting a special education evaluation through his school. I would also suggest talking to a school counselor. I am wondering how long your son has been struggling with reading and writing because I know around 6th grade( as adolescence kicks in)  there are also other issues that could be playing into this.