Reading strategies for struggling readers

Third grade reading


Children who are having difficulties with their school reading curriculum will learn the skills they need to move ahead using this program. Many very bright children are left behind by a school curriculum that fails them. These same kids thrive when they are taught using the Reading Kingdom's comprehensive 6-skill system. The program is also fun to use and success-based, which converts bored and resistant readers into enthusiastic ones. Additionally, the Reading Kingdom works well with children who have dyslexia, ADHD and other learning disabilities.


Struggling readers


If your child is struggling with reading you may have received the common, well-intended advice "to be patient". We do not think you should wait if your child has problems with reading - which is the single most important skill he or she needs in life. Even if your child's skills were to even out in a couple of years, during that lag, your child is steadily comparing himself or herself to peers and is coming up short. The damage to morale and self-esteem cannot be overestimated.


Why not offer your child every opportunity for success? There is no advantage in waiting for things to clear up and every advantage in helping your child succeed right now. The Reading Kingdom will ensure your child learns the skills he or she needs at the appropriate pace.


Children with learning disabilities


While the Reading Kingdom has been designed for children with typical abilities, children with learning disabilities can definitely benefit from it. As a prestigious government report acknowledges, 80 percent of children with learning disabilities are in special education "simply because they haven't learned to read." They are "instructional casualties and not students with disabilities." [Source: U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.]


Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)


Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder that leads to impaired language, communication and social skills. According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 1 in 88 children in the US has been identified with ASD – this is up 78% in the past decade. Tragically, the majority of children diagnosed with ASD never gain the ability to read with any degree of fluency or utility. Children with ASD frequently have difficulties with spoken language. Since reading typically follows spoken language, it is generally assumed that written language mastery is even less attainable than spoken language. These views are reinforced by traditional teaching of reading which relies heavily on having the children speak (via sounding out, reading aloud, answering questions, etc.). In reality, written language, with its grounding in vision, often holds great appeal for children with ASD, and they are frequently able to successfully learn to read and write – when given the correct teaching materials. We have released a program for children with ASD. It is called ASD Reading.


Dyslexia


The Reading Kingdom is highly beneficial for children diagnosed with dyslexia. The system has been designed to teach a range of skills vital to reading but omitted from other programs. Many of these skills are precisely the ones that children with dyslexia need to develop. For example, the children often have problems with visual memory so that even when they have seen a word many times, they do not recognize it. The teaching of visual memory is a key part of The Reading Kingdom. Other features of the program address the specific language deficits associated with dyslexia, such as the notable difficulties the children have with the "little" words such as there, who, of, etc. The Reading Kingdom steadily builds the skills children need to become fluent readers and writers.


Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)


Children with ADD typically blossom with use of the Reading Kingdom. Central to the children's problems are difficulties in being diligent with "boring" activities. That's why their spelling is often so weak and inconsistent. In a single paragraph, a child may write a word like night in several different ways (e.g., nite, knight, niet). As the name of the syndrome tells us, the kind of attention to detail that spelling requires is very challenging for them. But if the children are to progress, it is vital that they develop a reasonable level of diligence. This can be achieved through small, clear, manageable activities that never leave the children feeling overwhelmed which is precisely how The Reading Kingdom sessions are constructed. They are also designed to minimize error so that children consistently experience the success that keeps them eager to learn.