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Tips for Parents: When the Teacher Recommends Reading Help

Oct 24, 2019
 
 

Research shows that students who read over summer break end up boosting their reading skills, while those who do not, often slide backward, losing up to two months of what they learned during the school year.  This is why teachers always encourage students to read as much as possible over summer break. But if your last parent-teacher conference came with a specific suggestion—to get reading support during the summer months—you are likely considering one of the following:

 

1. Reading more with your child, taking on the role of “teacher” yourself

2. Hiring a “reading specialist” to tutor your child 1 or 2 times per week

3. Joining a library reading challenge for extra practice

4. Enrolling your child in a reading camp

5. Doing nothing—because perhaps reading has not yet “clicked” for your child

 

Any of these options can seem like a good idea, so it can be hard to determine the right solution for improving your child’s reading. Rest assured that many parents of primary grade students share this dilemma. With the precious summer months and hopes for a better school year at stake, it’s important to make the right plan for summer learning.

 

What your child needs for success

Reading is an integration of processing skills: word attack, sight word recognition, contextual fluency, oral vocabulary, and comprehension. For many students, a cause of reading difficulties is weak symbol imagery—the ability to visualize letters in the mind’s eye. The connection of imagery and language is necessary for sounding out new words, as well as for recognizing letters and common words. This difficulty can prevent students from accessing school curriculum as quickly and accurately as their peers do. Students who read fluently, and are able to self-correct their errors, are exhibiting strong symbol imagery. Learn more about symbol imagery and solutions for reading difficulties here.

 

Traditional reading camps and tutoring programs focus on content-area instruction, spelling, and reading rules. They may also touch on a variety of reading strategies. While these activities have value, they will not address and improve the underlying cause of a reading difficulty—thereby stretching the issue into the next school year.

 

And, unfortunately, practice does not “make perfect” for students who struggle with reading. While reading with your child and frequenting the library are excellent activities for all families, neither activity will improve reading if there is an unaddressed weakness.

 

Enough help to make a difference

Even great learning programs can be ineffective if they are not conducted with enough intensity to actually change learning. If a child falls behind peers in reading skills, intervention has to decrease the learning gap by increasing the rate of learning. To increase the rate of learning, students need the right diagnosis and the right instruction, in the right environment. At Lindamood-Bell’s learning centers, our daily, intensive intervention commonly results in years of gain in just a matter of weeks of instruction.

 

Learn more about intensive instruction, including a video featuring a parent’s perspective, here.

 

Beware of the “summer slide”

Questioning the teacher’s advice about summer help altogether? You’re not alone. Parents may wonder if a child’s reading is truly unsatisfactory as compared to his or her classroom peers. Or, they may wonder if it would be better to take a total break from schoolwork.  

 

When a teacher has indicated that a child could benefit from reading help, she has likely considered these factors, and more. For many students, two months away from academics can lead to measurable learning losses in skills—which, of course, is not what any family wants to be faced with at the start of the upcoming school year. The summer slide effect hits struggling readers harder than their peers; so, if your teacher has identified an issue, your child may be at risk of starting school even further behind.

 

The first step of a great plan

If you or your child’s teacher are seeing signs of a possible reading difficulty, or you are concerned that reading hasn’t yet “kicked in,” you need to find out why and discover that there is help. A learning ability evaluation uncovers the strengths and weaknesses that impact  learning. At our learning centers, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses that may be affecting school, and we can make recommendations for an individualized instruction plan.

 

Ask us about our Complimentary Diagnostic Screening for Learning. This free screening takes twenty-to-thirty minutes, measures your student’s reading and comprehension skills–and includes a consultation with our Center Director. The information you’ll receive can help answer questions about school performance, behavior, frustrations, homework issues, and expectations.

 

A few weeks at one of our learning centers can make reading a strength before the next academic year. Your child can become a better reader in time for school and have plenty of time for a great summer break.

 

In this video, a father shares his daughter’s struggle with learning to read and the success she found when they came to Lindamood-Bell:

 

 

Go here for a list of our locations, including our seasonal, summer-time learning camps. We look forward to helping you plan for summer learning that will make a difference for your child. 

 

Double Bay: (02) 9328 7119 | Chatswood: (02) 9410 1006

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Lindamood-Bell Academy provides personalized learning that is tailored to each student’s needs. Enroll now for special savings.
➢ 25% off a month of tuition
➢ $500 off Summer Learning in reading, comprehension, or math.
Get details at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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#lindamoodbellacademy #privateschool #personalizedlearning #customizedlearning #lindamoodbell
This summer, you can count on Lindamood-Bell to help your child stay on track and reach their amazing potential. Our fun and effective instruction is evidence-based and tailored to each student's needs. Your child can return to school with stronger academic skills and new confidence. Enroll now for special savings on the first week of instruction! Hurry, summer spots are filling fast! ⏳
Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Lindamood-Bell summer instruction helps students catch up or get ahead in Reading, Comprehension, and Math—in a matter of weeks. Visit our website to learn about a summer program for your child. Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Hurry, summer spots are filling fast! ⏳

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#lindamoodbell #dyslexia #dyslexic #testimonial #summercamp
Join us this summer—our learning centers are hiring now!
We’re seeking energetic, positive individuals who want to make a difference for students. The Clinician(Tutor) role includes paid training in our evidence-based approach. View our open positions and get started! Link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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#lindamoodbell #nowhiring #hiring #summerjob
Lindamood-Bell Academy provides personalized learning that is tailored to each student's needs. Enroll now for special offers.
➢ 25% off a month of tuition
➢ $500 off Summer Learning in reading, comprehension, or math.
Get details at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Lindamood-Bell Academy is a school designed for your child! Our individualized school curriculum and evidence-based instruction are tailored to your student’s needs. Enroll now for 2023-24 and receive 25% off a month of tuition!
Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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#LindamoodBellAcademy #LindamoodBell #EnrollingNow #privateschool #PersonalizedLearning #Dyslexia #ADHD
New Podcast Episode!
Lindamood-Bell’s Director of Research & Development, Paul Worthington, shares valuable insights into common dyslexia misconceptions, peer-reviewed interventions, and the latest research. Listen and subscribe at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial
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#lindamoodbell #dyslexia #scienceofreading
June is National Pride Month. Join us in celebrating the contributions LGTBQ+ Americans have made to the nation's culture, history, and collective knowledge. The Smithsonian commemorates National Pride Month with events, resources, and podcast episodes that tell diverse Pride stories. Follow the link in our bio to visit their website!
Imagine your child going back to school with better skills and new confidence!💪
Lindamood-Bell summer learning helps students catch up or get ahead in Reading, Comprehension, and Math—in a matter of weeks! ☀️📚
Find your local learning center at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Hurry, summer spots are filling fast! ⏳

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#lindamoodbell #dyslexia #dyslexic #testimonial #summercamp
Looking for a summer job where you can make a difference and gain valuable experience? Our learning centers are hiring now! The Clinician (Tutor) role includes paid training in our evidence-based approach. View our open positions and apply today. Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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#lindamoodbell #nowhiring #hiring #summerjob
At Lindamood-Bell, we believe that all individuals can be taught to read to their potential—including those previously diagnosed with a learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Visit our website to learn more about common dyslexia misconceptions, the latest research, and how Lindamood-Bell summer instruction can help your child. Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
Our free webinar is now available on demand. Lindamood-Bell's Director of Research and Development, Paul Worthington, shares valuable insights into common dyslexia misconceptions, peer-reviewed interventions, and the latest research. Watch now at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
New Podcast Episode!
Lindamood-Bell for Schools Director of Development, Dave Kiyvyra, is joined by Heidi O’Leary, the Director of Special Education for Maine School Administrative District 75. They discuss how the district successfully implemented evidence-based literacy instruction. Listen and subscribe at the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial
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#lindamoodbell #specialeducation #scienceoflearning #dyslexia #teachersofinstagram #scienceofreading
Lindamood-Bell Academy provides individualized school curriculum and evidence-based instruction. The Academy can be an ideal setting for students previously diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning challenges. 
Now enrolling for the 2023-24 school year! Follow the link in our bio, @lindamoodbellofficial.
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#LindamoodBellAcademy #LindamoodBell #EnrollingNow #privateschool #PersonalizedLearning #Dyslexia #ADHD
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