Summer with Raising Readers

We are in countdown mode at my house! Yeah for Summer! Two regular school days and early-dismissal to go bowling on Wednesday. We've loved our first year at Eastwood! AG was crying the other day because the school year was ending. HP, on the other hand, is counting the days just like his Mama! Speaking of HP, he'll be my guest blogger this week. He's reading the first book in a new series by Rick Riordan. Details to follow! (He has to finish the book first.)

This Summer I'll be tutoring and hosting some Art and Reading Enrichment Camps. Tutoring will be at my house on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I only have 2 slots left, so let me know if you're interested. I'm super-duper excited about the Art and Reading Enrichment Camps at Eastwood! Susan Parker and I have been perusing books that would be appropriate and interesting for a variety of ages. It's going to be awesome! If you're interested in tutoring or camp, give me a call.

Happy reading,
Susanne
334-451-0917

Art and Reading Enrichment Camps

Abrakadoodle and Raising Readers are teaming up this summer to provide Art and Reading Enrichment Camps.

Are you looking for a fun, educational activity for your child (open to all K-6th graders) this summer? We are integrating literature with related art activities to inspire lifelong reading and imagination. A variety of books will be used to develop creative writing skills, reading comprehension and artistic expressions. Using art to demonstrate comprehension of literature is an indication of higher-order thinking. Spaces are limited.

When: June 15, 16 & 17 from 9 am-12 pm
July 13, 14 & 15 from 9 am-12 pm
July 20, 21 & 22 from 9 am-12 pm

Where: Eastwood Christian School
1701 East Trinity Blvd.

Tuition: $180 per session,
$30 deposit to hold your child’s space,$150 due first day of class

Contact: Susanne Estes
334-451-0917
raisingreaders.estes@gmail.com

Quantity, Quantity, Quantitiy

I have the pleasure of talking with concerned Mommas, Daddies, Teachers and Grandparents EVERY SINGLE DAY. It seems each family has a child that is struggling with reading. Here's the advice I give them. Read. Read a book. Read a magazine. Read a newspaper. Read a graphic novel. Read a cereal box. Read. Read some more. Your child should be reading every single day outside of the classroom. Your child should see you reading. Make sure your child is surrounded by books that interest him. Give your child the opportunity to buy or check out books. I know you want your child reading "War and Peace", "Little Women" and other valuable classics. However if she's not interested, let her start with Henry and Mudge, The Dish Series or My Weird School. The key with getting your child interested in reading, building fluency and increasing comprehension is quantity, quantity, quantity. It is not quality. I love to give book recommendations. If you're looking for some book recommendations for a specific need, please email me. raisingreaders.estes@gmail.com

Happy reading,
Susanne

How is your business going?

I've had many friends and family ask me about my business. So, I thought I'd make a blog post to let everyone know: IT'S GOING GREAT! I'm happy to report that my schedule is almost maxed out. I can only accept one or two other students right now. More importantly, though, I absolutely love it and I feel like I'm meeting the needs of children and their parents. They are constantly affirming our work. It is such a blessing to see these students recognize that I'm on their side. One of my students even told AG I was "cool"! How funny is that? I had another little one thank me for teaching her to read. That makes my heart smile! Just yesterday, one particular guy had a break-through. He asked me how many books he could borrow. He'd never willingly read a book before. Finally, I got this sweet note from a mama:
I am so grateful for you - I feel like I have a partner in this now and it feels very good to be proactive. Anna had so much fun at the session last week and I like that she knows that we are doing whatever it takes to help her as much as we can. I have told everyone about how much I appreciate your ideas - everything you have said makes so much sense to me and makes me feel like we are on the right path. Friends, this is a direct quote. All I did was change the name of the child. How sweet! Thank you for inviting me into your hearts and lives! I feel like I'm your partner in raising these precious readers.

Happy reading,
Susanne

Determining if a Book is Too Easy

Do you remember the story of Goldilocks? She tried various chairs, beds and porridge to determine which one was just right! Well, today I'm going to tell you about the Goldilocks Rule. That's how we can determine if a book is just right! There are two concepts to consider: is this book too hard or is it too easy? In a previous blog, I shared the "5 Finger Rule". This helps you determine if the book is too hard. How can you tell if the book is too easy?
1. You've read it multiple times in the past.
2. Do you understand the story without thinking through it?
3. Can you pronounce and define each word?
4. Can you read with fluidity without practice?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may need a book that's a little more challenging.

As a librarian-teacher, I'd always like to see a reader erring on the side of a book that's too easy, instead of a book that's too hard. Also, with struggling readers I always bring down their reading level. Even if it means reading 2 grade levels below them. It's only temporary and can offer lasting results.

Happy reading,
Susanne

Recurring theme in struggling/reluctant readers

Over the last few years, I've worked with hundreds of readers. There is a common theme in all of the struggling and reluctant readers: confidence. You may have seen this problem in your child, but don't know how to help. In my experience there are a few things you can do to develop confidence in your reader. The first and most important way you can develop confidence is to bring down their reading level. If your child is in third grade, check out second grade level books. If that doesn't work, bring it down to first. The key to remember with reading is quantity, quantity, quantity. The quality is of lesser importance. Your child can read educational or classic books in the future. Our goal is to get your child reading right now. When I work with children, we always work below grade level. When I see significant progress, then we'll move up a grade. The next way to develop confidence is affirmation. This may seem basic, but it is imperative. When you see your child working hard on their reading, compliment them. You can also find little ways to affirm them. You can make a chart with stickers and when a certain number of stickers are earned, they can get a reward. I don't recommend a high dollar item. These items can cause too much pressure. The key is relieving pressure~ not adding to it. Finally, develop confidence by exposing your child to something he's familiar with: hunting, skating, cooking, Disney World. It is always easier to understand something if you have a baseline of knowledge. As I've mentioned before, encourage your child to read aloud to a stuffed animal, younger sibling or family pet. The more time they spend reading out loud, more fluent reading will develop. If you have specific questions about confidence in your struggling or reluctant reader, please call me. 334-451-0917
Happy reading,
Susanne

An update on Raising Readers

I hope y'all are staying warm on this cold, cold day! We've got Spring Fever at the Estes house. We are starting to make plans for warmer weather and I wanted to let you know how Raising Readers fits into your summer schedule. I will be tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting May 27th. On the occasions that we will be out-of-town on those days, I will schedule makeup sessions during the following week. If you have questions regarding Raising Readers, please call me!

Happy reading,
Susanne
451-0917

Two Easy Ways to Help Your Child With Reading Comprehension

One of the primary struggles in reading is comprehension. There are two easy ways you can help your child develop comprehension skills. The first way is called foretelling. In foretelling, the child will study the book cover, title and any introductory pages containing pictures. Then, discuss what he thinks about the content of the book. After each page, chapter or section ask the child what he thinks will happen next. It's ok if he is wrong. The key is to help your child develop contextual and visual cues about the text. Typically, children do not embrace this in the beginning. You will have to lead them through some ideas.

Another way of helping your child develop reading comprehension skills is through retelling. In retelling, your child will tell you what has happened in the story. You can retell from the whole book for general ideas. However, I think the most effective is to combine whole-book retelling with retelling of a page or chapter. This will only work if you are familiar with the book. You want to help your child discern important facts and concepts.

For an example, I will use foretelling and retelling from the book, "Barry The Bravest Saint Bernard" by Lynn Hall. Looking at the cover I see a big dog, snowy mountains and a man being pulled out of the snow by a dog. What is the dogs name? What is he doing? What is the man doing? Where are they? If your child is hesitant to answer, start with easier questions. Do you see snow? Are they at the beach? Is the dog mean? Is the man happy? Next, after you read the first few pages ask some conceptual questions related to foretelling. What do you think Barry will do to help people? Are the robbers going to hurt the monks? Next, you can use retelling. Tell me about Werner and Barry. Tell me about where they live. Why do the monks have so many dogs? Anything you can do to get your child to discuss concepts of the book.

In the beginning, this may be a little difficult for you. However, you must remember these skills will help your child develop cues to help with reading for a lifetime. These cues will help them in testing and personal reading. I use these strategies with every child I tutor during each session. Even if children have strong comprehension, it is still a worthwhile activity.

What is a customized reading plan?

There are a variety of ways I can work with children. In each situation, individual needs, interests, aptitudes and deficiencies are evaluated. The primary areas of consideration are fluency and comprehension. Fluency is the ability of the child to recall correct pronunciation of a word. Comprehension is the ability to recall facts and concepts related to a reading passage.

I have a multitude of activities to develop fluency. If it's related to spelling words, we will play "Memory" each week. In addition, I will give the parent a copy of the words in a large font and I'll show them how to cut out each word to enhance differentiation of letters. I have cards with two letters printed on them. The child is given letters to "fill in the blank". These are just a few of the manipulatives that can be used to inspire your reader while making it fun.

When developing comprehension, books are used. I attempt to find books that would be appealing to the child. (Each parent fills out an information sheet prior to the first session.) I will read a portion of the book out loud. We will practice "foretelling", using text and pictures to determine what will happen next in the text. At the end of each session, I will ask questions related to concepts and facts in the text. Finally, we will discuss favorite aspects of the text. The next session, we will review what happened previously by asking the child pointed questions. Depending on the situation, the child will be asked to read aloud. This isn't usually done in the beginning because many struggling readers are self-conscious reading aloud.

I will use some of these activities to customize a plan for your child. In addition, I am happy to work with their classroom teacher to develop related activities. If you have any questions, please call me. 334-451-0917

Happy reading,
Susanne

A listing of books I'm reading right now...

I thought I'd give y'all a peak at the books I'm reading right now. I'll give you the title, author and a brief summary.

Knowing God, by J.I. Packer: I'm reading this book for a ladies Bible study. It is a pretty easy read but incredibly full of depth. I highly recommend this contemporary classic to anyone!

Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches, by Russell D. Moore: My sweet friend Joy Portis recommended this book for me. An eye-opening book about the need for Christians to adopt. As you may know, my husband works in a ministry related to foster care/adoption. This book has been incredibly validating for me as my husband's biggest supporter.

Raising Fit Kids in a Fat World, by Judy Halliday: Since my kids don't have a regular PE/Health class, this book is helping me teach them some concepts related to using our bodies in the way God intended.

The Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn, by Ridley Pearson: Harrison and I are working on the second book of the Kingdom Keepers series. It's an adventure-fantasy about a group of children that are attempting to save Disney World from the "Overtakers". It is a l-o-n-g book, but we are loving it. It would be most appealing to kids in grades 3+ that love Disney World or are planning a trip to Disney World.

Hotel for Dogs, by Lois Duncan: My kids loved this movie! (Scott and I thought it was a snoozer.) So, Anna Grace and I are reading it together. It is very cute and much, much different than the movie. Any age child would enjoy this book.

Chronicles of Faith: Paul, by Barbour Publishing: I'm reviewing this biography series intended for middle to upper elementary. I will give a full review in the upcoming weeks. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

January's Sparrow, by Patricia Polacco: I was at the library and just couldn't resist this book. I will give a full review in a couple of days. She is one of my favorite children's authors!

Teaching Struggling Readers, by Carol A. Lyons: The subheading of this book is equally as fascinating, How to Use Brain-based Research to Maximize Learning. Well, this one is no surprise. I'm reading this book to help me find ways to help struggling readers.

Well, there you go! Eight books that I'm juggling. Each one is so different. I must confess, I'm enjoying each one. I try to take a book with me everywhere I go. So, whenever I have some down time I can catch up on my reading. However, after documenting them for y'all I realize I've really got to finish up some of these...

Happy reading!
Susanne

Raising Readers

Imagine the value of a customized reading plan to help your child develop his or her comprehension, fluency, confidence and interests. It's available to all students and the first session is free. I am a former classroom teacher and librarian offering my training and experience to help your child learn to read appropriate materials for their grade level. I will conduct a reading inventory to determine reading level and areas of interest. Activities with read-alouds and manipulatives will be utilized during each session as well as any special activities from the classroom teacher. After the initial free session, you can choose 1 half-hour session per week for $25 or 2 half-hour sessions per week for $40.

I am passionate about inspiring readers and welcome the opportunity to speak to parent groups or homeschool networks. Call me at 334-451-0917 for additional information on this or other tutoring needs.

Determining Appropriate Reading Levels

Each student has three different reading levels: Independent Level, Instructional Level and Frustration Level. It is helpful to know your child's reading level to assist with their reading development. I provide an informal reading inventory (QRI-4) to help find these levels.

The independent level is the reading level in which the student reads without assistance. The student should be relaxed, reading with fluency, free from finger pointing, reading with 90% reading comprehension and displaying word recognition at 98%. The independent level is the level to use for pleasure-reading.

At the instruction level, the student can read with assistance from the teacher. Reading may be less fluent at this level, but there should be rhythm and expression. Accurate word recognition should be at 95% and reading comprehension should be at 70%. Classroom materials are likely to be chosen from this level. Concepts and words will be introduced which may be unfamiliar. The instruction level necessitates interaction with the teacher. Ideally, the instruction level will be (at a minimum) on the child's chronological grade level.

The last level, frustration, is a rather obvious level. The student is unable to read the material with accuracy or comprehension. The student will display tension, lack of fluency and minimal word recognition. This level should be avoided by teachers.

If you are interested in having your child's reading level tested, please contact me at raisingreaders.estes@gmail.com.

Happy reading,
Susanne

Tutoring Service

If you’re looking at this blog, you’ve gotten a sneak peak of my new business. I am creating a business that focuses on “Raising Readers”. I hope to tutor students that need help with reading. I will not “teach reading”. I hope to inspire reading ~ there is a huge difference.

Typically, students will come to my house or the student’s school (depending on the location and circumstances) in 30-minute blocks. The first meeting is complimentary and will be a time of evaluation. Then, students will come once or twice a week. Each week, the first block is $25, the second block is $15. Once a month, I will meet students (and a parent) at the library in 15-minute increments to help pick out books. This will be a casual time and it will be free. I will be available by email and phone to give recommendations at other times.

I hope to work with students from a variety of schools and homeschool families. With homeschool families, I can work with your curriculum as appropriate.

Finally, I hope to speak at parent meetings (MOPS, homeschool groups, etc.) and offer practical ways of encouragement from home.