PARENT TO PARENT

Q: My son is in the sixth grade and is hearing impaired with ADD. We are homeschooling for the third year. He has always been good at deciphering and spelling, but reading comprehension is poor. We are using a program for corrective reading comprehension, but I am interested in finding something more. Do you have anything specifically for that? Do you have sample lessons on reading comprehension on your website? Is there anything I can use to further his knowledge of phonics? I know you have different levels in your program, but I don't know where to begin since he does know a little and is good in deciphering and spelling.

A: It sounds like your son is already past beginning reading skills. Phonics is the beginning - the base that all other reading skills build on, but not the complete set of skills necessary to become a proficient and independent reader. Also, since your son is good at spelling, it sounds like the intermediate skills are also mastered.

I am sorry to say that we have not yet put up lessons for comprehension at our website, although we are constantly working on it and hope to have information for you soon. In the meantime, here are some lessons I use at my tutor center quite successfully.

I have found that, with most students who can read words but lack comprehension, the problem usually lies in vocabulary development. This problem becomes severe at the junior high level, as comprehension expectations shoot up. Many children don't know how to define words properly and have not connected synonyms in their own minds.

You can very easily check to see how your son does by asking him for synonyms for 'big' and then for 'small'. He should be able to come up with at least five for each, with little effort. If he has to stop and think hard to name more than 2 (once you are sure he knows what a synonym is, of course), this is a skill he needs to work on.

Second is properly defining a word. Most students have no idea how to do this. Ask your son to define a word (a noun is best, it's easiest) and see if he gives a proper definition. For example, 'table' - a piece of furniture with a flat surface that you eat from (or something like that). Most students give examples, not definitions, or find the object and point to it, or use the word in a sentence, but generally don't understand what a real definition is.

You can combine learning both definitions and synonyms in one lesson, help your son build a good, working vocabulary, and teach general learning skills that will help him all the way to the S.A.T.!

Start with simple words your son is familiar with, and demonstrate definitions. I take the time to discuss the difference between an example, using the word in a sentence, and a proper definition: The proper definition will describe the term, what it does, etc, but does not incorporate the word itself.

Have a dictionary on hand for yourself (and perhaps your son if he wants). Look up each word the two of you define, for alternative definitions.

'Bat' is a good example. If your son says it is a stick with which to hit, I would suggest he be more specific and say it is a stick with which to hit a ball (as opposed to a sister or something), then point out that a bat is also a flying mammal.

If your son says a bat is an animal that flies, I would agree, add that it is a mammal, then point out that it is also a stick to hit a ball with. The trick is to add to his definition without "correcting". Remember, he is not wrong if he defines the word, you are just showing him other options. If your son uses the word in a sentence or gives an example, point that out. I usually tell my students they have given a good example, or created a wonderful sentence, but we still need a definition, and continue letting them try to define the word. Watch carefully for frustration. If your son becomes frustrated, demonstrate by giving the proper definition, then try another word. He will eventually learn the difference between an example and a definition.

Don't forget to make it lots of fun. When students at my tutor center need to define a word then put it in a sentence, I insist they make a sentence about something in their own lives, or something ridiculously silly. As 'mom', you'll be able to tell if his sentences have real meaning to him or if he's just making up something to "get finished". It's a lot more fun to allow the imagination to run.

For example, a young boy at my tutor center was defining verbs. Every sentence he wrote was, "I like to (verb)." I promise you, he learned nothing. I had him redo his definitions, then use each word in a sentence that told about an event he had actually been involved in. His ability to remember the definition of the words increased dramatically.

Once your son is comfortable with defining words, get a thesaurus. From this point, vocabulary building is a matter of efficiency. Let's face it, nobody likes those definition drills, so have him define his word, then list three synonyms and one antonym - in this way, he has, in one fell swoop, defined five words altogether. Also, considering how quirky the human brain is, this is a good insurance policy. I may need to know what a word means, but have no idea - but if I know a couple of synonyms, and know the definition of one of those synonyms, then I can figure out what the word means. This is also true with antonyms - if I know a word that means the opposite, then my word means "not" the one I know, and I have defined it.

Finally, to review the basic phonics rules just go to the Valder Systems website at www. ValderLearns.com, "grab" the rules off the six free lessons, and make sure he knows them. If he is comfortable with all his letters, basic blends, silent e rule, etc. then he needs to move on, his phonics skills are fine. There are more advanced rules for sounding through words, but these are generally considered spelling rules. There is also further information on reading comprehension, including how to use punctuation to increase comprehension.

I would like to add that, since your son is hearing impaired, he may have difficulty distinguishing between similar sounding words. Be sure to enunciate very clearly for him (as I am sure you already do) and have him read out loud to you as much as possible. Make sure he is pronouncing words correctly and not mixing them up with others that sound almost the same.

Best of luck, Michele

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