I'm going crazy, dh is mad, and ds turns 10 in Jan and doesn't give a hoot if he reads.

I've tried several different things. Hes just not picking it up. He can do some simple things of course ....Read and write ... mom, dad, Jeremy, Jacob, Samantha, I, Love, You, cat, dog, the, grandma, we, a, ect ...

But come on he is almost 10, he should be reading pretty much everything. His cousin the same age just finished the last Harry Potter.

We've tried 100 easy lessons, hooked on phonics, workbook type books.

Should I just start weekly spelling tests? Hoping he will learn to read the words at the same time he learns to spell them?

Can't afford anything expensive. I don't really have the money to start buying stuff right now.

I kept thinking he'd get interested in / the "want" to read and "pick it up" then... but nope he doesn't care if he ever reads.
But if I "make him" he gets up set because he can't and crys/has a fit.

We are going to start school around the 20th so I need some freah ideas.

First off - I wouldnt feel too bad if your ds cant read yet. My oldest taught herself at 10 & my 2nd learned at 10 too. Both of them are very intelligent children, it just wasn't important to them to read earlier. The hardest thing for me was that some peers can be unkind when they have known how to read for years & your child doesn't.

Otherwise, are you sure that your child doesnt have any learning diabilities or anything? If he is getting upset & says he cant I might be worried about dyslexia,etc. Just a thought.

I think the most important thing is to be calm & not judge your child.

I just got a book from our charter called the Writing Road to Reading - I haven't even opened it so I cant say if its good or not, but you might be able to check it out from your library & see if it works for you.

Good luck! :)

I have wondered about a learning diabilitiy.
He does know all the letters by sight, writes them correct, and knows the sounds they make, he can sound out words.

Like the hooked on phonics .. We do a lesson, he can read the book... while we are doing the lesson. But he doesn't keep everything ... say two weeks later you give him the same book and he looks at me like I'm crazy.

But then there are some words he does remember how to read and spell.

He is starting to write some words (like one sentance on each page not always spelled right, but trys ykwim) on books he makes ... most the time its just lots of detailed pictures.

Thats why I'm wondering if spelling it is the trick.
I thought I could restart the hooked on phonics, and have him learn to spell the words in each section/book as we go.

He does well on everything else.. science, math, history. We do scince and history based on what he wants to learn about... LOL Although I've been wanting the Story of the World book.

I feel bad though because my 5 year old wants to read and is picking everything up fast. At the rate hes going he wil be reading better than Jeremy by Christmas.

I'll recommend just one book and it's for the parent/teacher. :)

http://www.timberdoodle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1012

If there's a strong lean toward a kinesthetic learning style, reading (skill or desire)doesn't seem to come naturally.

The wiring on a kinesthetic child is so different that really, figuring out the processing style is just as difficult for me as I'm sure reading is for my daughter. I try to remember this when we arrive at moments that teeter on tears.

As much 3 dimension HANDwork seems to be key. Writing letters/words in sand, making them out of playdough, writing with blocks instead of a pencil, even using a keyboard help the learning along.

At this age, it's worthwhile to sit down and have an honest chat about learning to read. Waiting for will or child-led probably won't happen. The indifference he's exhibiting is probably masking fear and feelings of failure. Open up a dialogue that's candid, frank and reassuring. Set out a plan *together* that is firm but flexible.

While drafting your plan, it's important that he has an "out" if lessons get to be too much. Not to be abused or overused just a keyword or gesture that tells YOU that his brain isn't getting it today and it's ok to take a breather until tomorrow.

My daughter is quickly approaching 9 and is really a pre-reader. We recently had this heart to heart and I'm witnessing REAL progress in just the last month. A REAL attempt on her part to figure out words in her surroundings.

NOW...tell me what he's really good at. :)

Katie

What about appealing to his personal interests? Like getting him comic books with his favorite characters. Magazines that deal with his favorite subjects/hobbies. Even coloring books have things to read in them. Dover has an excellent collection of coloring books (not babyish) that have writing on each page and they cover many subjects.
Sounds like he's just waiting for the right thing to interest him. Perhaps these ideas might make it seem less like "work" to read.

I agree with Katie as well, this is our experience, Corbin can't deal with setting down to learn to read, he needs something that's more 'play' then 'work'...I was getting so fed up with trying to force him to learn to read, 100 EZ, then Saxon Phonics, etc...but he was getting so mad, and so was I...we then switched gears (our IST told me to back off of him or I'd make him hate reading before he even learned ROFL)...and I got this book, I think it's called 'games for reading'...and it made a HUGE difference for both of us...he LOVES playing the games, and doesn't realize that he's reading!

I hope it goes well for you and you find what works for him!! I'll try to remember, once we get started to kind of toss in some ideas that are working for us...if I don't...remind me! LOL.

One I specifically have found that he LOVES, is we too 33 index cards, I wrote 11 sentence beginnings on some, 11 middles on others and 11 of them with sentence endings, then we mixed them up according to thier category...and turned them face down and he got to draw one from each pile, and it made really silly sentences...and he found it ENJOYABLE...we started with VEEERY easy words, then moved up as he got comforitable...but it was these kinds of things that spurred him to look forward to it rather than cry before we even set down!!

NOW...tell me what he's really good at.

Science.. He prefers anything to do with animals, mainly reptils and fish.
He picks up all the little things, that most people don't care about... how they hunt/eating habits, social skills/how they live, types of body parts/extras they might have, things like that.
Also likes the some history mainly Egypt/King Tut/ that type of stuff.

Oh and he likes space. I got lots of cool things from NASA ... Free you only have to pay shipping... I got ALOT for $4. Posters, and pictures ...

He likes to watch Animal Planet and Discovery. I let him watch, because he seems to pick it up better than if I'm telling him. LOL I try to watch sometimes to, but some of that stuff is boring.
The Library keeps a few of the learning movies.

We get the Missouri Conservation magazine ... Free if you live in Missouri.
He like that, and I can use them for mini lessons/ideas.

LOL We got our first issue of Nick Jr today. Not my best idea of good/learning reading. But I found a deal online for $3.25 a year. Still need to look through it myself.

When we went to the eye doctor. They had this backyard bird magazine. Been watching for an affordable offer on it. It was really neat.

Hoping to try and get to the zoo before it gets to cold/but not 90 out. We live about two hours from St.Louis .... one of the few free zoos left in the US.

Dover ..I'll try searching and see what I can find. He likes to draw and color.

Thanks

Oh and he likes space. I got lots of cool things from NASA ... Free you only have to pay shipping... I got ALOT for $4. Posters, and pictures ...

Linkie?? I have a space nut child too. :monkeydan

Their main site is NASA Main site (www.NASA.gov)

Link to the teacher section (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/index.html) Lots of stuff... don't think I'd ever have to buy anything to teach about space, they have lots, and lots of free info.

To order free stuff (they also have printables in the teacher area)
NASA Educator Resource Center (ERC)... Find the one for your State
http://education.nasa.gov/about/contacts/ERCN_State_Listing.html

There will be a link to your state website.
In Missouri ... I'm guessing each state would have the same stuff/offer.
*VHS videos are $2.50 each ... I'm hoping to get some when we have the extra money.
* Posters, lithographs, bookmarks, Educational Programs,CD-ROM`s, Slides, Educational Guides, ect are free (you pay shipping)
*They have some things they lend out... you just pay shipping both ways.

Everything I have gotten is very nice... well yk how NASA photos are.

I noticed that the Rainbow Resource catalog has a section just for the older (ie, not kindergarten) person learning to read. Even if you can't afford anything now, might not hurt to see the different stuff out there, learn something about the various approaches to teaching the later-learner to read.

And one thing that's motivated my later-learner *was* the little sibling passing him by. I worried beforehand that it would hurt his self-esteem, but I just was matter-of-fact that we all are different and move at different speeds, and seeing his little sis devouring books really spurred him on. So go for it with the little one!