Y5 still not readingwell

[Frikadellen]

We had parents evening yesterday for dd3 who we have for a long time been aware of is not reading.

Her target is to get to level 2A in reading and level 4B in math.

Obviously a huge difference there.

She has had hearing and eyes checked. (wears glasses but +1 and only for reading) & currently we are going towards getting her assessed for Autism.

I personally do not believe she is autistic & I am getting very concerned that the school is somehow " boxing" her in over this. I will do the assessment it is simpler to go there but it feels like yet another box tick.


She is highly sensitive to sound and I know find it difficult to be in loud situations.

She is very uncomfortable with being marked out to be different to others.

Hated being taken out of class in Y 3 &4 to go to additional help.

School is currently trying to resolve this by taking her with a few others to a separate table in class with a SEN TA to work with them. She seems more comfortable with this.


When asked why she is unable to read. She says things like "Books are boring" "Words are my enemy" She detests phonics I suspect because she has had them done over and over and over. Is unwilling to read for me at home(huge melt downs over it) however will read for daddy (who is only here at weekends) and occasionally for older sister. (however she is very dyslexic and struggles with her own homework so it is unfair to ask this of her too often)

We had some success last year with getting her to read for her stuffed rabbit however her dependency on the rabbit is wearing off and this year she is not comfortable with this at all.

Last night I suggested when talking to SEN that perhaps what we needed to look at was not teaching her phonics but going the oldfashioned route of letters. SEN seemed completely perplexed of this idea. I feel that we know Phonic's is not working for her and have gone over and over so it is time to try something new.

I would like her to see a therapist however school is not convinced it is as simple as a mental block.

For the last year she has been taken to a additional learning place for 1 2 1 time with a tutor. when with this tutor she can read ORT books level 8-9. Due to DH being made redundant earlier in the year we have had to stop this as we simply do not have the £100 a month to do so.

We live in a Grammar school area and she wants to take the 11+ (next year) My concern is I know she is intellectually capable however at the moment this doesn't come through in her reading.


I am at a loss as to what to suggest and what to do to help her.

I should add English is not my own first language and I am dyslexic myself . Home schooling is not an option (I know I would be appalling at it - and she has good friends at school)

[Frikadellen]

seems everyone is as stumped as I am

[Mangomanila]

probsight be interested in the 'tinsley house thread' (parts 1-4). My DS (age 6) has dyslexia issues, emotional outbursts and was terrified of Loud noises. We did audio integration training (he had hypersensitive hearing in one ear). This has sorted the noise/stress issue.

I also noticed DS had eye tracking problems (losing place when reading, can't catch a ball) and convergence probs (bringing eyes together to focus)- hard to copy off board etc. These can be sorted with a program called 'engaging eyes'. We are about 7 weeks in and DS can now catch a ball and read more fluently. These eye probs are v common in dyslexics.

We have also gone gluten free which seems to have lifted a bit of 'brain fog' within a couple of days. Can now learn spellings! And a bit more 'with it'.

Hope some of this helps

[Mangomanila]

Oops- sorry for typo at start! Should have read 'you might'

[Frikadellen]

Where is the Tinsley house thread please?

She doesn't have problems catching a ball nor have any of us noticed her loosing her place when she reads.

She is not dyslexic in the " traditional" sense of the word. She is able to recognise phonics and letters. Doesn't seem to have issues turning the letters around. However I am aware that dyslexia now is deemed a child who is slower than average to read so from that view she obviously is.

[Mangomanila]

This is the newest thread-
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/1882021-Tinsley-House-Support-Thread-Part-4

And this was the originalwww.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs/a1407629-Tinsley-House-Support-Thread

You may need a few days to read through them all, but there might be a similar story in there.

The basic idea is that stimulating parts of the brain which may (for whatever reason) be underdeveloped through (non invasive) exercises can improve emotional/social/learning ability.Eg. the left and right side of the brain not communicating properly)

Not guaranteed to work, but worth investigating?

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

There is a very useful book called Dyslexia by Dr Valerie Muter and Dr Helen Likierman that covers both dyslexia and other learning difficulties. It might give you some pointers.

[frazzled1772]

Is she good at learning whole words from sight (as opposed to sounding out words) if she can read ORT level 8 then she must be learning somehow.
How's her writing/ spelling?
How's her comprehension?

[Shootingatpigeons]

Frik Dyslexia is a term for difficulties with reading and spelling but there are a range of Specific Learning Difficulties, including Dyspraxia and ASD. No two people with Specific Learning Difficulties will be the same. I have two daughters who are Dyslexic but not in the same way at all, indeed one learned to read very quickly because she has a photographic memory which compensates for her other memory and processing difficulties. Susceptibility to sensory overload is a feature of Dyspraxia as well as ASD. I am afraid too many SENs don't fully appreciate the diversity in symptoms of SpLDs, and try to put everyone into neat boxes. We have only just discovered at 17 that my DD is dyspraxic as well as dyslexic, and yet when we look at the symptoms it is a clear explanation for so many of her problems. Hopefully a Psych Ed assessment will identify your DDs exact difficulties (and strengths). Is that what the assessment you mention is? Or is it a medical assessment of ASD.

[Frikadellen]

I am sorry I didnt check this again just saw now/

I am dyslexic myself I have an older daughter who is and my brother is 2 uncles and on dh's side his late brother was.

I do belive I have a very good understanding of what dyslexia is. I do not belive this is dyslexia in the " traditional" sense of it.

I am well aware that it is now viewed differently to when I was younger and that was why I said she obviously was according to this.

She has been tested for Dyspraxia they say no.

I got on very well with the past Senco I am not confident in the present and feel she has her own agenda on how it ought to be done and when (gently challenged) she will agree with you and then just ignore it and do what she wants to do.

We do not feel Phonic are working and suggested we try word recognition She agrees to this (2 weeks ago) but then yesterday i went to a meeting and she has drawn up a plan using phonics again insisting they are important.

On the plan is also " read every day at home" I have spent the last 3 years communicating about the school on how she has a complete melt down when i attempt to do this and to once again get the " oh this is so important talk" just frustrates me It is also important she doesn't dissolve in tears over homework. I can do any other homework bar reading with her and I will not force that issue. DH reads with her every weekend (but not home in time during week to do so)

She is getting tested for autism. however the process is slow. Oddly we were told the hearing test would be slower however that came through in a week we are still waiting for the other test.

[Frikadellen]

Forgot to say she has already had a Psych Ed assessment and well not a great deal came out of that apart from the fact that Psych Ed insisted they move her up in math as she is excelling in that but they were keeping her down due to the reading.

Psych Ed is nice enough but despite going on about not wanting to box any in seems overly keen on doing just so. Additionally she misquoted both myself and dd's teacher in the report . & amusingly in the part about commenting on how dd did not understand certain words used 2 words incorrectly herself. She is returning Tuesday to spend more time with dd.

[trooperlooperdo]

Can you try reading using different mediums rather than books. She's a level 4 for maths so she's clearly not stupid. How is she with shapes and manipulating diagrams and pattterns?

[Frikadellen]

Anything math related she can do in her head. what holds her back is the reading. She is capable of doing math in her head I cant do without pausing to think.

However the school says what keeps her math back is her not being able to read the questions. If she has them read aloud she can do them no issue.

An example last week she spend 30 minutes trying to do a page math homework managed 2 questions. I stepped in and read the rest aloud for her and she had done the last 18 questions in 10 minutes.

[Frikadellen]

I think it is made worse by the fact her older brother is a clever lad (left primary this year with 3 6 levels) and if I make a comment they are for ever saying " well dont compare her to ds" however I have 2 older daughters who are not high end just normal and she doesnt compare to what they did either.

[StrictlySazz]

Have you had a look at Reading Eggs on the computer? You can usually get a 3 month free trial so may be worth a shot. After a short while children progress through the 'lessons' and win games to play.

It is not all taught as phonics (some is) but is very interactive if she enjoys stuff like that?

[forgetandforgive]

My son is also in year 5 and he would make a big fuss when its time to do his hw. Most time he'd cries and think he get away with it. Im waiting for him to see a behavioural specialist. His reports were not good as i had expected. English is our second language and not only is he below average for his level, he will have outburst of tantrums and crying which i find for his age is not quite normal. Im also worried because he's so forgetful. eg. Always forgets to hand his hw in because it was kept in his bookbag on the peg. And forgetting his P.E kit. Eventhough i've reminded him before we leave for school he still manages to forget it! i've spoke to his tutor and she agrees that his mind is somewhere else. Im worried how he will cope once he starts secondary school. I think he may have dyspraxia, if I haven't mistaken; i find that he is so forgetful and his concentration span is short for his age.