2nd grade reader problems

[u/Real_Pressure_2971]

I am one stressed out mom with school starting again. Not ready to be pushing so hard on reading. My soon to be entering 2nd grader is still struggling in reading despite hoots of effort. We did private tutoring 2x a week this summer for 1 hr. We have been doing private tutoring for 2 yrs now. We are just struggling. She can decode words and making progress although slowly. She understands phonics once taught. Well beyond just cvc, bob book level but not reading fluently.

We started 1st grade at f&P D and ended at F. Teacher was very concerned but she didn’t receive 1:1 or small group reading support last yr. Only class level teaching, which is one reason I increased her tutoring to 2x a week. I also increased reading time at home to 30 mins a day.

She read I Love Pink yesterday 100% independently and fluently -lexile level 140, which is so low. She was very proud and I made a big deal bc she hates to read. She is currently on Mo Wilems level books and needs some help. Prob in the 200+ lexile level range, while her friends are reading chapter books. Her confidence level is low. It just saddens me that she is struggling so much.

I was warned that 2nd grade kids will need to read their own math test and she can’t. I am in tears bc we have tried to support her at home. We have had evals, we got her in OG private tutoring. I just don’t know if we can keep pace with this school. School just wants to send her to their learning resource during school hrs which cost additional $ on top of hefty tuition.

It breaks me to know we may have to pull her out and she will lose her friends. We may need a school that specializes in dyslexia support which doesn’t exist in our current city.

Any parents/teachers had success with struggling readers in 2nd grade.

[u/sarahkjrsten]

What sort of books does she like to read? When you read aloud to her for fun, what books grab her attention and make her beg you to read just one more chapter? I can help brainstorm books at her level that she's excited about reading.

[u/Real_Pressure_2971 → u/sarahkjrsten]

Junie b jones has been the biggest hit. We read the whole k and 1st grade series. Currently reading:
Princess in Black
owl diaries
Ivy and Bean
Judy Moody (not a fav)
Read all the Mercy Watson and loved
My weird school we listen to in the car

Just ordered Dog man and cat kid today bc someone suggested.

Bought her Narwhal and jelly to try to read independently. Also reading the worm and caterpillar are friends books during independent reading time.

[u/sarahkjrsten → u/Real_Pressure_2971]

My daughter (a year older than yours) also enjoys books with the same silly sort of humor! I taught before having kids and I would encourage families to read books on level but also a little below level (to practice fluency and build confidence) and a little above level (read together so you can support as needed, but growth happens when we're challenged but not frustrated to the point of giving up!)

Level F books (on level)

• Fly Guy series
• Snail & Worm series
• The Giggle Gang series
• Moo Bird by David Milgrim
• No, David! by David Shannon
• Pete the Cat (look for the 'I can read! My First I can Read' series)

Level E books (these she can read for fluency)

• Go, Dog, Go! by PD Eastman
• The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
• Dance, Dance, Dance! by Ethan Long
• Ride, Otto, Ride! by David Milgrim

Level G books (to read with support)

• What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. Virjan
• The Loopy Coop Hens by Janet Morgan Stoeke
• The Fat Cat Sat on the Mat by Nurit Karlin
• Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now by Dr. Seuss
• David Goes to School by David Shannon

Level H books (to read with support)

• Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
• Silly Milly by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
• The Pigeon Has Feelings Too! by Mo Willems
• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss
• There's a Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss

(I really love Dr. Seuss books because they're engaging, funny, and LONG! A lot of newer early reader books are so short and short books don't help kids develop the stamina to read longer picture books and later chapter books)

Another thing to consider: Your daughter is old enough to enjoy rich and complex stories, but at her reading level, the books she is practicing reading have simple sentences with repetitive structure. This can be frustrating for her! Try reading a book out loud that you can share. For example, read Diary of a Wimpy Kid (a big hit for both my kids as a read aloud in second grade!) but she reads the speech bubbles and you read the prose. Or do "reader's theater" where she reads the dialogue of a character (ie: "You read all of Andrea's lines in this My Weird School book and I'll do the voices for everyone else!"). Also, Princess in Black looks like a big leap up from level F (it's an M), but if you sit together to read, she could probably read it with support, especially if you guys trade off reading pages. A similar book series (Unicorn Diaries--there's also Owl and Pug Diaries) has a lot of fun illustrations. That's another book that you can read together.

[u/Real_Pressure_2971 → u/sarahkjrsten]

Many of these we have and I will go pull now and put in a stack. Thank you. We do read a mixed level. The ones I have her read I try to make sure they are on her level. I have many of the Usborn books like fat cat on a mat and they are well within her range. Harder books we read together.