^{HOW JAKE FINALLY LEARNED TO READ}

^{We offer these sometimes painful truths from Bobbie Smolow, the mother of two Nyack students, in the hope that it will be helpful to a broad range of parents. "One of my reactions to the Nyack PIE/ NAACP report," Smolow told us, "was that it isn't just African-American children who fail- or are failed."  Nor can the problem simply be attributed to poverty. A recent nationwide study found that of the 4th grade children who read below the basic level, one third were from homes where the parents had graduated from college.}

^{What happens as a parent is that you're worried, and you don't know what to do. So when someone who is a professional says it's all going to be ok, you want to believe that. That was our first mistake.}

^{Early on, I saw a problem, and his teachers would reassure me, "He's young, give him time" They were convinced he would leam to read if I read to him aloud. I read to both my children from the day we got home from the hospital! It certainly doesn't hurt to read to children, it certainly doesn't hurt to show them a wonderful range of books, and that they're fun. But that's not teaching them to read. There's a big difference.}

^{My son entered 1st grade when they were still using basal readers. He finished first grade in the high reading group. They began using whole language in his 2nd grade year, and he began dropping behind fast. But we never had him tested. Then Jake came along and it was all whole language As it became apparent that Jake was not learning to read, I thought: "if it's not the child; we need another method."}

^{Jake did not learn to read. He entered 2nd grade needing beginning reading instruction. I spoke to his teacher, and she said, "In class, I use a little phonics, a little this and that" But "a little phonics" is not what we're talking about. Very few tools were given to Jake to help him learn to decode. The philosophy seemed to be memorizing sight words, but that doesn't work with a significant number of children. Spelling lists were designed around subject areas, but there was never any intentional study or teaching of spelling rules or of the structure of words (phonics).}

^{In 3rd grade they put him in resource room - more whole language! They would send home "sight words" for us to memorize. It wasn't working. He was missing what was going on in the classroom; he wasn't learning to read. In whole language, you read to yourself, or you read with a partner, but the teacher rarely hears you read aloud. Teachers didn't really get that he didn't know how to read until a 3rd grade CAT test.}

^{By 4th grade, the assumption is that you know how to read. They call it "reading to learn" instead of 'teaming to read." I remember I told his 4th grade teacher: "You know Jake can't read." She said, "What do you mean? He read his report on King Arthur in front of the class beautifully." Well, he did read it well - because he wrote it! He knew he had to read it out loud, so he memorized it.. He loves history, knew everything they studied about the Indians inside and out, but failed every single test.}

^{So again, in 5th grade, I said: "Don't you think he should be tested?" They said "Oh, he's not that far below grade level, and there's such a waiting list for testing." By then he was working with a private tutor once a week, and his reading had really improved. After just one month with his tutor, he raced home to tell me that he was the only kid who got 100 on his history test. He'd always known the material, he just} couldn't read the tests before. In a month, he'd learned to sound out words.

Finally, in 6th grade, we had him tested. We found out that if a child stays on the waiting list for a certain number of weeks, the school has to pay for private testing. So we let them know that we knew that, and he was quickly put to the top of the list. The school tested him and saw there was a problem but couldn't identify it specifically. The private doctor we finally took him to said:

"Jake is your classic dyslexic. 1 can't believe he's been through 5 years of school and never been tested." I felt like such a negligent parent. I mean, those early years are precious. Once they're gone, they're gone.

(Later, a Harvard trained neuropsychologist who has been researching dyslexia told us that even the best universities don't teach future teachers the mechanics of reading, so they're unprepared to identify and work with children with reading problems.)

He's in 8th grade now and he's made amazing progress. Because of his diagnosis, he has what's called a 504 plan, which means that you can modify the work. If he needs to take more time, or have someone read a test to him, he can choose to do that. The one other modification I added this year was that he be allowed to use pencil.. And, according to his plan, spelling doesn't count in his final grade.

He's improved 2-3 grade levels in a year with his current tutor. When I listen to him read, I still almost cry, it's so labored. I don't know if Jake will ever read for pleasure, but he can now read for information. He still needs and gets extensive parental help with homework. We'd never allow him to fail because of this disability.

****

Advice? I'm uncomfortable about giving advice, because we still have so much to leam, and we have made so many mistakes. Trust your warning signals even in 1st grade. If I had a first grader who wasn't learning to read by the middle of first grade, I'd consider having him tested. I know of parents who are starting to use tutors in first grade. If there's a problem and the district can't fix it, by law they're required to pay for someone who can. In other words, you can actually have them pay to send your child to a special school.

Don't assume the system knows best Resource room in elementary school was ineffectual and very stressful for my son. He'd come back into class and have to ask other kids what was going on and maybe be scolded for talking. In middle school, you hear the philosophy that it is the children who are supposed to be responsible for managing their work, and the parents should not be that involved. The consequence of that is so serious! If you have a child that can't manage it, it would be like watching him drown to allow him to continue to struggle. You need to help him for as long as it takes for him to be able to do it on his own. Each child develops these skills at different time, and they should not be allowed to fail because they haven't mastered the ability to organize their work.

You have to do your own research. You have to have them tested. You may have to get a tutor. You have to do the homework beside them for as long as it takes, maybe through high school. It takes a long time for some children. You have to work with them, work with them. You have to insist they read each day and if necessary out loud to an adult.

from an interview with Bobbie Smolow

^{New York State is in the process of over-hauling it's special education law. The state budget passed this year includes new funding formulas that reward districts that mainstream special education students. Districts are also being required to make sure special ed students can progress in the regular curriculum and to have policies that work to declassify such students. What follows are highlights of the current law.}

^{1) REFERRAL}

^{The first step to getting your child extra help is the referral. According to the special education law, your child's problems have to be referred to the district's Committee on Special Education [CSE], This can be done by a teacher or principal, by a licensed physician, or you, the child's parent or guardian, can make the referral yourself.}

^{Once a CSE meeting to discuss your child is arranged, you have a right to be there, to bring anyone you choose, to see your child's records, to submit any information you think is important, and/or to refuse the referral. So, you can ask for special help, or you can refuse special help, depending on what you think is best for your child.}

^{2) EVALUATION}

^{You have the right to have your child evaluated. If you want testing, the evaluation has to be completed within 30 school days from when you agree to it. If you don't like the results, you have a right to outside testing by outside experts, paid for by the district, unless an independent hearing finds otherwise.}

^{3) CLASSIFICATION AND PLACEMENT}

^{After the testing, the CSE will make a recommendation to be included on your child's Indivualized Education Program [IEP]. Your child may be classified: classifications include emotionally disturbed, learning disabled, etc Your child may be recommended for resource room (a class that offers help in an "individual or small group setting" for at least three hours per week), or a special education class (which is typically most of the day and can't be bigger than "15 students with one teacher").}

^{You have a right to challenge any classification and to get an impartial hearing.}

^{If your school district can't provide the "necessary programs and services" for your child, it has to arrange for those services in "the least restrictive environment' which may range from BOCES to a private school to a home or hospital.}

^{If you want a copy of the state's parent guide to special education, ask your principal or call Rockland BOCES at 429-1090.}