It’s a ‘Reading Comprehension’ Issue… Except When it Isn’t
Skyler* is a 7-year-old elementary school student who, by outward appearances, has always had a hard time with reading comprehension.
She has the fundamentals down, but when she reads a passage and is asked questions about it, she seems confused. Her answers are off-the-mark, and sometimes she has no idea at all.
Skyler’s parents and teachers are equally confused by all this. She decodes well, reads fluently, and is an otherwise accurate reader, including when asked to read out loud.
Skyler’s parents decided it was time to pursue private tutoring to improve Skyler’s understanding and retention. During these sessions, Skyler worked hard and was motivated to improve her skills.
Sometimes, the challenge is with attention, not reading comprehension.
What also stood out, however, was that Skyler was having difficulty focusing. For one, her concentration seemed to come and go. When reading out loud, she tended to rush, read too quickly, and make ‘silly’ mistakes on words she clearly knew. Skyler often needed to ‘go back’ and re-read text, sometimes more than once.
Skyler’s parents had noted the same. It seemed, just as the tutor was reporting, that Skyler’s actual reading skills were intact but that she was not well focused while reading.
In Skyler’s case, what looked like a reading comprehension issue was actually an attention issue.
And Skyler is not alone!
Reading Comprehension is One Part Reading and One Part Paying Attention to What We Read
We all have had the experience of reading something but not processing it. We may have read every word but not fully processed it. This might occur while reading on a loud train, in bed while sleepy, or in situations where we aren’t fully interested in what we are reading.
Why does this happen? Because we are not fully focused.
We may be thinking about other things: tonight’s dinner options, our child’s upcoming soccer game, or a meeting we had. This distraction causes us to go back and re-read the given section.
For adults, this can be a passing annoyance.
For a student, however, lack of focus while reading can be far more consequential, bringing down grades and their self-esteem along with it.
The parents, meanwhile, continue to search for answers, often pursuing services that were never needed in the first place, such as tutoring for reading.
Seeking Solutions Without a Correct Diagnoses Can be Frustrating
In Skyler’s case, tutoring ended up being an unnecessary expenditure of time and money because her reading skills, fundamentally, were strong.
Furthermore, tutoring took her away from time that could have been used more for studies and extra-curricular pursuits.
In many cases, these misaligned interventions can go on for years, causing parents to feel increasingly helpless and overwhelmed.
To get to the root cause of Skyler’s challenges, her parents decided to move forward with a full evaluation.
They went through the typical steps, which are as follows:
Parent Intake: They spoke at that point about the progression of her reading skills, increasing lack of focus and her overall mental health.
In-person Testing: Dates were set aside for Skyler to come to my office for one-to-one testing. During that time, we ran a number of tests, including those assessing reading. We also explored the extent to which focus may be playing a roll in undermining her.
Parent and Teacher Rating Scales and Questionnaires: Both Skyler’s parents, as well as two of her teachers, completed their own set of rating scales and questionnaires, which helped provide a nuanced and detailed perspective in terms of how Skyler’s issues were being seen and playing out in various critical settings.
Feedback to Family: This is the most important part of the process. Skyler’s parents and I spent a full hour reviewing the test findings. From the data, I was able to clearly articulate that her reading was itself a strength, but that her focus as she did so was giving way and affecting her processing, understanding and retention of the materials.
Release of Report: The final part of the process involves providing the family with the final, written report. Skyler’s parents took this document to her school and, with it, secured a 504 Plan, ensuring classroom modifications and other accommodations, such as extended time on tests, the latter allowing her to go back and allow for additional processing time.
Skyler’s Success Story
With answers in hand and a detailed plan, Skyler’s fortunes quickly improved—and dramatically.
Within a month, Skyler saw her reading efficiency accelerate, her focus enhanced, and a notable improvement in her grades and self-image.
Skyler no longer felt frustrated, was no longer spending long-hours in tutoring, and her parents felt sure that successful days lay ahead!
To book a testing appointment or to speak further about my services, please feel free to contact me at 973-908-4860 or you can fill out our contact form here.
* All client names have been changed