Question posted by: Trisha in NC on on November 04, 2003

We are using BJU 1st gr and we're on lesson 57. My son also completed HOP level 2. He has no trouble reading the HOP books or his textbook aloud. He is very auditory and gets extremely frustrated attempting to read silently. He really cannot do it. He has to "hear" himself read the words. When he reads aloud, his comprehension is superb.

BJU emphasizes silent reading as the most important reading skill. I have stopped making my son read silently and I allow him to read everything aloud. Am I missing something? I'm assuming that as his reading level improves that he'll "pick up" silent reading later. Any opinions?
 

Answer:  Of course, silent reading is extremely important. Probably the issue is something like: "When should a student have mastered silent reading?"

There was a great disparity between my two students, but both read quite well silently now as teens.

While I'm surely not an expert, I do have an opinion which I'm more than happy to share. HA! ;-)

Giving him a total break from silent reading might be going too far. I'm all for gentle schooling, leading, guiding, so as to not frustrate or turn off our children. Facilitate is a great word. So, yes, I would give him extra time (more time that Bob Jones seems to be giving) to mature to the point where silent reading is doable for him. The Bob Jones (nor any curriculum's) reading schedule can't meet the needs of every student nor can it fit the timetable in your son's head. If your son is going a little slower than Bob Jones thinks is appropriate on the reading silently skill, then, of course, you give him the time. (You know this, so I probably shouldn't be mentioning it, but I'll leave it for others who might not.)

**Anyway, I would continue to have him silently read a little each day because giving him a total break, I think, will slow his learning of the skill.**

Of course, you can look for creative ways to have him read silently. A little quote or ditty or saying each week on the fridge or bathroom mirror will give that bit of reading a familiarity that may have him reading it silently by the end of the week. Nothing longer than a sentence--something simple and worth looking at daily for a week.

There's bound to be other tricks that you as a parent know will work for your student. By tricks, I mean, non-traditional ways of learning or supporting the learning of a skill. Another possibility would be Simon Says with flash cards where your son can't speak. And you have him touch different items around the house or on his person that he can read (eyes, nose, hat, lips, arm, sink, rug, etc. or even, sit, jump, smile, turn, hop, skip, 1 step, tap lip, tap chin) I guess there might be some non-phonetic words in there, but you know what your son is capable of. That could be fun!

And it's not just silently, it's reading without moving the lips, too. I had quite the time encouraging one of my students to stop moving the lips! But reading silently is the first step--worry about the moving lips later!

Okay, this is funny/interesting. It's an article entitled, "The Sin of Silent Reading."
http://community.middlebury.edu/~harris/LatinBackground/SilentReading.html

I'm still looking for another site on "silent reading," but I'm coming up empty handed. Maybe I'll have time later.

Return to List of Rarely Asked Questions