<font color="purple">So, there is this little boy who I sit next to on the bus, we play Pokemon together, read together, and sometimes improvise our own games. I guess you could say that he's my adoptive little brother and I'm one of his best friends (Dad thinks he has a crush on me )

In any case, I noticed that whenever I let him play my Pokemon games (nearly every day) he does not read any of the actual text in the game. Now, it's not like the reading level is too difficult considering the games were meant for his age (8+) but he still just doesn't read it (somtimes it's imortant info too, so he get's stuck and I have to be his guide) I thought this was pretty suspicious. It had gotten to the point were I started questioning if he was even LITERATE, rather then "oh well maybe he just hates reading".

But this week was special, instead of playing games he brought several Goosebumps book and we would take turns reading (he would read I page, then I would read a page") because he likes these books so much then I know it's not that he doesn't like reading. He does have a difficult time with it though. but when he was reading today something peculiar occured:

Kid: *points to the word "bop" * Does that say "bop" or "dop"?
Me. Bop

it was at this point that it made sense now: he is dyslexic! This isn't the only symptom he has either, I've also noticed that when reading he sometimes substitues words in instead of reading the actual words (that's how they diagnosed my brother) as well as generaly avoiding reading when possible, and why he reads slowly (for his age) I don't think it's severe though.

I feel kind of proud of myself </font>

[Peanuts]

Phonics is an appropriate intervention for dyslexia. Are you a teacher or aid ?? Is this child in a reading intervention group ? Hope so.

<font color="purple">No, I'm not a teacher or aid, and as far as I know he is having problem in school, but isn't really getting help

That happens alot unfortunately, they just assume kids like him just have a maturity problem and only investigating until much later in life. I know this because my brother has had alot of the same problems in school as I have yet the only help that he has ever recieved is being diagnosed with color blindness and dyslexia in middle school, but I've been in the 504 program since elementary school.

I think once I get back from Spring break I could see if my 504 person/councelor can do anything like...make some sort of recomendation for evaluation.</font>

[Peanuts]

That is an excellent idea - inquire with your 504 contact about this boy. Perhaps that contact can arrange for this boy to be evaluated so that he can get some intervention. He is very lucky to have a friend like you looking out for him. Meanwhile, the technique you were using to read a page and then have him read a page is absolutely perfect. If he is willing - that is a big help for him to read. Also - it would be good if you could read a book to him. Perhaps a book a bit too hard for him but with a subject that he is interested. The would keep a love for books alive for him while he gets intervention so that he can read for his own enjoyment.

take care,

[eskielover]

It sounds like you are another student in the school (when you said he's like an adopted little brother). You might want to gently touch on the subject "with him". Just mention to him, that you noticed he was having problems with letters in words & was wondering if anyone is working on helping him with that?

If he says yes, then great, you can help with reading with him, but if he says no, then you might mention to him that there school does have help available that can make reading much easier for him & more enjoyable. If he sounds interested, suggest talking with his parents & then have them talk to the school about getting him into a program for help so that he doesn't continue struggling with school. If he's not getting the help that he needs, that is really awsome that you can be the one that can possibly get him the help he needs for his future success.

Great that you are that observant.....that is very special....it's wonderful that he has an adopted older sister kind of person like you ....who cares,
Debbie

[thelostone]

it often goes un-diagnosed. i was lucky, my grandmother taught me to work around it before kindergarten, and i was not diagnosed till i was 18. my oldest daughter made it to 11 before we noticed it, and the school never did anything about it. the family helped her to learn how to cope with it and read. phonix will help, and there are other tricks that help as well. hopefully your councillor will be able to refer him for testing. good luck

<font color="purple">Thanks for the replies everyone. I know he likes cartoons (especialy Pokemon and Ben 10) and the only books that he's brought me that I know he really likes are the Goosebumps books. I'm thinking of ordering him a Pokemon book off of Amazon, the trouble being that most of the Pokemon books out there are either for kids way younger then him, or comics (I don't want to buy him the comics beacuse I know he just looks at the pictures instead of reading them) but I found a few that he might be interested in that are at his reading level. </font>

[DocClyde]

Very good job Kaika!!!!!!!

Very proud of you!