Any Reading / English Teachers Out There?

Hi M. - I am a test prep instructor and have been teaching SAT and ACT prep for 8 years. A good test prep program can help tremendously with all parts of the exam, particularly reading. I have worked with students who are slow and struggling readers but didn't qualify for an extended time accommodation and have been able to teach them strategies that help them move through the passages more quickly and thoroughly.

Group test prep is the most cost effective and a good program can help your son meet his goals. If there isn't a group course in your area that is high quality and fits his schedule, all of the big companies offer on-line classes as well. The company I work for has a very inexpensive large on-line group course (20 students) or slightly more expensive small group on-line tutoring limited to 6 kids. The small groups are great because they can group like students together such as kids who need to focus on reading or math or kids who can do advanced work in one subject area. I think that other companies have similar offerings.

Private tutoring is also a good option but can be expensive. If you can make that investment, ask around for recommendations from people you know. A comprehensive tutoring program typically takes about 20 hours of one-on-one instruction and depending on the rate in your area, can cost anywhere from $50-$100 an hour or more. Expensive, but far and away the most effective option.

I would recommend that he try the SAT and see if he likes that test better or performs better. Both exams are accepted by all schools so it really is a matter of performance and preference. That said, the new SAT is very similar to the ACT now so he might not see a substantial difference.

Finally, while self-study can work well for some students, it is particularly hard for a student who struggles with reading to successfully study from books or even websites (except for on-line classes and tutoring, where the student works in real time with a real person, just via video instead of in person). Also, self-study tends to be a great way to practice what *isn't* working and inadvertently reinforce bad habits and ineffective strategies.

If you'd like more info, feel free to PM me. You can always call any of the large test prep companies (I'll tell you which one I work for via PM, I don't want to "advertise" here) for a free consultation over the phone.

Hope that helps!

I am a community college English professor with about 22 years of experience and I was getting ready to write a long post, but Geneva said everything I said! BTW, if he does have a learning disability, send him to a community college. He will get accommodations and he will gain the skills he needs to succeed. He will also will have great instructors. You could even look into whether your local community college allows concurrent high school student enrollment as that way he could take a reading class there.
70% of our students assess at below college-level English when they enroll. We are experts at getting students ready for college-level academic work.

I know there are biases against community colleges, but we have many really excellent teachers. I believe so much in community colleges that my oldest son skipped high school by taking an equivalency exam and now attends full time as a 16 year old. He loves it.
One last thing. If your son is not a strong test taker, then he can go to a community college and transfer to university without SAT/ACT scores being required or reviewed.

Is it possible that he has an undiagnosed learning disability? Some students go undiagnosed in their early years because they have excellent coping skills and find work-arounds that serve them well until they reach a higher level of academics. Don't be frightened of the possibility. A learning disability is in no way a reflection on a person's intelligence. It simply means that learning requires different approaches from the things that work for the majority. Get him tested. If he does in fact have a reading-related learning disability, there are all sorts of legally required accommodations that could help him with test-taking now, and with getting through college later.

If he does not have a learning disability, then it's worth looking at tutoring or a test prep program. J.B. gives a very thorough answer about this. I'd add that doing well on tests is as much about test-taking strategy as it is about knowing the material.

How has he done with reading and writing in his regular courses? Is the problem with reading a problem in non-testing situations, or only on tests? If the problem has been evident in his coursework, it's time for a sit-down with his teachers. Find out what is being done to help him with this in school, and what they believe you could be doing at home to help. Also find out what they think HE should be doing. As a high school junior, it is time for him to take some responsibility for his own learning. There may be things he could do, such as targeted practice. Or (and I do know this is hard for adolescent males) admitting when he is lost and asking for help. One of the most important things he could learn right now is how to advocate for himself in a learning environment.

If he does not manage to raise his test scores, the world will not end. If college is something he wants, he can still make it happen. Some colleges no longer require standardized test scores for admission. Also, since it sounds like he does need to pull up his reading skills, community college might be an excellent place to start anyway. Community college instructors tend to be more focused on teaching than on research, and are used to working with populations who don't fit the traditional "college ready" mold, so many of them are very good at helping a student become ready to tackle the greater demands of the last 2-3 years of a college education. Community colleges often have great support programs - reading help, writing centers, etc. (Full disclosure - I am a former community college instructor who LOVED her work. I have also taught at universities, and I found the community college to be a better launching pad for students who were still working on getting their higher level academic skills down.)

Has he ever been diagnosed with a learning disability? Have you ever had him tested? If you haven't, why not?

It's pretty late in the game to start this process, but you should anyway. His choices of colleges are limited with a low ACT score. But even going to a school that will accept this score, he will have difficulty. College reading requirements are huge. There are not many majors that don't require a ton of textbook reading.

Is there a children's hospital in your area? Ask about having a psycho-educational evaluation done. It will detail how he learns, what his strengths and weaknesses are, and what he needs help with. Also, ask them if they have a dsylexia specialist. You should have him tested for that as well.

Has your son taken the SAT? Some students do better taking the SAT vs the ACT. My daughter took both test and ended up only submitting her SAT scores to colleges. Also, there are lots of SAT classes in my area. Some even have guarantees of raising scores by I believe 200 points or so. Good luck!!!