Elizabeth Marie Wampler

Posted on 10/19/09

One of my volunteer jobs is tutoring a 4’th grade student
in reading. I work with him 40 minutes two times a week.
The program that I follow is determined by the program
directors. My student seems very verbal and bright but has
been giving me increasing challenges in dealing with his
behavior.
When I am reading aloud to him from the Goosebumps book
that he has chosen for his read aloud, he does not listen,
looks around the room and interrupts frequently to tell me
how the story went in the movie. When he is reading he
stops to look around the room, make a comment that is
sometimes about the book and sometimes about something
completely unrelated. (I redirect his attention) He holds
pens in his hands and plays with them. (I tell him to put
the pens back or put them back for him.) He deliberately
slams the dictionary down hard. (I made him try again until
it was put down appropriately.) When he is sent to get
himself a dictionary he starts looking at books nearby. (I
reminded him of his task.) When he reads, he says
nonsense words to be funny. When he reads he also glances
at the first letter of a word and makes up a likely word
for that slot, skips words he does not know, inserts words
that are not there. He will not track with the ruler I
gave him. (I make him read sentences over properly.) His
writing is sloppy. (I make him write things over properly.)
I suspect that his behavior rather than academic problems
partly got him low enough scores on reading to qualify for
tutoring.
I remind him to pay attention. I find a ruler for him to
track with as he reads and hold it on the words for him if
necessary. I try to spend some time talking with him about
Goosebumps books or other things he wants to discuss in
order to give him some positive attention. I had him set
the dictionary down properly after a time that he slammed
it. I make him read things over more slowly and accurately
and I have him write things over if he is sloppy the first
time. I try to redirect his attention as much as
possible. He behaves a little better when I am a little
stricter with him but even with my best efforts I have to
continuously redirect him.
The program gives stickers to the younger students but he
seems to feel he is too old for that. I could create
another reward for him but I would have to check it with
the director.
Any suggestions are appreciated.

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