Child sees kinw for knew

by any suggestions?

Mar 31, 2009

I have a grade two boy. He has made a lot of progress this year, but his instructional level is only about a "K" level right now. I was observing a lot of squinting, head shaking and bobbing so I asked his mother to have his eyes checked (again). She described to the doctor what I was seeing. The boy does have a stigmatism so the doctor prescribed tinted (pink) glasses to see if that would help. He's had the glasses for about a week and today I was working with him after school. I wanted to really observe him without any distractions. As he was reading aloud and we were working on decoding strategies, he came across the word KNEW. I know he knows all about kn, if fact he came up with the words knight and night when we were talking earlier about "ight".

He read "kinow" at first for KNEW. He made several attempts and then when I asked him to name the letters, he said three times "kinw". Doesn't this sound like a double vision issue? What sort of test (and by whom) should I requ...See More

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OP When I said pink glasses, that's just the way they look from my perspective. I'm assuming it's equivalent to a red overlay. I think I'll also try enlarging some sheets for him. I think I've heard of people using colored paper, so I'll do a search on that now. I have tried to get him to track with a card, but he needs continual prompting to keep it ...See MoreWhen I said pink glasses, that's just the way they look from my perspective. I'm assuming it's equivalent to a red overlay. I think I'll also try enlarging some sheets for him. I think I've heard of people using colored paper, so I'll do a search on that now. I have tried to get him to track with a card, but he needs continual prompting to keep it in place. Thanks to those who responded.

On 4/01/09, Gracie wrote: > I used to use yellow and red acetate sheets to cover the pages > for dyslexic children when they were reading and it seemed to > help, but that was many years ago. Never heard of pink back > then. If you happen to have some read or yellow acetate, I would > try it and see if the more dynamic colors might help. I always > use a card to cover the sentences below as well. The letters > from below can pop up and get in the alignment of the letters he > is reading. > > I would have the mother ask the doctor ask if it would help if > the print could be elarged as well. The office can send out the > book to be printed and enlarged for you. You might as well have > the next book done at the same time so there is no wait when the > time comes. Tell them you want it in color just as the book is. > > On 3/31/09, SIdney wrote: >> On 3/31/09, any suggestions? wrote: >>> I have a grade two boy. He has made a lot of progress this >>> year, but his instructional level is only about a "K" level >>> right now. I was observing a lot of squinting, head shaking >>> and bobbing so I asked his mother to have his eyes checked >>> (again). She described to the doctor what I was seeing. The >>> boy does have a stigmatism so the doctor prescribed tinted >>> (pink) glasses to see if that would help. He's had the >>> glasses for about a week and today I was working with him >>> after school. I wanted to really observe him without any >>> distractions. As he was reading aloud and we were working >>> on decoding strategies, he came across the word KNEW. I >>> know he knows all about kn, if fact he came up with the >>> words knight and night when we were talking earlier about >>> "ight". >>> >>> He read "kinow" at first for KNEW. He made several attempts >>> and then when I asked him to name the letters, he said >>> three times "kinw". Doesn't this sound like a double vision >>> issue? What sort of test (and by whom) should I request? >>> Would increasing the font size of what he's reading help? >>> Suggestions? >> >> No suggestions-- but this sounds so much like the little boy >> in my class would see or do. (See my post-- "dyslexic first >> grader-- how do I help him?") He knows every letter and >> every sound, but when he has to put it together, the middle >> is all mixed up! Sometimes I will ask him to just repeat a >> series of letters, for example a spelling word, and he can't >> do it without getting all tangled up.

Apr 1, 2009

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Adrienne It is so important to rule out vision issues (student doesn't have 20/20 vision)when a student squints etc. I wonder if the glasses have a prescription lens to correct vision or whether it is a cover overlay type of correction. It would be a good idea for you to find out.

I'm coming in a little late on this post, but are you saying that h...See MoreIt is so important to rule out vision issues (student doesn't have 20/20 vision)when a student squints etc. I wonder if the glasses have a prescription lens to correct vision or whether it is a cover overlay type of correction. It would be a good idea for you to find out.

I'm coming in a little late on this post, but are you saying that he read the word kinow for the word knew? If so, here's what I think. Even though the child came up with the word knight earlier in the lesson, the child may still not apply the knowledge of kn sounding like /k/ while he is reading. From the mistake, it seems like the child isn't remembering that the k is silent in kn. The ki is for the "k" sound (some kids say the /k/ sound incorrectly with a short i after it); the n is the second sound in the word (which to us is the first sound because kn says n); the ow is because the child is substituting the word know for the word knew. These words look alike and are easily confused. Has the child been exposed to the ow and ew sounds? Other than visual memory, which struggling readers have difficulty with, there isn't a way for the student to distinguish between the know and knew unless he knows the ow and ew sounds.

I'm unclear about what would be the double vision issue. Certainly by the end of grade two chidren should be able to differentiate between know and knew; however, if he is still on a Kindergarten level, should he be responsible for those two words?

On 3/31/09, any suggestions? wrote: > I have a grade two boy. He has made a lot of progress this > year, but his instructional level is only about a "K" level > right now. I was observing a lot of squinting, head shaking > and bobbing so I asked his mother to have his eyes checked > (again). She described to the doctor what I was seeing. The > boy does have a stigmatism so the doctor prescribed tinted > (pink) glasses to see if that would help. He's had the > glasses for about a week and today I was working with him > after school. I wanted to really observe him without any > distractions. As he was reading aloud and we were working > on decoding strategies, he came across the word KNEW. I > know he knows all about kn, if fact he came up with the > words knight and night when we were talking earlier about > "ight". > > He read "kinow" at first for KNEW. He made several attempts > and then when I asked him to name the letters, he said > three times "kinw". Doesn't this sound like a double vision > issue? What sort of test (and by whom) should I request? > Would increasing the font size of what he's reading help? > Suggestions?

Apr 1, 2009

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Jo A developmental optometrist or behavioral optometrist would be able to see if there is a convergence or binocular problem. While some think this type of eye care is not valid, others do not.

To take the "double vision" out of the equation, I suggest you have the child cover one eye and have him look at the word. Do not present the word unt...See More

Apr 2, 2009

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OP Adrienne, my grade two boy is a K (F&P), not kindergarten level. That would be about DRA 20??22?? - so maybe six months max. behind, not two years. He does well except for reading/writing/spelling. When he was struggling with kinw, he was actually spelling the word out to me. Jo, the convergence insufficiency theory really sounds very interesti...See MoreAdrienne, my grade two boy is a K (F&P), not kindergarten level. That would be about DRA 20??22?? - so maybe six months max. behind, not two years. He does well except for reading/writing/spelling. When he was struggling with kinw, he was actually spelling the word out to me. Jo, the convergence insufficiency theory really sounds very interesting. I've done a search and plan to share some of the sites I found with his mother. Thanks, to both of you!

On 4/02/09, Jo wrote: > A developmental optometrist or behavioral optometrist would > be able to see if there is a convergence or binocular > problem. While some think this type of eye care is not > valid, others do not. > > To take the "double vision" out of the equation, I suggest > you have the child cover one eye and have him look at the > word. Do not present the word until the eye is covered. See > what he says. You can also lay out the letters of the > alphabet and have him make his word match the one he sees. > Then have him compare 1 for 1. It may not be what he sees > but his oral translation of what he sees is the problem. > > On 3/31/09, any suggestions? wrote: >> I have a grade two boy. He has made a lot of progress this >> year, but his instructional level is only about a "K" level >> right now. I was observing a lot of squinting, head shaking >> and bobbing so I asked his mother to have his eyes checked >> (again). She described to the doctor what I was seeing. The >> boy does have a stigmatism so the doctor prescribed tinted >> (pink) glasses to see if that would help. He's had the >> glasses for about a week and today I was working with him >> after school. I wanted to really observe him without any >> distractions. As he was reading aloud and we were working >> on decoding strategies, he came across the word KNEW. I >> know he knows all about kn, if fact he came up with the >> words knight and night when we were talking earlier about >> "ight". >> >> He read "kinow" at first for KNEW. He made several attempts >> and then when I asked him to name the letters, he said >> three times "kinw". Doesn't this sound like a double vision >> issue? What sort of test (and by whom) should I request? >> Would increasing the font size of what he's reading help? >> Suggestions?

Apr 2, 2009

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Jo OP, I do realize that he was spelling 'kinw' orally. I had more to my original post, but I removed part of it. I guess I should not have done so.

You said, 'He read "kinow" at first for KNEW'. This got me thinking that he is interpreting the 'k' to be two sounds instead of one ('k' 'i'). Which leads to the oral spelling using two letters ...See MoreOP, I do realize that he was spelling 'kinw' orally. I had more to my original post, but I removed part of it. I guess I should not have done so.

You said, 'He read "kinow" at first for KNEW'. This got me thinking that he is interpreting the 'k' to be two sounds instead of one ('k' 'i'). Which leads to the oral spelling using two letters to represent 'k'. If you use the theory that he incorrectly sees print (and probably differently each time), he has solidified in his mind that the 'k' sound is two letters. So, orally he will tell you those two letters. He then drops out other letters.

Let me caution you, that even if this student has an undiagnosed vision problem, that doesn't mean there aren't other underlying issues causing the difficulty in reading/writing/spelling. This may be one small piece to the puzzle. There may be underlying working memory,sequencing, phonemic awareness, auditory memory problems etc. Bright kids can usually go undetected for a long time because of strong oral language skills and predicatable reading books.

If vision is a problem and there are no underlying issues, the reading will have to be re-taught when the vision is corrected. Corrected vision does not result in corrected reading because much of the teaching that is done with uncorrected vision makes little sense to the student.

Good luck.

On 4/02/09, OP wrote: > Adrienne, my grade two boy is a K (F&P), not kindergarten level. > That would be about DRA 20??22?? - so maybe six months max. > behind, not two years. He does well except for > reading/writing/spelling. When he was struggling with kinw, he > was actually spelling the word out to me. Jo, the convergence > insufficiency theory really sounds very interesting. I've done > a search and plan to share some of the sites I found with his > mother. Thanks, to both of you! > > On 4/02/09, Jo wrote: >> A developmental optometrist or behavioral optometrist would >> be able to see if there is a convergence or binocular >> problem. While some think this type of eye care is not >> valid, others do not. >> >> To take the "double vision" out of the equation, I suggest >> you have the child cover one eye and have him look at the >> word. Do not present the word until the eye is covered. See >> what he says. You can also lay out the letters of the >> alphabet and have him make his word match the one he sees. >> Then have him compare 1 for 1. It may not be what he sees >> but his oral translation of what he sees is the problem. >> >> On 3/31/09, any suggestions? wrote: >>> I have a grade two boy. He has made a lot of progress this >>> year, but his instructional level is only about a "K" level >>> right now. I was observing a lot of squinting, head shaking >>> and bobbing so I asked his mother to have his eyes checked >>> (again). She described to the doctor what I was seeing. The >>> boy does have a stigmatism so the doctor prescribed tinted >>> (pink) glasses to see if that would help. He's had the >>> glasses for about a week and today I was working with him >>> after school. I wanted to really observe him without any >>> distractions. As he was reading aloud and we were working >>> on decoding strategies, he came across the word KNEW. I >>> know he knows all about kn, if fact he came up with the >>> words knight and night when we were talking earlier about >>> "ight". >>> >>> He read "kinow" at first for KNEW. He made several attempts >>> and then when I asked him to name the letters, he said >>> three times "kinw". Doesn't this sound like a double vision >>> issue? What sort of test (and by whom) should I request? >>> Would increasing the font size of what he's reading help? >>> Suggestions? >

Apr 3, 2009

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