I meet children like Sally and Johnny every day, and they share common characteristics: they are smart, but they can’t rhyme. They don’t know short vowel sounds, and they are missing other auditory skills that are necessary for success in reading.

In the last decade, scientists at Yale studied MRI pictures of children doing reading tasks. The language centers of children who read well light up like Christmas trees, and they did auditory tasks well. Poor readers were unable to do auditory tasks, and their MRI pictures showed different blood flows in their brains.

Research has also shown that children who don’t read well become better readers when they receive auditory training such as learning how to

• rhyme
• put word parts together to make words, i.e. f-r-og says "frog"
• remember five to seven words from a random list.

In my work, I see lots of children like Johnny and Sally learn to read when auditory training is added to their phonic and whole language instruction.

Joe:
There are so many books about reading that parents can buy. How is your book different and what advantages does it offer?

Peggy:
Reading Rescue 1-2-3 is a complete manual for parents of brand-new readers or struggling older readers. It contains hand’s-on information, phonic worksheets and accompanying cartoon stories for children to apply the phonic skill while reading.

This book differs from other "learn to read" books in that it gives parents and educators activities and games for auditory training. Reluctant readers enjoy these games and don’t realize they are doing educational activities.

Auditory, visual, and kinesthetic (movement) activities are highlighted with icons so that adults can choose which activities will best suit the learning style of a particular child.

Reading Rescue 1-2-3 also contains reading lists for three reading levels. These books can be found in a local library or bookstore, and they appeal to boys and girls of all ages.

Best of all, Reading Rescue 1-2-3 is parent and child friendly. It was written to help children and parents enjoy the process of learning how to read.

Joe:
Do you have any specific tips for the reader who has learning disabilities like dyslexia?

Peggy:
Contrary to what many people think, dyslexia is not just mixing up letters d and b. (That, by the way, is a common trait of children up through third grade and is not the major tool for diagnosing dyslexia.) Dyslexia is defined as having a "deficit in auditory and language skills."

Researchers know that 95 percent of all children who receive proper instruction—a combination of auditory training, phonic instruction, and application of phonics by reading lots of printed materials such as books and magazines—become able to read at grade level. This means that only a small percentage of children in America truly suffer from dyslexia.

Parents and other involved adults can make a huge difference in most children’s lives by making sure they get the tools they need to become successful readers. This can be done in just fifteen to thirty minutes a day of appropriate reading practice as described in Reading Rescue 1-2-3.

Joe:
How do you maintain a child’s attention when they fidget, especially if they have ADD/ADHD?

Peggy:
I like to tell parents of children who are two, three, and four years of age that even little itchy kids will sit and listen to a short book while they are eating. Give your child a snack and read with gusto while she munches. All the fidgets will disappear!

For parents of older, fidgety children my advice is, "Make it short and sweet!" We want reading to be fun, exciting, and something that children will want to do on their own. So here’s a few tips:

• work for only fifteen minutes every day
• get some of your child’s favorite candy or cereal. Give him some immediately after the fifteen minutes of practice is done for positive reinforcement
• move quickly through the activities to keep your child’s interest
• change the environment—read together under a tree, at McDonalds, in your basement, or up in a tree house
• Find out what topics your child loves such as spiders, race cars, karate, or horses and buy, beg, and borrow books on that topic.

Joe:
Could you tell us a bit about how you became interested in this area and how your children learned to read? How old are they and what are they doing today?

Peggy:
When I taught 10^th grade Biology (a few years ago), I noticed that some of my students did well on the pre-test review, but they handed in their exams almost empty. These bright kids couldn’t read or write! I gave oral exams to them and they usually earned A’s. Motivated by these students, I went back to school and earned a certificate in reading instruction. During that time, my husband and I had two children.

Soon after, I began a tutoring program at our church that paired trained volunteers with illiterate children from three local elementary schools. (To date, we have taught over 150 children how to read.)

You might think that my children would breeze through learning how to read, but this was not so. My daughter, Becca, at six years of age cried big tears when we sat down to read. At the time, I was taking a diagnosis and remediation course and Becca was my class project. I applied every morsel of information from that class during her fifteen minute daily reading practice. I’m glad to say that Becca is now an avid reader at age 13. She’s busy reading the Left Behind series and James Herriot’s books.

My son, Michael, was four years old when he began to read. He must have learned it by osmosis while eating goldfish and listening to Becca’s phonic practices. One day he picked up and read Hop on Pop at a doctor’s office, and we just about fell off our chairs. Now, at age nine, Michael likes to read computer books.

To the parents of struggling readers that I meet in grocery stores, museums, at the car wash, and during parent training seminars, I always say, "Your children are smart. They are valuable. And they can learn to read at grade level with your help, and with proper instruction."
Happy Reading! - Peggy Wilber, M.Ed.

Joe:
Thank you Peggy for your insights.
The following is a short excerpt from your book.

The only thing you did you help your child learn to walk was hold his chubby hand. Or perhaps you bought a pair of shoes with ankle support to help him balance. But basically he learned to walk by himself, following an internal program as fixed as the sun’s rising.

Reading isn’t like learning to walk or talk. It doesn’t occur naturally – although it seems that way for some children. However, based on huge numbers of normal children who can’t read, we know it’s not automatic. You need to do more than hold your child’s hand, read Dr. Suess books to him, and wait for the sun to shine.

Consider Sam, who read a story to me" Ab-ra-ham L-in-c-oln was Pr-Pre-s-I-d-ent du-ring the-e C-iv-il W-ar." He labored over every word. Was this reading? Not really – he "called the words," but he needs help.

Every child must master five components to become a good reader:

1. Phonological Awareness
   hearing and manipulating the sounds of language.
2. Phonics
   learning how to attach sounds to alphabet letters.
3. Sight Words
   memorizing words that don’t follow wasy phonic rules.
4. Fluency
   reading smoothly at the speed that a person talks.
5. Comprehension
   understanding what was read, which is the entire purpose for reading.

All five components are necessary. It’s not enough to know phonics. Knowing both phonics and sight words doesn’t guarantee fluency. Even being able to read out loud doesn’t always lead to comprehension.

A child who can’t read is intelligent, but his brain is wired differently. He needs direct instruction to become a good reader. So how do you help him to learn to read? You would work with him on each of the five important components.

Meet the Author
Ronald D. Davis
"The Gift of Dyslexia"
Why some of the smartest people can't read and how they can learn
interview & FREE excerpt
hosted by Sue Spataro, RN, BSN
In this exciting book, Davis shares the startling discovery he made which helped him overcome his own dyslexia; reveals how dyslexia may be linked to uncommonly high levels of intelligence, creativity, and imagination; and outlines a clear and simple plan that anyone can use to help themselves or others conquer this all-too-common disability. In this interview, Davis discusses: Signs of Dyslexia;  The "Gift" of Dyslexia;  Dyslexia & Disorientation;  Dyslexia & the Family;  Labels; a  FREE Book Excerpt: on The Underlying Talent which discusses gifted dyslexics throughout history. Find out more.

"The Magic Bookshelf"
by Janie & Richard Jarvis
A Parent's Guide to Showing Growing Minds
the Path to the Best Children's Literature
hosted by Joe Spataro
interview & FREE excerpt: The Reluctant Reader
They have written a comprehensive parents' guide to helping children learn to make the right reading choices while creating a more literary environment in their homes. The book helps parents transform their child's lives and brighten their futures by introducing them early to the very best children's literature. Find our more.