Ask the Expert
Expert: Cherie Takemoto

During the month of April, Cherie Takemoto answered your questions about helping readers with special needs.

Read her response to question 3 below.

Question 3:
My first grade son's birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you might suggest some fun materials/items that might support him in reading? His teachers say he is a little behind.

Response from Cherie Takemoto:
Happy Birthday to your son! Birthdays are a time to celebrate! Think about what he likes to do or how he likes to learn and highlight those interests.

Does he like to go for walks in the neighborhood or woods? Draw a map with pictures and words for him to follow and explore. You can find books about his favorite animals or plants. He can begin to find out more about different plants, animals, landmarks, and history in his environment.

Does he like the computer? Some very nice computer games are available for beginning readers — including many books of interest from Living Books (a part of the Broderbund software products). This series has some favorite children's books and characters, from Dr. Seuss, to Little Critter, and Arthur (from PBS series). In addition to a text reader, users can click on different pictures to see cute animations, play games, and other fun read-building activities.

How about wanting to find out about others who are having a difficult time? LDOnline.org, a website promoting understanding of learning disabilities, has some recommended children's books on their site. Even though your son is a little behind, and may not have a disability, the characters in some of the books have to go through the challenge of not being as smart or quick as it seems some of their friends may be, and find inner strength to cope and thrive.

Can he be a writer? You can just get paper and writing implements, or go all out with a scrapbook with pages for his writing, drawing, photos or other mementos. Go with him to take pictures of something he likes to do. When you get the pictures, put them on the same page as the story he can dictate to you. He will enjoy the activity and go back and read it again and again.

Would he like to choose with a gift certificate? You RIF fans know what fun it is to get new books. With the gift card, he can wander the bookstore children's section until he finds something excites him. Alternatively, you can go shopping from your computer through the many bookstores who sell online. You can have your own computer adventure and explore books that way.

Other valuable gifts? Sometimes the most valuable gift we can give to our children is time. Give him a "coupon" book with coupons that he can use to do some fun reading activities. Once a week, he can choose some activity to do around books and reading that is fun. This might include some of the ideas listed above. It might also include:

• Going to a movie that is based on a book you have read.
• Going to the RIF website's Reading Planet to find interesting things to do.
• Co-writing a story together and "publishing" it for relatives to enjoy.
• Visiting the library to find a gigantic stack of books to read.
• Writing a play and putting on a performance.
  

What is important here is that you offer him selection of fun reading activities and he chooses? The birthday gift may be that through your exploring, he may find the gift of reading one that lasts long beyond the candles on his cake or broken toys.

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