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Candace asks about ...
Reading Processing? What Does the Teacher Mean?
" My 6th grade son does not enjoy
reading, especially out loud. The school
tested him and ironically said he has
above grade level comprehension but
lacks processing???"
I understand your puzzlement, Candace, because "processing" can be interpreted many ways. Are you comfortable talking with the individual who did the testing and asking some clarifying questions? Three I'd suggest are...
1. "Does 'processing' refer to his reading process speed? Do you mean that it takes him longer than others his age to finish his reading?"
2. "Are you referring to his ability to 'process' unknown words? Does he struggle with word attack skills?
3. "Do you mean 'response processing'? Does it take him longer than his peers to think about his reading and respond to answers?"
Depending upon the answers to these, the next steps will vary widely. I'm happy to walk with you through this process, and so let me know what you find out. But for now, let's talk about reading process speed , meaning how quickly he is able to read and maintain his excellent comprehension.
In general, the rule of thumb is..."the longer it takes you to read, the harder it is to remember what you've read." I said, "in general" because there are some bright students who can take a LONG time to read something, appear to be struggling through it, but their comprehension is almost flawlessly complete. They baffle teachers because they don't fit the usual model, and I'm guessing this describes your son. That's why the diagnosis you received wasn't very clear, as well as his disinterest in reading, especially out loud. My fear is that the RX recommended is to attempt various things to speed him up. My advice is to be very watchful if this is so. Keep close tabs on his comprehension and his emotions. Anything that diminishes his comprehension, or causes him to feel anxious or stressed-to-hurry, isn't worth it. There's no perfect speed at which to read. Many very bright people read very slowly, but once they're done, they really KNOW what they've read. And that's the bottom-line when it comes to reading, and it sounds like your son's doing well in what matters the most!
