Q: My stepdaughter is 12 years old and has somehow slipped through the cracks in school. She was tested at a third-grade reading level. I have only been in her life for a few years, but we have really struggled to resolve this problem. She does not live with me, and therefore, it was very difficult to get her help and monitor the progress.

What we are doing now has worked tremendously. She is enrolled at a reading clinic and was taught a new approach to reading. I have seen a vast improvement! This summer, she will go to summer school at a public school, and hopefully get help from the school's special resources. What recommendations can you give to prepare her for high school? I don't know if she can get her reading up to grade level by then.

A: It sounds as if the reading clinic has helped your stepdaughter a great deal, and they, too, may give you some additional recommendations. I would mainly suggest that she be allowed a later bedtime if she reads a half hour every night. Also, she could have her social studies and science books on tape so she won't fall behind on these subjects because of her reading.

Keep encouraging your stepdaughter, and help her to understand that although she may have to work harder than many kids, it doesn't mean she isn't intelligent. It only means that reading is harder for her. Many dyslexic kids make it through college with the help of tape recorders and computers and go on to make important contributions to our society. It isn't their fault that reading is a struggle, but they do need to rely on some crutches to help them through.

Dr. Sylvia Rimm, Phd

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