Of course, every child is different, but my child is gifted with ADHD and her reading comprehension did not really hit a good level until 5th grade.  Even now (6th) grade, I make sure to ask specific questions about what she’s reading and she cannot always tell me.  Yet, she’ll test at a 9th grade plus reading level.  I have found that it sometimes helps to read to her. 

Perhaps they’d be willing to orally give him the test, or perhaps he needs a different time line than the other kids?  Does your son have an IEP plan or a 504 plan? 

I feel for you.  Hang in there, and don’t give up trying to find a good solution.  I do hope you have a group of teachers willing to work with you.  The main thing is not frustrating your son too much, because he will begin to believe that he cannot succeed in reading.

Do they take the test just after finishing reading the book ?  Our ADHD son seems to take some time for the material to bounce around in his head before he can then regurgitate the information

I’d have your son tested for learning disabilities. It’s not unusual to be gifted, have ADHD and also have a learning disability.That’s my son’s case, identified in grade two as gifted, with ADD in grade 4 , he’s now a junior in HS and only identified as having a reading disability and visual-motor disability as freshman because   he manged to do well until then with other compensatory strategies.

We do not have an IEP or 504 plan in place because after he was tested last year they said that because his grades weren’t being affected there was no need for one.

It’s so frustrating to see bright kids struggle, isn’t it?  I don’t really have an answer, but I can share a few of the things I’ve noticed with my 12-year-old daughter. First, she rushes. She gets the general concept, but reading comprehension at the lower levels focused on details that she couldn’t remember. (i.e. she remembered that the kid in the story found a lost dog, and how that played out, but not what color collar the dog was wearing.) Second, part of it is also an organizational thing; she still struggles with “which thing is most likely to happen next” questions because in her mind she can come up with a rationale for ANY of the options to happen next. Third, she doesn’t read the questions fully, so she sometimes doesn’t know what they’re asking. As annoying as it is, she needs to read questions out loud because it helps her read to the end. (Also true of story problems in math.) Finally, and this is harsh, I had to tell her not to overthink it. He might be thinking about meaning and all they are really asking is simple content.

I have noticed that the more engaged my daughter is with the book, the more she retains. When she reads, we disguss each page. We ask each other questions or show each other objects on the page that are interesting that will help her follow the story, understand the story and remember the story. And we switch it up. Sometimes we will start the book but look at the pictures before reading. I’ll ask her to look at the pictures and tell me what she thinks is happening in the story. Sometimes you’ll get some funny answers but this invites the child into a story as a participant instead of a spectator standing on the sidelines. Once you feel he is proficient with this, read 2 pages and discuss it, then 3, then 4. Also, play a game with him. Have him read you the story and ask you questions about the story. Answer some, but then get some wrong so he can correct you. Kids love that.

Danielle, I totally agree.  Involving your child into the story will definitely get them more interested in ‘what will happen to them’, ‘why did that person do that’ and ‘what do you think the main character will do next’.  But, of course, this is at home one-on-one with them.  Take short breaks to summarize and regurgitate. My son is 13 now, and comprehension is still a difficulty.  Find supplemental reading at home on topics that they choose.  My son loves dragons, mythology, and Harry Potter, and couldn’t get through the books fast enough.  Because there was an interest and he was trying to understand what’s coming up, or why the hero slayed that dragon rather than this one, it THEN got much better at school by some degree.    Bvs_sugar, it makes me so mad to hear of parents who are told their child ‘doesn’t need’ an IEP or a 504.  There ARE kids out there who need one who are ‘gifted’ like our kids in this column, but their grades don’t necessarily reflect that.  We have struggled against the school system in our district since he was in first grade to be given ‘accomodations.’  Long story short, WE ended up having to TELL the school ‘This is what we want to happen, THIS is what will be done about it.’  The squeaky wheel definitely got the grease in our case.  He is now in eighth grade, and still has his problems, but the district definitely ‘knows’ us.  We’ve tread lightly as we’ve gone on, however.  The rule in our district for ANY kind of IEP or 504 is that a child has to have a ‘professional learning disability diagnosis’, such as ADHD, autism, etc…, written by a licensed physician.  It doesn’t matter what the child’s grades are, as long as it’s the wish of the parents to use this diagnosis to set up accomodations to make learning ‘easier.’  What a blessing, I suppose.  Perhaps there are districts out there where it is much more difficult to get the help you need.  My son was on an IEP with his ADHD for 3 years, but it was not until we filed a 504 after non-adherence by mostly everyone, that we finally got teachers involved on a daily basis.  Sorry, I digress, but you must be a champion on behalf of your child.  Hopefully your district offers FREE student services such as occupational therapy, social workers, school psychologists, or counselors for those people who simply ask for them.  I did my research, I asked about available services, I set up meetings, I called teachers.  You cannot be expected to do this alone, and that is what these professionals in your area are there for.  Most of these people are there because they want to be and they care.  Please continue to do what you’re doing, it’s exactly what I have done all along.  The school will do what the school will do.  Hope this helps!