> Right now, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard
 > place.  My six (almost) seven year old is having difficulty with reading.
 > Honestly, my husband and I see it more as a problem of focus rather
 > than understanding what he has learned. (When he reads to us at home,
 > it's slow going, but he does it and does it well!)
 > He has a serious problem with test-anxiety in
 > any subject, but reading verbally and writing answers
 > to a verbally given test seem to be the hardest for him.
 > If it's a math test....go figure...he does it in a
 > breeze.
There's a theory about sides of the brain - one side is supposedly language 
and creatively organized, and the other the mathematical and logical side. I 
don't know how true that theory is, but perhaps your son's strength is in the 
logic. Math is logical. The answers are either right, or wrong. With 
language, tho, part of an answer can be correct, and the other part 
incorrect. The logic of that bothers a lot of folks that are mathematically 
oriented. Also, if your son is just a bit afraid of his reading skills 
(probably worried that they're "not good enough" since you mentioned him 
going to 2 reading groups), he probably doesn't have to do much reading in 
math tests. Therefore, he's automatically more comfortable.
 > His first grade teacher has farmed him out to (not 1),
 > but 2 outside the classroom reading groups, (one of which causes him
Eeeeeeeeeeeew.......you should have been given a chance to say yay or nay on 
those. Even if your state approves it (which I doubt), you don't have to. 
Most states require a certain amount of PE for each child. Also, missing part 
of lunch is not only missing a portion of his nutritional needs (I'm 
assuming, tho, that they give him a reasonable amount of time to eat), but 
it's also a social time - time to practice manners, getting along with other 
children, etc.
Where does he go for these groups? Another class? A remedial teacher? Groups 
in the hall with a mom helper or teacher aide? The reading specialist?
 > I have the feeling that these classes are making it
 > harder for him to focus
Probably.
 > He did not have any noticable problems in
 > kindergarten...Actually he did very
 > well.
What kind of kindergarten was it? Developmental (lots of hands on activities 
and "play") or academic? That might have a lot to do with his current 
problems, too.
I used to teach primary grades (K,1,2 and a little bit of 3 in a 2/3 
combination), so perhaps I can give you some things to look for....let me 
know if I can help.....
                                 -donna
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