NIM Method May Help Young Reader

My son's reading comprehension tests at the fifth-grade level, while his decoding skills are at second. He is in the third grade. His desire to read is just beginning to improve from totally refusing to read anything. He is not a fluent reader and doesn't qualify for any special services from his school.
We read together for a short time each day, and I would like to try the NIM method, which you have described in your column, and anything else that might help him become a better reader. We are also considering a tutor. How can I find out more about NIM? - Need Help
Answer: It's great that your son is starting to catch on to reading. Be very supportive of his desire to read. The more he reads, the more fluent he will become. If you really want to concentrate on improving his fluency, you should have a good supply of material that is extremely easy for him to read aloud to you. Not only will it improve his confidence in his reading ability, it will also give him experience in rapidly identifying words.
The NIM method, where adults and children read aloud together following a specific procedure, is designed to improve children's fluency. It gives children exposure to a large number of difficult words, is easy for parents to use, and can deliver rapid progress for some children after as few as two hours of instruction.
Part of your son's fluency problem has to be his weak decoding skills. He is probably taking too long to identify words. Get the teacher to spell out exactly where his weaknesses are. A skilled tutor could be helpful. You want your son to have a good command of all the basic reading skills by the end of this year.
Visit the "Skill Builders" section of resources to find out to use NIM with your son. You'll also two other approaches designed to improve fluency.