Helping Struggling Readers In The Classroom
Filed Under K-12
Teachers of young children know that their students are not going to all learn at the same rate at the same time. But sometimes, it becomes obvious that one or more children are truly struggling with their reading skills: it may not be motivation; it may be a matter of capability. Here are some strategies that might help.
It’s important to have a complete assessment done of the child’s reading prowess in order to determine if he’s just lagging a little behind, or if his problem is symptomatic of a more serious disability. An assessment will help to determine what kinds of methods might be effective in helping him develop the skills necessary to be a good reader: no two kids are exactly alike, after all.
If a child has a problem with decoding text, it might be helpful to practice these kinds of strategies with him:
–Use pictures along with the text to help him figure out what the word is.
– Have him tap into what he already knows in terms of syntax: for example, if he’s reading a sentence, ask him what the next word probably is within the context of the text: “It is ‘the’ dog, not just ‘dog.”
– Have him read familiar text over and over so that he develops a visual cue system for picking out certain letters and words.
– Have him check periodically to see if what he’s reading makes sense to him: does it sound right?
If comprehension is the main issue, the strategies for addressing this problem will be much different.
– Have him reread parts that he doesn’t understand, and have him break down the sentence into easier chunks whenever possible.
– Have him “interact” with the text by providing him with small post-it notes. As he’s reading, have him jot down questions about what’s going on in the text or have him give little synopses from time to time. This will encourage him to pay attention to what he’s reading.
– Have him relate the text to himself and his own experiences, to someone else he may have read, or to the world at large. This “text to self,” “text to text”, “text to world” analysis again helps him to think about the subject matter and pay attention.
Whatever the nature of your student’s struggle with reading, a teacher should take care to provide daily intervention methods to help them succeed, and conduct regular assessments to see how the child is coming along.
If you are looking for an excellent reading intervention program, or if your students are in need of intervention for math strategies, check out the quality materials available at Scholastic Teacher Store. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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