Subjects Matter-Help for Struggling Readings

This blog is entirely focused on how we as educators can know if a student is able to read or if the student is struggling as a reader. If a teacher was to ask their class how many of them enjoy reading the majority of the class would say they are non readers, this blog will focus on strategies for helping struggling readers. Daniels and Zemelman suggest six key strategies for teachers to help struggling readers; "1. Build supportive relationships, 2. Model thoughtful reading, 3. Use activities that build engagement with the text, 4. Promote self monitoring, 5. Use materials students can successfully read, and 6. Provide books and articles on tape."

Build Supportive Relationships
Students that have failed in the past usually avoid future failure so if they are going to be motivated to try something new or try again whether it be math, reading, or science a key factor in their decision is going to be that they have support.  Teachers need to provide an environment that teaches kids that even if they don't succeed this time, the fact that they tried is more than enough. A key factor in building supportive relationships is making the message powerful. Every teacher will have a different message to help students, one that is quite successful is availability. Constantly emphasizing to students that you are always available even if it means sacrificing some lunch time can really get them to trust you. Not all teachers can make themselves available twenty four seven but they can turn to other reading specialists and special education teachers in the school and ask for ideas to help their students become more successful in their discipline.

Modeling Thoughtful Reading
"Effective teachers help struggling kids by modeling their own mental processes as they read, rather than just exhort students to do something they don't know how to do." A lot of time struggling readers do not see the point in breaking down a text, by demonstrating this skill we effectively show students how to think about our particular subject. Teachers can use "think-alouds" to model the reading process and give students instruction rather than just instructions.

Activities that Build Engagement
Drama and drawing are key strategies that can help students become engaged in a text. "Once students experience some physical, visual, and auditory involvement, they more readily continue it as they move into their reading." One way to incorporate drawing is to have the students fold a paper into fourths and have them draw a picture of the various stages in each fourth as they read, this is called "sketching my way through a text."

Promoting Students' Self-Monitoring
In many classrooms students expect the teachers to do their thinking for them. We must teach students that we will not give them all the answers, but rather challenge them to seek the answer themselves. One suggestion is to have students place sticky notes where they get confused in a novel, then ask them to discuss this confusion with a partner, and if they are still confused then they can ask the teacher for help.

Using Material Students can Successfully Read
If a teacher only provides material that a struggling reader can not read, they are reinforcing the defeated attitude that usually lives within that person, the small voice inside saying just give up you will never understand. Teachers should provide a wide range of readings for each unit so that there is something available for every reading level and so that the students can fulfill the need to make choices in the classroom.

Providing Books and Articles on Tape
 I am not sure how I feel about this suggestion, but I did like the idea of students getting to not only listen to a voice as they read, but becoming more familiar with their own voice. Also one teacher mentioned had her students record a primary source article on tape and share it with the class, which helped the students understand both current events and more difficult pronunciation of vocabulary.

I think it is important that we still challenge struggling readers, but we do so in a way that doesn't further discourage them rather awakens their energy about reading. Until next time....