Helping Struggling Readers
While most students entering secondary school are expected to read on a secondary level, effective classroom teachers recognize that some secondary students are lagging in reading skills. This week, we provide suggestions for improving instruction for struggling readers.
This Week's Tips
Anticipation Guides Improve Reading (Monday)
Create a series of generalized statements related to a passage of text. Prior to reading, ask students to write down each generalization (see the download) and indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with the generalization. As students read the passage, they should take notes on the issues presented by the generalizations. After reading, students should evaluate their original marks to determine if their level of agreement or disagreement has changed. Follow the anticipation guide with an explanatory writing or discussion activity.
Create a Reading Question of the Day (Tuesday)
Focus students on specific information by opening class with a question of the day. Distribute large index cards to students and have them write the question of the day on the front. During reading, students should note on the back of the card information useful to responding to the question, as well as the page and paragraph number where the information was uncovered. Close the class period with a five-minute writing session in which students construct a paragraph answering the question of the day with the information from the back of the card. Collect the responses and read each aloud, anonymously. Have the class determine whether each response answers the question of the day.
Encourage Purposeful Reading (Wednesday)
Before reading, establish a purpose by directing students to read to determine the most important word in the assigned passage. After reading, students should identify the most important word and provide at least three details supporting their choices.
Encourage Purposeful Reading (Thursday)
Before reading, establish a purpose by directing students to read to determine the most important word in the assigned passage. After reading, students should identify the most important word and provide at least three details supporting their choices.
Pre-Reading with a Key Word List (Friday)
Generate anticipation in students through prior knowledge and inferences. Consider the reading assignment and create a related series of categories. Pull 15—20 words from the assignment (not too many words unknown to most students) and ask students to categorize the words based on prior knowledge or assumptions. Finally, ask students to write a statement of anticipation using as many of the key words as possible. See the download for a sample graphic organizer.
