| Struggling readers have a number of barriers | | | | If a struggling student sees himself or |
| to their success that can be overcome if they | | | | herself as a non-reader or a poor reader, |
| are properly understood and addressed. Left | | | | they may not be motivated to learn to read. |
| unchecked, these barriers can grow into an | | | | They might not see any use in learning to |
| unmanageable weight for both the student and | | | | read. If there isn't any intrinsic or |
| the educators who are trying to help them. | | | | extrinsic motivation for them to read, they |
| | | | might choose to give up. Struggling readers |
| 1. The Experience Struggle | | | | may have a defeatist attitude toward reading |
| | | | since they have already decided that they |
| Ten chances to one, a struggling reader will | | | | "can't" read. Students are disinterested in |
| not have much book experience. There is a | | | | reading because of their lack of success in |
| great disparity in the amount of book | | | | reading. Reading becomes an activity that is |
| experience children entering kindergarten | | | | irritating, annoying and negative to them, so |
| have: some have none; some have well over | | | | they find other activities with which they |
| 1000 hours of quality book experience with | | | | can experience success (such as sports). |
| their parents. Children with no book | | | | |
| experience enter kindergarten without such | | | | Solutions: The key solution is to give the |
| simple knowledge as where the book begins, | | | | struggling reader many good reasons why they |
| what direction the text is supposed to be | | | | should learn to read. This might involve |
| read, and where the book ends. Children | | | | exposing them to many different jobs where |
| without book experience probably don't have | | | | reading is necessary, not to mention the |
| parents who read, and they don't see reading | | | | benefits to their school career. Struggling |
| as being an everyday activity that is done | | | | readers need to experience success--that is |
| for enjoyment. As time goes by, the | | | | the intrinsic motivation--in reading many |
| difference in the amount of book experience a | | | | times, so goals should be set that are |
| struggling reader has and his or her peers | | | | achievable in the short-term. For some |
| have increases. | | | | students, extrinsic motivation might work at |
| | | | the beginning. For example, they might |
| Solution: A lot of book experience before, | | | | receive stars on a chart, or a pencil for |
| during, and after school. This is easier said | | | | reaching a goal. Try to move from the |
| than done because resource people including | | | | extrinsic to the intrinsic because after a |
| the parents are required to fully help this | | | | while extrinsic rewards don't carry the same |
| struggling reader. | | | | weight. |
| | | | |
| 2. The Self-Esteem Struggle | | | | 4. The Comprehension Struggle |
| | | | |
| Struggling readers are often embarrassed to | | | | Many struggling readers are able to decode |
| read in front of their peers because they can | | | | text with few problems, but they have no idea |
| not read as well as them. Struggling readers | | | | what it is about. They may be able to answer |
| are the brunt of criticism, jokes, and | | | | explicit questions about the text, but any |
| teasing when they read in front of their | | | | question requiring a higher level of thinking |
| peers, so they often avoid it like the | | | | may be difficult. |
| plague. They might deliberately try to get | | | | |
| sent into the hall or office if they know | | | | Solutions: Good readers already have a sense |
| that oral reading is approaching. If they are | | | | of how to make meaning from text--they |
| called on to read, they try extra hard to | | | | re-read, they question, they interpret, they |
| struggle because they quickly learn if they | | | | self-monitor, they clarify, they judge, they |
| struggle too much, someone else will take | | | | predict, they do everything that a struggling |
| over. If they do manage to read out loud, | | | | reader does not. The solution is to teach the |
| they might obsess over how the reading sounds | | | | struggling reader all of the reading |
| rather than trying to make meaning from the | | | | strategies that good readers use as a matter |
| text. | | | | of practice. What is innate in good readers |
| | | | is a mystery to struggling readers. Give them |
| Solutions: Have struggling readers read | | | | many opportunities to practice these reading |
| one-on-one with a teacher or a peer who can | | | | strategies. |
| give them positive feedback on their reading. | | | | |
| Let them practice ahead of time, anything | | | | 5. The Other Struggle |
| they need to read in front of others. | | | | |
| Instruct the whole class that saying words | | | | Each struggling reader is unique. There could |
| out loud while someone else is reading | | | | be another or many other reasons why they |
| doesn't allow that person to use reading | | | | struggle. They might have a learning |
| strategies themselves. This will make the | | | | disability or a rotten home life. Whatever |
| struggling reader accountable to try their | | | | the struggle, try to overcome it by educating |
| best without singling them out. | | | | yourself on the struggling reader's needs |
| | | | including finding as many strategies as |
| 3. The Motivation Struggle | | | | possible that will support him or her. |
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