Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not possess word attack skills? If so, keep reading.
1. Develop a list of words and phrases from the student’s reading content that they do not recognize. Get the student to practice using phonics skills, context clues, image clues, etc., to decode these words.
2. Get the student to find words and phrases that they do not recognize. Make these words the student’s word list to be learned.
3. Teach the student word attack skills using a root word sight vocabulary to which several prefixes and suffixes may be added.
4. Praise the student every time they attempt to sound out a word. As the student shows success, slowly increase the number of attempts required for reinforcement.
5. Utilize a peer tutor to review word attack skills previously learned utilizing games and learning activities .
6. Make sure the student uses sight vocabulary to support weaknesses in phonics skills.
7. Make sure the student develops an understanding of listening to word sounds (For instance, say, “Listen to the following words, each of them starts with a /bl/ sound: blue, black, block, blast.”).
8. Make sure the student develops an understanding of seeing letter combinations that make the sounds (e.g., have the student circle all the words in a reading passage that begins with the /bl/ blend).
9. Give practice with reading /pl/ words, /pr/ words, etc., by presenting a high interest paragraph or story that contains these words.
10.Show skills in decoding words (e.g., using contractions from conversation, write the abbreviated form of the word, and the two finished words to show how to recognize the contraction).
11. Urge the student to try several sounds to arrive at the correct answer (e.g., delete letters from a word that is used in context and provide a few choices that are to be filled in).
12. Compose paragraphs and short stories requiring word attack skills the student is presently learning. The passages must be of high interest to the student using their name, family members, friends, pets, and exciting experiences.
13. Get the student to dictate stories that are then put in print for them to read. Make the student place emphasis on word attack skills.
14. Get the student to read high interest signs, advertisements, notices, etc., from newspapers, magazines, movie promotions, etc., placing emphasis on word attack skills.
15. Make sure the student is practicing word attack skills that are causally related to high interest reading learning activities (e.g., adventure, romance, mystery, sports, etc.).
16. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.
17. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.
18. Try using one of our many apps designed to teach literacy skills and help students with reading issues:
10 Apps That Teach Your Child to Read
7 Must-Have Apps to Make Learners Love Reading
7 Must-Have Phonics Apps and Tools
9 Reading Apps and Tools for the Elementary Classroom
The Tech Edvocate’s List of 24 Literacy Apps, Tools & Resources
