Are you looking for strategies to help students who cannot complete learning activities because of reading issues? If so, keep reading.
1. Make sure the student achieves success when following written instructions.
2. Stop the student from becoming overstimulated (e.g., frustrated, angry, etc.) by a learning experience.
3. Give the student a copy of written instructions at their desk in addition to on the smartboard, posted in the classroom, etc.
4. Place the student near the source of the written information (e.g., smartboard, projector, etc.).
5. Make sure the print is bold and large enough to enable the student’s success in following written instructions.
6. Transfer instructions from texts and workbooks when images or other stimuli make it complicated to pay attention to or follow written instructions.
7. Give the student a quiet space (e.g., carrel, study booth, etc.) where they may go to take part in learning activities that require following written instructions.
8. Complete the first problem or problems with the student to make sure that they follow written instructions.
9. Get the student to carry out written instructions one step at a time and then check with the teacher to make sure that each step is successfully finished before trying the next.
10. Once the student shows success, slowly increase the level of difficulty or complexity of written directions, explanations, instructions, content, etc.
11. Alter or adjust the reading level of the content presented to the student to enable success.
12. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may make it complicated for the student to finish tasks because of frustration with reading difficulties.
13. Present new words and their meanings to the student before they read new learning materials. These may be entered in a vocabulary notebook kept by the student as a reference for new vocabulary words.
14. Refrain from placing the student in awkward reading skills (e.g., reading aloud in a group, identifying that the student’s reading group is the lowest level, etc.).
15. Record complicated reading content for the student to listen to as they read along.
16. Provide the student time to read a selection more than once. Place emphasis on comprehension rather than speed.
17. Utilize reading sequence content with high interest (e.g., adventure, romance, mystery, sports, etc.) and low vocabulary.
18. Minimize the amount of content the student reads at one time (e.g., lessen reading content to individual sentences or one paragraph, etc.). As the student shows success, slowly increase the amount of content to be read at one time.
19. Make the curriculum important to the student (e.g., explain the purpose of a task, relate the curriculum to the student’s environment, etc.).
20. Provide the student one task to finish at a time. Present the next task only when the student has successfully finished the prior task.
21. Consider using AI to teach reading comprehension.
22. Consider using Alexa to teach reading skills.
23. 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
