Reading

I Can’t Read!

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              We know students who have declared ‘I can’t read!’ What if you had the resources at your fingertips to know how to help struggling readers? Through the use of the site Edugains, I will examine three resources that demonstrate the way teachers can help students who struggle with reading, using academic research. 


“How to help students who struggle with reading”


            
  LiteracyGains (2013), explains how you can support struggling students in reading complex texts, through explicit instruction to build skills that will improve reading. This resource is particularly helpful for teacher candidates or new teachers! LiteracyGains (2013) outlines what good readers should do before, during and after reading. This list could be used to help inform your reading lessons and be used as a checklist for students to help them practice their reading skills.

 Here is a quick list of some ways you can help struggling readers, as outlined in LiteracyGains (2013) if you don’t have time to read the whole article (I know as teachers, we are very busy!).

·       Have students read texts that connect to their interests and personal experiences

·       Integrate teaching reading skills as you teach subjects

·       Model, use guided instruction, have students work in small groups to collaborate and work independently, to teach reading skills

·       Identify the needs of your group of students, create your lessons directed towards these needs, and continue to reflect on how your lessons are helping your students

Classroom Application and Curriculum Connection

The list above provides helpful and concrete ways that can be implemented to help struggling readers. These tips can be applied in the classroom in a variety of ways. You could first have an interest survey to help get to know your students. The Language Curriculum (2006) states that “Reading various kinds of texts in all areas of the curriculum will also help students to discover what interests them most and to pursue and develop their interests and abilities,” (p. 10). Work with students in small groups and individually to understand their specific needs and experiences with reading. When reading a text, first model the skills you want students to learn. Then move on to guiding the students in using the skill, using small groups and collaborative work. Finally, have students use the skill on their own. Throughout the process asses student’s ability with the skill, and scaffold the students learning through your support. Using this approach to learn a reading skill will help support students through direct instruction. 

“Using Multileveled Texts”


              Do your students who are struggling, feel ‘dumb’ because they are reading lower leveled texts than other students? Do they feel they will never be able to read? By using multileveled texts, students can read and discuss the same content together, as the book is the same but written at two or more levels to meet student needs (Cornford, 2012). By using these texts in the classroom students are motivated to read, persevere through harder texts, have better analysis skills, better comprehension skills, and want to discuss what they read with their peers (Cornford, 2012). Students are more confident to read as they don’t feel they are ‘below’ their peers. Diverse ability levels can work collaboratively, instead of a separation approach. 



Classroom Application and Connection to Curriculum 



              I found a site that has the same news article at different levels, which would allow the teacher to have students work in mixed ability level groups to summarize the article, identify the purpose, and look at the structure of news articles. This lesson meets the 2^nd overall expectation for the reading strand, which states that students should “recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning,” (p. 11). 


“Supporting Student Collaboration”

              By having students work collaboratively students can understand different perspectives, and work together to create new ideas (LiteracyGains, 2015). Students can read more complex texts, through the knowledge that working with peers allows the group to complete harder tasks (LiteracyGains, 2015). Using collaboration also helps students develop literacy skills they would not have learned working alone, such as understanding ideas from differing perspectives (LiteracyGains, 2015). This collaboration is important in helping students learn literacy skills when using guided reading, skill assessment, and when using multileveled texts. By applying collaboration in the classroom, it supports students in learning beyond their current understanding. The Language curriculum states that “As students develop their reading skills, it is important that they have many opportunities to read for a variety of purposes,” (p. 10).  Through collaboration, students can have more opportunities to read to develop skills. 

Resources

Cornford, C. (2012). Using Multilevel Texts. [online] Edu.gov.on.ca. Available at: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Multilevel_Texts.pdf [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

LiteracyGains. (2013). Necessary for Some HOW TO HELP STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH READING. [online] Available at: http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLiteracy/CE/7-12/ALERT/ReadingALERT_8X11.pdf [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

LiteracyGains. (2015). Make room for supporting student collaboration [online]. Available at http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLiteracy/CE/7-12/ALERT/ALERT_Collaboration_Winter2015-Letter.pdf [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2006). The Ontario curriculum grades 1‐8: Language [Media Literacy]. (p. 13). Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/language18currb.pdf