What Can Teachers Do To Encourage Struggling Readers

 

What Can Teachers Do To Encourage Struggling Readers 

As a struggling reader, it can often be demotivating to continue attempting to master reading. Every day at school might be filled with feelings of worry, frustration, and guilt for the students who have difficulty reading at grade level. This may be brought on by the frustration of trying to read the information in front of them and finding it difficult, or it may simply be a result of them witnessing their friends excelling at reading. In order to inspire pupils to read, it is essential to satisfy their social and emotional needs and motivate them. 

So, how do we motivate and encourage our struggling readers to keep trying? What measures can be put in place?

What can teachers do?

• Create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. Struggling readers may already feel intimidated and demotivated in the classroom. Creating a classroom environment that encourages learning will help them to feel motivated and have the desire to keep trying. This can also include your approach toward struggling readers. It is important that they do not feel like a burden or as though they are ‘frustrating’ you, but rather that you are eager and happy to assist them on their reading journey. 

• Do not allow bullying in the classroom. It is a common practice in some school environments that other students snicker, laugh, chuckle or make weird noises when a struggling reader is reading. In some cases, students even call the struggling reader names. As an educator, it is your responsibility to set the precedence for what will be allowed in the classroom, particularly the response to struggling readers. Cultivate an environment where classmates support and cheer on each other, rather than tease and make fun of each other. 

• Provide and facilitate individual sessions. For some struggling readers, reading in front of the class or in the presence of a large group is terrifying and daunting. Being given the opportunity to read privately (for the teacher) may encourage the student to keep trying as it eliminates the shame that comes with struggling to read in front of one’s peers. 

• Celebrate their progress. After 3 months of reading sessions, a student may not yet be at grade level, but they may have improved tremendously from where they would have started. This should be celebrated as it is still progress. Celebrating the small achievements would also motivate them to keep trying and improving their reading skills until they are at grade level or beyond. 

At The Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development, we offer an Individual Reading Assistance Program that assists struggling readers to build skills in: 

• Sight words and high-frequency words 

• Sounds recognition 

• Reading comprehension 

• Letter and word recognition 

• Phonics and phonemic awareness 

Our Reading Assistance Programme is designed to teach the foundational skills of reading to children with significant academic challenges, empowering them to achieve grade-level proficiency. Our dedicated tutors help struggling readers understand the basic mechanics of reading and help them develop critical reading skills that will help them develop a lifelong love of reading. 

Target Audience: Struggling readers between the ages of 5 years to 10 years. 

Persons interested in our Individual Reading Assistance Program can contact us at 1-868-474-9819. 

Chrystal Murray has a passion for imparting knowledge and adding value to the lives of others.

She has been an educator for over 14 years. She holds a B.A. Degree in History and Education from the University of the West Indies (UWI). She also possesses several professional certificates in Understanding Dyslexia, Successful Educational Strategies for Children with Special Needs, and Supporting Multiple Abilities through Differentiation just to name a few. She is also certified in Counselling Youth and Children and Parenting the Adolescent. Chrystal is the Founder and Principal of two academic institutions, the Caribbean Ivy League Academy and the Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development. She founded the Caribbean Academy for Reading Intervention and Development where she works assiduously with children who have reading challenges. She also uses this platform to motivate, inspire and help build confidence in the children who are in her care.

Chrystal Murray 

Reading Interventionist 

1-868-474-9819