How to help students with poor reading skills

For teachers, having students with learning difficulties such as trouble reading can be challenging. You could find yourself unable to move to the next subject because of one student's reading comprehension. No teacher would want to move to the next subject knowing one of the students still doesn't understand the subject matter, but it's also unfair for the rest of the class not to move forward. While reading comprehension remains a challenge for the student, Victor Restis believes that teachers may also help by guiding their students and improving their reading skills.

Simply instructing your student to read more won't cut it. To get them interested in reading, you have to first know what they like to keep them interested. A 10-year-old who's into the latest Marvel movies would instead read a book adaptation of Infinity War than a dusty copy of "Moby Dick." If novels are too long in format, perhaps a collection of short stories would be better.

Asking students to read aloud can tell you a lot about their reading comprehension. This is why a lot of teachers ask students to read aloud passages from the book. Be keen when listening to your students. Chances are, those who stumble with their reading aloud do have problems with reading. Don't confront them about it immediately. Victor Restis suggests you talk to the student after class and confirm the student's problem before offering help.

One good pointer that teachers can pass on to students with difficulty reading is to use visual guides when reading. They can use their index finger to scroll through the words while reading. They can also use a ruler or a bookmark and position it horizontally to help read one line of the book at a time. Victor Restis notes that some kids get intimidated or even lost with all the words they see, which hinders them from reading properly. By using guides, they remove a lot of these distractions and helps them focus.