The purpose of reading is to acquire meaning. Students who struggle to break words down phonetically may sacrifice comprehension. It is important to build decoding and fluency prior to expectations of facile comprehension. The suggestions below relate to non-impaired readers.
Use of alternative books or materials on the topic being studied.
Place questions or True/False statements at the end of paragraphs to elicit the main idea.
Provide a glossary or list of synonyms for unfamiliar words- especially technical terms.
Incorporate visuals, captions and graphics.
Overview and preview material before reading to revise and link to unknown material.
Encourage prediction- use visual images, captions, subheadings etc.
Provide student with a copy of class notes or outlines.
Teach and emphasize key words (the following…, the most important point…,etc.).
Graphic organisers illustrate structure and links between concepts.
Highlight topic sentences in each paragraph. Have students restate in their own words.
Teach strategies to find the main idea of a text.
Highlight important vocabulary and develop class glossaries.
Word bank of choices for answers.
Projects instead of written answers.
Highlight key directions.
Consider using a ‘reader’ during assessments if fluency hinders comprehension.
Allow student to work in a quieter area of the classroom to maximise concentration.
Consider strategic seating closer to teacher or more able peers.
Don’t put students ‘on the spot’ to answer specific questions.
Allow areas of the classroom for ‘discussion groups’.
Access to SLSO or peers for assistance.
Cooperative Learning Strategies can be effective but require monitoring.
Jigsaw reading for fluency and understanding.
Reduced literacy demands?
Broken tasks down into smaller, manageable steps?
Explicitly taught note-taking and study skills?
Incorporated frequent revision activities and study notes?
Established a peer mentoring program or provided SLSO assistance?