Introduce writing strategies that are current with the student’s literacy level.
Students will be able to succeed quickly when they can start with the basics and work up. By introducing writing instruction that is on par with demonstrated literacy levels, the educator can build a strong foundation of understanding without the student feeling overwhelmed. Understanding the mechanics of structured writing enables the student to test better at grade level. Once the fundamentals of writing are introduced, reading confidence improves.
Test with essay text that the student can comprehend.
If a student is not reading at grade level, it is unfair to give that student an essay text at grade level for testing purposes. As they struggle to read the text, they may develop test anxiety. Taking longer than the rest of the class to finish portions of a timed test is very discouraging. Avoiding “round-robin” reading activities in the classroom can mitigate the discouragement felt by struggling readers.
Slowly introduce grade-level text .
Once students can recognize the building blocks of sentence structure with easily readable text, they will soon be able to apply that knowledge to grade-level reading. Slowly introducing more difficult passages will increase students’ confidence. Reading comprehension skills will improve.
Reading and writing should be fun.
Remember that reading is more than instruction. Writing is more than words on a page. Finding subjects that reflect the student’s interests is paramount in strengthening literacy skills. When we are doing something fun, we don’t notice that it’s difficult. If students are engaged in the subject material, they will read more. Contact us for help in bridging the gap with your student(s).
