Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

In Part 1 of 2 we discussed the importance of phonemic awareness, phonics and reading specialists. In Part 2, we’ll focus on teaching strategies and recommendations for action. As in Part 1, the quotations come from the National Institute for Literacy’s publication, What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy. You can download it from www.nifl.gov.

Teaching Strategies

“Research on phonics indicates that certain phonics instructional strategies improve the reading abilities of both younger and older readers” (p. 6).

“Scientific research supports the use of direct, explicit, and systematic instruction for teaching phonemic awareness and phonics. Examples of steps that could be used by teachers are listed below; however, note that for adolescent students this instruction is most appropriately delivered by a reading specialist rather than a content-area instructor:

• Explain, demonstrate, and model the skill or strategy with content-area words and within the context of the subject matter students are currently learning.
• Guide students to practice the skill or strategy and provide corrective feedback (or informing the student of their incorrect practice and giving them the correct information).
• Provide time for independent or peer-collaborative practice of the skill or strategy.
• Repeat these instructional steps until students are able to apply the skill or strategy independently in their reading and writing” (p. 7).

“Adolescent readers who struggle with decoding need extra time to decode each word and to apply their higher order thinking skills to comprehend fully the text that they read. These students will need extra time for reading in the classroom and outside of class. For adolescent students who struggle with decoding, they should be referred to the reading specialist on staff to more intensively address their reading needs” (p. 8).

Comment. When schools make content-area teachers responsible for phonics and other decoding instruction, it frustrates them and deprives students with reading disabilities of the expertise they need and opportunities to learn. In my 40-plus years of experience in education, I’ve found no substitute for having a knowledgeable, skilled, and dedicated reading specialist diagnose students’ reading disabilities, consult to parents and teachers, provide instruction, monitor progress, adjust instruction when monitoring shows it’s not working or the student can advance more quickly, and help content-area teachers do the same.

Recommendations for Action

If your teenager struggles to recognize words quickly and accurately, request, in writing, that the school’s reading specialist evaluate him or have him evaluated by a private specialist with a doctorate in reading or reading disabilities. If you use a private specialist and you’re happy with the quality of his services and report, share the report with school personnel and ask the specialist to attend a meeting or two with them. Here, he can explain his findings and recommendations and answer their questions.

If, after this, school personnel refuse to provide your child with ongoing help from a reading specialist, show them What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy. In it, underline the quotes in this post. If they still refuse, consider hiring an attorney with a strong track record of problem solving with schools and getting services for students with disabilities. The reason for this extreme, stressful, and expensive measure is simple: Without the proper help, your child will likely have a bleak future.

Resource

National Institute for Literacy (2007). What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy. (www.nifl.gov).

HM © Reading2008 & Beyond