Blog entry by Mickey Maresca
'Clarifying' aids in identifying and addressing confusion during reading, while inferring helps to fill in information not explicitly stated in the text. Lastly, 'summarizing' builds on retention by requiring students to refocus on key details and ideas in the text.
There's still a long way to go in resolving the issue, but the commitment seen on all fronts is an encouraging sign. We owe it to our children to afford them the best chance at succeeding acadically and in life beyond the textbooks. These educational resources for struggling readers are crucial steps towards building a future where literacy is not just a privilege, but a right. As Malala Yousafzai famously quotes, "One child, one book, one pen can change the world". So, let the turning of the pages commence.
Organization is another core study skill that students should cultivate. Keeping a neat and orderly workspace eliminates distractions, boosts focus and enhances productivity. Furthermore, organizing study materials makes it easier to find and use them effectively.
One critical aspect of these tools is that they are accessible from different platforms: web browsers, standalone desktop applications, and mobile apps; also, many offer browser extension features. As a result, they ensure on-the-go writing assistance for students across different educational platforms which can enhance their sentence structure, punctuation, vocabulary, and overall writing style, apart from just pointing out grammatical errors.
'Read Naturally Live' is an online program that combines various strategies like repeated reading and progress monitoring, to improve fluacy. Here, students work on high-interest, non-fiction passages at their individual levels. They initially listen to a passage being read fluently, this is followed by repeatedly reading the same passage and then, they record themselves reading it. Progress is tracked and students are also held accountable for the comprehension of the reading. The text-to-speech feature aids them in decoding difficult words, enabling them to read with ease and accuracy.
Lastly, the use of metacognitive strategies is another notable advancement. Metacognitive strategies involve 'thinking about thinking' and gives the child control over their learning. They are taught to ask themselves questions as they read, like "Do I understand what I just read?" or "Does this make sense in the context of the story?" By using these self-monitoring tactics, students can identify when they do not understand a passage and use problem-solving skills to figure it out. Allowing children to become self-learners empowers them and facilitates continuous improvement in their reading and overall academic skills.
Research indicates that 65% of fourth graders in the United States read below proficient levels, a concerning statistic disclosed by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Internationally, these numbers are sadly echoed. It is clear that providing supportive measures for struggling readers has become an urgent need across the globe.
'Making connections' involves linking the text to personal experiences, the world, or other materials read. 'Questioning' encourages students to ask themselves about the text while reading, promoting active learning. 'Visualizing' supports children in creating mental images of the content, enhancing understanding and recall. 'Making predictions' stimulates engagement and curiosity about the text.
By teaching comprehension strategies, primary schools equip students with skills necessary for the 21st-century learning experience. Students who can comprehend, interpret, question, connect, and formulate ideas about their readings are better equipped to manage the wealth of information that comes their way, across many platforms.
Improving reading fluency in struggling 4th graders poses significant challenges that demand innovative and effective educational techniques. A demonstrable advance that stands out in this context is an interactive approach involving the use of technology, specifically applications like 'Read Naturally Live' and 'One Minute Reader'.
These online tools, which include widely recognized names, such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Ginger, and Hemingway Editor, can monitor the students’ texts as they write and identify awkward sentences, unclear phrases, wrong use of words, and misused punctuation. Once an error is identified, the application suggests correct alternatives and clarifies why the initial text was incorrect, fostering essential learning points on grammar rules and applications.
Specifically, for middle school students whose writing skills are still evolving, these checker tools can help them to gradually learn and avoid repeating the same mistakes. The repetitive process accelerates the learning curve for students and assists them in becoming capable and confident writers.
The 'One Minute Reader' is an iPad app for independent reading where students read a story and then complete an exercise related to the story to test comprehension. They reread the story for one minute and take note of their progress in fluency. These applications adhere to the research-validated Read Naturally strategy and provide teachers with assessment tools to track each student's progress over time.