How to Teach Comprehension Strategies to Struggling Readers

Teaching reading comprehension to struggling readers can be a challenging task. However, with the right strategies and techniques, it can be an enjoyable experience for both the teacher and the student. In this article, we will discuss some effective strategies to teach comprehension to struggling readers.

Before diving into the strategies, let us first understand what comprehension means. Comprehension is the ability to understand, retain and recall what has been read. It is a crucial component of reading, without which the process of reading becomes meaningless. Struggling readers struggle with comprehension because they struggle with the decoding process.

Strategy 1: Activating Prior Knowledge
Activating prior knowledge is a strategy that taps into the student’s pre-existing knowledge of the topic to be read. This strategy allows struggling readers to connect new information to previously learned information, making the learning experience more meaningful. Teachers can ask questions or create activities that require the student to recall what they already know about the topic. By doing so, students feel more confident in their ability to understand the text.

Strategy 2: Creating Visuals
Creating visuals is an effective strategy to help struggling readers understand the text better. Teachers can use graphic organizers, pictures, and diagrams to represent the content visually. This approach makes comprehension more manageable for struggling readers as they can see what they are reading. The use of visuals also appeals to the visual memory, which is an excellent tool to help retain information.

Strategy 3: Using Context Clues
Context clues are hints or information that can be found within the text, which can help the reader understand the meaning of unknown words. Teachers can help struggling readers understand context clues by breaking down the text, highlighting or underlining keywords that may provide clues. By doing so, students can use their prior knowledge in combination with the context clues to comprehend the text better.

Strategy 4: Questioning
Asking questions is a technique that helps students develop their comprehension skills by encouraging them to think critically. The teacher can ask open-ended questions that require the student to draw conclusions or make judgments based on the text. This technique creates a scaffolding effect, where the student gradually builds on their understanding of the text by answering a series of questions.

Strategy 5: Re-Reading
Re-reading is a technique that allows struggling readers to re-visit the text and develop a better understanding of the content. Teachers can encourage students to re-read the text, either alone or with a partner. By doing so, students can identify areas where they struggle and seek clarification from the teacher.

In conclusion, teaching comprehension strategies to struggling readers can be challenging, but with the right strategies and techniques, it can be a rewarding experience. Teachers should activate prior knowledge, create visuals, use context clues, question, and encourage re-reading to help struggling readers develop their comprehension skills. By incorporating these strategies into their teaching, teachers can help students become confident, independent readers who can extract meaning from what they read.