It is no secret that reading is absolutely necessary in life. It can be very hard to get by in life without knowing how to read. Even the smaller things in life would be hard. Things like ordering off a menu or reading labels off of grocery cans at the store. Let’s face it – reading is a necessity!
We have heard about reading tips for helping to build fluency in younger readers. But what happens when older students need to build fluency too? Here are some great tips for helping older students to build reading fluency:
Partner reading is when two students are paired together to read a certain passage. I usually pair a stronger reader with a struggling reader. This way the stronger reader can read the passage first. Having heard the correct pronunciation of each word, the struggling reader feels less stress and is able to have greater success while reading the passage.
High-interest, low-level books are a great way to get older students to practice reading. Most of the students that I work with know that they aren’t good readers. I don’t want to insult them by making my high school students read little kid books even though that is the reading level they are at. I provide high-interest books written at a lower level so they can practice reading and hopefully enjoy the book they are reading. The more they enjoy the book and it applies to their life, the more likely they will read more thus becoming a better reader. Students need to be able to apply what they are learning to their life. The more connections they make to what it is they are learning, the more likely they will remember it.
Finally, celebrate every success no matter how small it may seem. Children who struggle reading, especially older students, don’t often feel successful. This leads to low self-esteem and a huge lack of confidence. By choosing to celebrate their successes, they will be more motivated to learn. Many of these students have never felt successful before. Once they taste success, you just might not be able to stop them!
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Back To The Basics – Teaching High School Students To Read
Parallel Reading with Teens
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