Learning to read is an essential component of success for every human being. Literacy allows people to learn, excel in school and have hope for the future. Here are six research-proven methods to improve the reading skills of the children in your classroom.
Ear Reading
This method can be used with all students, but it is a particularly useful one for children who struggle with dyslexia. Paired with other early learning strategies, such as phonemic and phonological awareness, ear reading can help provide gains in reading accuracy and motivation to learn. The child listens to an audiobook while reading along with the text with this strategy.
Student Choice
Diversify the library in your classroom so your students have a variety of books to choose from. If you constantly tell them what they have to read, it will shut down their desire to open a book. Encourage them to be challenged by what they choose while also enjoying the topic.
Choral Reading
Choral reading is when the teacher and students read a text together. This allows struggling readers to try reading out loud without feeling embarrassed.
Reading Buddies
Improve the relationships between the different grade levels in your school while encouraging reading when you set up a reading buddy system. Each emerging reader is paired with an older buddy and they read books to each other. The older students model advanced reading skills and benefit from learning leadership skills while the younger students gain mentorship and social skills.
Multiple Readings
Reading the same text multiple times in various settings helps improve pronunciation and fluency. A child can read the text in the classroom, with a teacher, alone and in pairs.
Using a multitude of strategies in the classroom ensures you’re reaching each child with the method that best suits them so they can become avid readers as the year progresses.
