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What do educators and families need to know about how children learn to read? Here you can explore reading "basics" - from oral language to comprehension - as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner.

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Reading 101 for Parents: Your Pre-K Child

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Discover the typical literacy milestones for your pre-kindergarten child, and how to support your child's developing skills in reading and writing. Use the links on the left to find activities, videos, and other resources to build skills in these key areas: understanding what print is, recognizing the sounds in speech, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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Reading 101 for Parents: Your Kindergartener

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Discover the typical literacy milestones for your kindergartener, and how to support your child’s developing skills in reading and writing. Use the links on the left to find activities, videos, and other resources to build skills in these key areas: recognizing the sounds in speech, phonics, fluency…

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Reading 101 for Parents: Your First Grader

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Discover the typical literacy milestones for your first grader, and how to support your child's developing skills in reading and writing. Use the links on the left to find activities, videos, and other resources to build skills in these key areas: recognizing the sounds in speech, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

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Reading 101 for Parents: Your Second Grader

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Discover the typical literacy milestones for your second grader, and how to support your child’s developing skills in reading and writing. Use the links on the left to find activities, videos, and other resources to build skills in these key areas: recognizing the sounds in speech, phonics, fluency,…

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Tips for Supporting Reading Skills at Home

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Tips for Supporting Reading Skills at Home

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Supporting Reading at Home: Kindergarten

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Supporting Reading at Home: Kindergarten

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Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

Kindergarten: Introduction

These videos and activities provide families with information about how to support children as they practice foundational reading skills at home.

Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

These Family Activities include easy-to-follow plans to help you support your child's foundational reading skills at home. Materials needed for each Family Activity, such as letter cards, are included. They begin with simpler activities and progress to more difficult ones. You may want to start with the first activity and move to the next when you notice that your child has a firm understanding of the content from that activity. We encourage you to select appropriate activities for your child, and feel free to set aside an activity that seems too difficult. The goal is to engage your child in activities that promote learning in a positive environment, not to induce frustration. The activities should be completed with the child, frequently, with patience, and positive feedback. Using the activities at home will be a fun way to spend family time together!

The Family Literacy Videos show families engaging their child in the Family Activities. The key points about the videos can help you know what to focus on for a specific activity.

Connect with REL Southeast

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educational improvement; excellence in education; educational research; statistics; statistical data; statistical surveys; regional educational laboratory program; rel; rigorous studies; fast response projects; no child left behind

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REL Resource | Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

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Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: First Grade

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: First Grade

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Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

First Grade: Introduction

These videos and activities provide families with information about how to support children as they practice foundational reading skills at home.

Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

These Family Activities include easy-to-follow plans to help you support your child's foundational reading skills at home. Materials needed for each Family Activity, such as letter cards, are included. They begin with simpler activities and progress to more difficult ones. You may want to start with the first activity and move to the next when you notice that your child has a firm understanding of the content from that activity. We encourage you to select appropriate activities for your child, and feel free to set aside anything that seems too difficult. The goal is to engage your child in activities that promote learning in a positive environment, not to induce frustration. The activities should be completed with the child, frequently, with patience, and positive feedback. Using the activities at home will be a fun way to spend family time together!

The Family Literacy Videos show families engaging their child in the Family Activities just described. The key points about the videos help you know what to focus on for a specific activity.

Connect with REL Southeast

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educational improvement; excellence in education; educational research; statistics; statistical data; statistical surveys; regional educational laboratory program; rel; rigorous studies; fast response projects; no child left behind

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
REL Resource | Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

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Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: Second Grade

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: Second Grade

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REL Resource | Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home

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Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child’s reading ability.

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: Third Grade

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Supporting Your Child’s Reading at Home: Third Grade

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Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

Third Grade: Introduction

These activities provide families with information about how to support children as they practice foundational reading skills at home.

Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

These Family Activities include easy-to-follow plans to help you support your child's foundational reading skills at home. Materials needed for each Family Activity, such as letter cards, are included. They begin with simpler activities and progress to more difficult ones. You may want to start with the first activity and move to the next when you notice that your child has a firm understanding of the content from that activity. We encourage you to select appropriate activities for your child, and free feel to set aside anything that seems too difficult. The goal is to engage your child in activities that promote learning in a positive environment, not to induce frustration. The activities should be completed with your child frequently, with patience, and with positive feedback. Using the activities at home will be a fun way to spend family time together!

Connect with REL Southeast

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educational improvement; excellence in education; educational research; statistics; statistical data; statistical surveys; regional educational laboratory program; rel; rigorous studies; fast response projects; no child left behind

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
REL Resource | Supporting Your Child's Reading at Home

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Learning to read begins at home through everyday parent-child interactions, long before children attend school. Your continued support of literacy development throughout elementary school positively affects your child's reading ability.

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20 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Interested in Reading

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20 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Interested in Reading

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1. Let your child choose their reading material. You may see them gravitate toward nonfiction, science fiction and fantasy, or humor. Whatever it is, be sure to provide ready access!

2. Subscribe to magazines that will interest them. Ask your child to choose one or two titles and put the subscription in their name to make it extra-special when an issue arrives. You can also visit a local library and explore their magazine collection.

3. Read the news together. Establish a routine for reviewing current events around the world. Ask your child how they feel about the headlines and encourage them to form opinions.

4. Keep up with what they're reading. If you can, read a few pages of their books yourself so you can discuss them together. If your child is a strong or advanced independent reader, this also allows you to judge material for age-appropriateness.

5. Talk about what they're reading. Asking your child what they like about their books compels them to make connections and think critically. Summarizing and sequencing events will challenge their reading comprehension (which is a significant component of standardized testing).

6. If they're struggling or bored with a book, let them put it down. Reading is meant to be fun, and the more kids enjoy their books, the more likely they are to keep reading. Achieving reading frequency takes practice, and that means trying different titles until that just-right book is found.

7. Ensure they have a good reading space. Let them choose the nook, and make sure it's well-lit and inviting. If you find your child is enjoying their reading space past bedtime, be flexible. Avoid asking your child to stop reading.

8. Play games that utilize reading. If you have a family game night, try incorporating word- and vocabulary-based games, like Scrabble or Boggle. Completing crosswords in the morning is another opportunity for learning new words and practicing spelling.

9. Encourage your middle schooler to read to a younger sibling. Letting your older child take over the nightly reading ritual once a week will ensure they read something. They may find their younger sibling's enthusiasm for stories contagious.

10. Visit the bookstore or library together. Make discovering new books a regular event where you get to share quality one-on-one time.

11. Encourage journaling. Journaling is a skill-building activity that allows your child to record observations, ambitions, problems, and solutions. Writing about their books further allows them to explore their interests, not to mention refine their book-reviewing techniques for class and build their social-emotional skills.

12. Explore books based on popular media. Your child may not know that the on-screen adventures of their favorite superhero continue in books. For example, check out The Bad Guys series and watch the movie! Literary extensions of multimedia franchises offer an entry point for reluctant readers drawn to movies and TV series.

13. Provide access to audiobooks. Books on tape are an easy way to connect your child with the rhythms and pace of a story - and they're surprisingly successful among this age group. Whether you're heading on vacation or just back-and-forth to school, try listening to a book that appeals to everyone. Equip your child's mobile device with an audiobook platform as well, so they can listen on their own time.

14. Model reading. From birth, your child is modeling their behaviors after you. Your pre-teen will follow your reading habits (though they'll never let you know it!). Let them see you reading, strike up a dialogue about what you're reading, and share interesting passages with them.

15. Allow and encourage kids to re-read their favorite books. Parents may be discouraged to see their child reading the same book over and over. In reality, they are reading for pleasure and likely picking up on new words and contexts with each read.

16. Leave reading material in the car. Pack a bag with books, magazines - whatever your child likes to read - for quick grab-and-read opportunities. Parents have told Scholastic in interviews that their child's favorite time to read is in the car on the way to sports practice.

17. Start a book club. Choose a title the whole family can read together, or help your child organize a regular meetup with friends to discuss a selection in person, virtually, or via text message.

18. Take reading outside. Enjoying books literally outside of the everyday routine shows kids books are there to be enjoyed and can provide an escape. They can listen to audiobooks while hiking, or find a peaceful park to read in.

19. Try out multiple formats of a book. Many popular book series, like Wings of Fire, have been adapted as chapter books and graphic novels, and others have corresponding audiobooks and e-books. A book's format can have a major effect on the overall reading experience: The illustrations and simple text of graphic novels, for example, are especially popular with reluctant readers who can comprehend context more quickly. Trying different formats also lets young readers experiment with different reading styles (e.g., digital vs. print), to determine what they're most comfortable with.

20. Meet an author. To bring life to the reading experience, help your child seek out local events with their favorite writers. If you can't meet an author in person, check out their official website, listen to interviews they've done, or watch book trailers for their books. Meeting an author and hearing what inspires them can inspire readers to seek out related titles.

Looking for more tips? See all expert advice about establishing reading routines at home.

Discover books your middle schooler will love below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.

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20 Ways to Keep Your Middle Schooler Interested in Reading

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Amidst the flurry of friends, homework, and hormones, your pre-teen may not feel like reading. Keep her interested and on track with these tips.

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Middle School Reading Apps and Websites | Common Sense Education

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These are the best reading websites for middle school students. Find everything from diagnostic tools to interactive e-readers, close-reading instruction, and even some online reading communities to help kids get engaged around high-interest topics and improve reading comprehension.

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Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

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Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

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This provides tips for how parents can help with reading in preschool and across all grade levels.

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Helping with Reading | Project Appleseed

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Parents are more concerned about their child’s progress in reading than in any other subject taught in school, and rightfully so.

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Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

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Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

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This provides tips for how parents can help with reading in preschool and across all grade levels.

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Helping with Reading | Project Appleseed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Parents are more concerned about their child’s progress in reading than in any other subject taught in school, and rightfully so.

# data[].attributes.headline
Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

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Engaging Families In Reading | Project Appleseed

# data[].attributes.body
This provides tips for how parents can help with reading in preschool and across all grade levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helping with Reading | Project Appleseed

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Parents are more concerned about their child’s progress in reading than in any other subject taught in school, and rightfully so.

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Motivating & Engaging Adolescents to Read

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Motivating & Engaging Adolescents to Read

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Motivating & Engaging Adolescents to Read

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Motivating & Engaging Adolescents to Read

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What is adolescent literacy? By Joan Sedita

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What is adolescent literacy? By Joan Sedita

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Ever since the report of the National Reading Panel in 2000, significant emphasis has been placed on research-based practices for teaching reading in the elementary grades. Early literacy achievement, however, is not necessarily a guarantee that literacy skills will continue to grow as students move beyond grade 3. Scores at the secondary level, where there has been relatively little investment by school districts or states, have remained flat. A growing body of research has developed about what students beyond grade 3 need in order to keep growing their reading and writing skills, why some struggle, and what effective instruction looks like, beginning with two seminal research reports: Reading Next (2004) and Writing Next (2007).

I've been in the field of literacy instruction for over 40 years, and while I've participated in many elementary reading and writing professional development projects (I was one of the lead trainers for Reading First in MA, and I'm author of the Keys to Beginning Reading professional development course), my passion has long been for teaching older students how to read and write. It all began with my first teaching job, working with teenagers with learning disabilities at the Landmark School in Massachusetts in the 1970's and 80's. One of my first published pieces was in 1980 titled "Section 504: Help for the Learning Disabled College Student." Many of the students I taught were applying to colleges and hit a barrier because, prior to Section 504, colleges could turn down their applications simply because they had a learning disability! From 1981 to 1984, I founded the Landmark College Preparation Program for 18-22 year-olds, which was later moved to Putney, VT and became Landmark College. The staff and I created curricula and teaching materials for teaching these older students with reading/writing difficulties the reading and writing skills they needed to succeed in college. That experience still informs my work today. Several of my Keys to Literacy professional development courses are focused on grades 5-12, including Keys to Adolescent Literacy, The Key Comprehension Routine, The Key Vocabulary Routine, and Keys to Content Writing.

The term adolescent literacy can be misleading - adolescent literacy is not limited to teenagers! This label is used to describe literacy skills for students in grades 4-12. The axiom that through grade 3, students are learning to read, but beginning in grade 4 they shift to reading to learn (Chall, 1983), sums up why grade 4 is the logical place to make the jump from early literacy to adolescent literacy. Adolescent literacy encompasses the skills that must be taught to all students so they can meet increasingly challenging reading and writing demands as they move through the upper grades, as well as what needs to be done for those students who fall behind who may need intervention instruction in foundational literacy skills.

Over the years I've collected numerous research reports, articles, book chapters, and books that focus on research-based practices for adolescent literacy. In 2011, I wrote a chapter for Judith Birsh's book Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills (3rd Edition) titled Adolescent Literacy: Addressing the Needs of Students in Grades 4-12 where I summarized the findings of the research and presented a model for literacy planning in the upper grades. I've organized a list ( Adolescent Literacy Resources) for this blog post that I hope educators who want to learn more about adolescent literacy instruction will find helpful.

Instruction for students in middle and high school grades (5-12) includes content literacy in the areas of vocabulary, comprehension, and writing for students who are at grade level, and intervention instruction for students with literacy that should target instruction based on the reading and writing skills that are not at that grade level. For many students who still have difficulty with decoding skills, this may include intervention in the areas of phonics and fluency. The research report Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices (Kamil et al., 2008) presented the following five major recommendations. Note that the first four are related to content literacy instruction that teachers of every subject can provide, while the last recommendation suggests that older students who still have difficulty with reading will need intensive intervention taught by well-trained teachers.

1. Provide explicit vocabulary instruction.

2. Provide direct and explicit comprehension instruction.

3. Provide opportunities for extended discussion of text meaning and interpretation.

4. Increase student motivation and engagement in literacy learning.

5. Make available intensive and individualized interventions for struggling readers that can be provided by trained specialists.

Content Literacy and Disciplinary Literacy
What's the difference? Content literacy typically refers to instructional practices for teaching vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills that are used across grades and in all subjects. For example, it is well documented that summarizing significantly improves comprehension as well as writing, and teaching summarizing is an example of content literacy. Similarly, activities for helping students make connections between vocabulary that is new and words already known (such as a Semantic Mapping activity) is a generic instructional practice that aids students in any subject. Disciplinary literacy typically refers to instruction that is very specific to a particular subject. That is, skills that teach students how to read and write like a scientist or mathematician. While there is a significant base of research about content literacy instruction across upper grades, there is not as much for disciplinary instruction. Many literacy experts suggest that a focus on disciplinary literacy should not start until high school for students who already have basic grade level literacy skills. A 2012 article (Fagella-Luby et al., "Building a House on Sand and Fog") makes this related point:

"There is growing interest in disciplinary literacy instruction as a primary means of improving adolescent literacy outcomes. At times, this disciplinary framework has been represented as a replacement for the more broadly known general strategy instruction. However, disciplinary literacy, a potentially powerful idea, cannot replace general strategy instruction for all adolescent learners because adolescents who struggle with reading and writing do not possess the foundational skills and strategies necessary to learn proficiently."(p 69)

Here's a list of free resources available from Keys to Literacy to support adolescent literacy instruction:

If you are interested in accessing literacy professional development for grades 4-12, visit the Keys to Literacy offerings page to learn about the live, virtual-live, and online courses for teaching vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

References

Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C.E. (2004)."Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy". A report from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Birsh, J. (Ed). (2011) Multisensory teaching of basic language skills, third edition. Baltimore: Brookes

Chall, J.S. (1983). Stages of reading development. New York: McGraw Hill.

Faggela-Luby, M.N., Graner, P.S., Deshler, D.D., & Drew, S.V. (2012). Building a house on sand: Why disciplinary literacy is not sufficient to replace general strategies for adolescent learners who struggle. Topics in Language Disorders, 32, 69-84.

Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve the writing of adolescents in middle and high schools - A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Kamil, M.L., Borman, G.D., Dole, J., Kral, C.C., Salinger, T., & Torgesen, J. (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A practice guide (NCEE#2008-4027). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education. Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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What is adolescent literacy? - Keys to Literacy

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Ever since the report of the National Reading Panel in 2000, significant emphasis has been placed on research-based practices for teaching reading in the elementary grades. Early literacy achievement, however, is not necessarily a guarantee that literacy skills will continue to grow as students move beyond grade 3.

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Adolescent Literacy Resources Compiled by Joan Sedita, Keys to Literacy

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Adolescent Literacy Resources Compiled by Joan Sedita, Keys to Literacy

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In the last few months I have seen a growing interest in adolescent literacy. This includes content literacy instruction for all students that is integrated across subject areas, as well as intervention instruction for older students who struggle with reading and writing. Between 2005 and 2015, a number of adolescent literacy research reports were published based on meta-analyses of research on effective practices for teaching reading and writing to older students, and the website was also launched (see the reference list). The visual below is a slide from a recent workshop I delivered about this topic. At that time schools and districts began addressing the literacy needs of older students, but over the past few years, literacy initiatives shifted focus primarily on the needs of PreK to grade 3 students. While this focus is essential, even if students leave grade 3 with grade-level reading and writing skills there is no guarantee that their skills will continue to grow to meet the demands of upper grades. Also, consider that the 2019 National Assessment of Education Progress reading scores were down from the 2017 assessment, with only 35% of 4th graders and 34% of 8th graders scoring at or above proficient.

If you are an educator who works with older students, the good news is that the focus is beginning to shift to grades 4-12. A number of state departments of education (e.g., Colorado, Ohio, Arkansas, Massachusetts) are offering professional development and grant funding to grade bands beyond the elementary level. And from personal experience, the number of inquiries for professional development about adolescent literacy coming in to Keys to Literacy is significantly growing. Keys to Literacy has several P.D. programs designed for content literacy instruction this grade range: The Key Comprehension Routine, The Key Vocabulary Routine, and Keys to Content Writing.

For this post I want to focus on some resources for reading and writing instruction for older students who struggle with reading and writing. The first is the recording of a 45-minute free webinar I recently did that is available at the Keys to Literacy Free Resources website titled "Reading Intervention for Older Readers" that has a companion Padlet with handouts and resources. The second is a series of virtual workshops I recently did for the Ohio Department of Education about reading interventions for older students that they have posed on Vimeo. Part 1 is titled Identifying Student Needs Part 2 is titled Matching Students to Interventions and Part 3 is titled Progress Monitoring.

In an earlier blog post ( January 13, 2021) there are links to a variety of adolescent literacy research reports and resources, including a copy of a chapter I wrote in 2011 titled Adolescent Literacy: Addressing the Needs of Students in Grades 4-12.
Levels of Instruction
What kinds of instruction do older struggling readers need? The chart below identifies 3 categories of instruction. The most obvious category for struggling students is Basic Literacy. Depending on a student's individual profile, appropriate intervention instruction might need to focus on any of the major reading components (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) and writing skills as basic as sentence structure. Diagnostic and progress monitoring assessments are needed to make intervention instructional decisions. We also know that for intervention to be effective at these grade levels, the instruction must be explicit, intensive in terms of time and guided practice, in small groups, and taught be trained intervention educators.

However, even if older struggling students receive a significant amount of intervention instruction, they will still spend most of their school day in general education, content area classess. This is why all teachers are needed if we are going to truly improve the literacy skills of these students. All students benefit from disciplinary and content literacy instruction that is embedded in subject areas (i.e., Tier I Core Instruction). Content literacy includes more basic vocabulary, comprehension and writing strategies that can be used in any subject area. Examples include summarizing, note taking, word knowledge checklists for vocabulary, and graphic organizers for planning before writing. Disciplinary literacy includes teaching students advanced literacy skills that are unique to a particular subject. This is sometimes referred to as teaching students to read and write like a mathematician, a scientist, or historian. Content area teachers will need to differentiate and scaffold their content literacy instruction to support struggling students.

Literacy Planning for Upper Grades
Schools and districts that are looking to address the needs of older students who struggle with reading and writing should consider developing literacy plans that take stock of what already exists in terms of literacy assessment and data use, core content literacy instruction, intervention instruction, literacy resources, and literacy professional development. As part of a literacy planning process, a school or district uses this information to establish goals and action steps that make up a long-term literacy plan for meeting the needs of students in grades 4-12. Keys to Literacy offers literacy planning support. To learn more about literacy planning in middle and high school, watch this recording of a workshop I did in 2020 for the Ohio Department of Education.

References, Reports

Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C.E. (2004)."Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy". A report from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve the writing of adolescents in middle and high schools - A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Graham, S.. and Hebert, M.A. (2010). Writing to read: Evidence for how writing can improve reading. A Carnegie Corporation Time to Act Report. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education

Heller, R., & Greenleaf, C.L. (2007). "Literacy Instruction in the Content Areas: Getting to the Core of Middle and High School Improvement." Alliance for Excellent Education.

Kamil, M.L., Borman, G.D., Dole, J., Kral, C.C., Salinger, T., and Torgesen, J. (2008). Improving adolescent literacy: Effective classroom and intervention practices: A Practical Guide (NCEE #2008-4027). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Murray, C.S., Wexler, J., Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., Klingler-Tackett, K., Boardman A.G., Miller, D., Kosanovich, M. (2010). Effective Instruction for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Professional Development Module - Second Edition. Center on Instruction. RMC Research Corporation.

National Institute for Literacy (2007). What content-area teachers should know about adolescent literacy. Washington, DC:National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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Reading Intervention for Older Struggling Students - Keys to Literacy

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In the last few months I have seen a growing interest in adolescent literacy. This includes content literacy instruction for all students that is integrated across subject areas, as well as intervention instruction for older students who struggle with reading and writing.

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Teaching teens who struggle with reading: What can help

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Teaching teens who struggle with reading: What can help

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At a glance

Kids who struggle with reading can face new challenges when they reach middle school and high school.

Reading methods based on research can help teens read more skillfully.

There are strategies for teaching decoding and vocabulary skills to teens.

Even when they've mastered the basics, kids who struggle with reading can feel new frustration as they move up in school. They might have trouble making sense of the more difficult texts they encounter in middle school and high school. But research tells us there are approaches that help. Here are a few.

Did you know that your child may be eligible for free digital text-to-speech books? Learn more.

Decoding is translating a printed word into its sounds. Teens with decoding difficulties need lots of practice and increased teaching time to develop reading skills.

A reading specialist is the best person to help a teen with this issue. A specialist can focus, for example, on prefixes and suffixes. So when teens come across a word like polygamy, they can be taught the meaning of the prefix poly. Then they can apply that knowledge to make sense of the meanings of specialized words beginning with that prefix, like polyhedron.

Struggling teens read slowly. They often stop to sound out words. They spend so much time and energy on decoding that understanding the overall meaning of what they're reading can be very difficult. This might lead them to be anxious.

Teachers can demonstrate fluent reading by reading aloud regularly. Even in middle and high school this is still a great technique. It's also important that teens get regular opportunities to read aloud in class.

Struggling teen readers usually don't want to read. And because they don't read, they don't learn new words. That's why teachers need to teach vocabulary words, then quiz students every week.

At the same time, teachers need to connect the new words to concepts students already know. They can also give them opportunities to use new words in different ways. Good vocabulary instruction includes synonyms, antonyms, and alternate meanings of words.

Helping with text comprehension

Asking questions during reading helps teens figure out whether they actually understand main ideas and important concepts. To help with this, teachers can have teens stop and write a short summary of what they've read after reading a paragraph.

One of the greatest challenges for struggling teens is finding books at their reading level that are still interesting. Sometimes a teacher will read a somewhat more difficult book aloud to a class. This can help the kids who are struggling with reading participate in the same instruction as classmates.

Key takeaways

Teens with reading issues need more intensive practice and time to develop reading skills.

A combined approach includes decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and understanding.

Audiobooks can help teens with reading issues.

About the author

About the author

Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.

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Teaching teens who struggle with reading: What can help

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Teens with reading issues or dyslexia may struggle with the more difficult texts in middle school and high school. An education expert explains what can help.

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This toolkit helps families and schools work together to support children's literacy success in and out of school.

You will learn:

Tips for starting or enhancing discussions about literacy instruction and intervention

Ways to increase your joint understanding of evidence-based literacy practices

Strategies for addressing concerns about children's literacy development together

This toolkit includes:

An Online Tutorial

Research Briefs & Infographics

Tools & Resources

Facilitator's Guides

Online Tutorial

Supplemental Materials

Explore these resources with ideas or questions linked to the tutorial.

Talk and Interact Often

Families and schools can partner for children's literacy success by talking and interacting often.

Big Ideas

Family engagement for children's literacy learning and achievement is a shared responsibility among families, schools, and communities.

Trust is the primary ingredient for strong home-school relationships for children's literacy learning and achievement. Strong home-school relationships rely on open, two-way communication.

An effective system of support and services for children's literacy learning involves home and school partnering together.

Visit these Resources to Learn More

Discuss Literacy Instruction and Intervention

Families and schools can partner for children's literacy success by discussing literacy instruction and intervention.

Big Ideas

Knowing what scientific research says about how kids learn to read can help you determine if the literacy approach, strategy, or program is evidence-based.

It is important to identify if the evidence-based literacy practices are appropriate for children's grade-level or if any key practices are missing.

Discussing literacy instruction and intervention can help you determine if the literacy approach, strategy, or program is designed and delivered effectively.

Visit these Resources to Learn More

Families and schools can partner for children's literacy success by sharing literacy resources.

Big Ideas

Two important foundational skills in early reading instruction are phonemic awareness and phonics.

For children who struggle to read, working with phonemes and decoding words can be especially difficult.

Learning to listen, speak, read, and write well also includes developing oral language skills and reading fluently and with meaning.

Visit these Resources to Learn More

Address Concerns Together

Families and schools can partner for children's literacy success by addressing concerns together.

Big Ideas

All children benefit from explicit, systematic reading instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Some children continue to struggle with reading even with evidence-based classroom reading instruction.

If you are concerned that a child's reading difficulties are unexpected or unusual, seek further information from and others about next steps.

Visit these Resources to Learn More

Facilitator's Guides

Explore More Toolkits

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Families and Schools Partnering for Children's Literacy Success

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This toolkit helps families and schools work together to support children's literacy success in and out of school.

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10 Key Reading Practices for All Middle and High Schools

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10 Key Reading Practices for All Middle and High Schools

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10 Key Reading Practices for All Middle and High Schools

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10 Key Reading Practices for All Middle and High Schools

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The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has prepared guides for parents or guardians which outline essential learning targets for students in grades K-8 for literacy, science, math, and social studies. Parents and guardians may print out these guides and post them on the refrigerator or keep one in the car for road trips.

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The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has prepared guides for parents or guardians which outline essential learning targets for students in grades K-8 for literacy, science, math, and social studies. Parents and guardians may print out these guides and post them on the refrigerator or keep one in the car for road trips.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has prepared guides for parents or guardians which outline essential learning targets for students in grades K-8 for literacy, science, math, and social studies. Parents and guardians may print out these guides and post them on the refrigerator or keep one in the car for road trips.

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Below you will find a toolkit designed for child care centers, educators, and others who work with parents of young children or who want to promote literacy. The toolkit includes sharable social media graphics and flyers promoting reading at least 10 minutes every day.

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Below you will find a toolkit designed for child care centers, educators, and others who work with parents of young children or who want to promote literacy. The toolkit includes sharable social media graphics and flyers promoting reading at least 10 minutes every day.

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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Arkansas

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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Arkansas

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Arkansas Imagination Library's mission is to increase literacy in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Arkansas Imagination Library believes reading begins at birth, the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and parents/guardians are a child's first and best teacher. By providing books at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among underserved families in high-risk communities of Arkansas.

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Arkansas Imagination Library | Fostering a love of reading

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Arkansas Imagination Library's mission is to increase literacy in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Arkansas Imagination Library believes reading begins at birth, the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and parents/guardians are a child's first and best teacher.

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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Arkansas

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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Arkansas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Arkansas Imagination Library's mission is to increase literacy in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Arkansas Imagination Library believes reading begins at birth, the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and parents/guardians are a child's first and best teacher. By providing books at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among underserved families in high-risk communities of Arkansas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Arkansas Imagination Library | Fostering a love of reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Arkansas Imagination Library's mission is to increase literacy in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Arkansas Imagination Library believes reading begins at birth, the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and parents/guardians are a child's first and best teacher.

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Choose a county to access a list of all the libraries in that county across the entire state of Arkansas.

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map Created with Sketch. Boone Marion Searcy Newton Benton Carroll Crawford Madison Washington Van Buren Conway Perry Pope Johnson Franklin Sebastian Logan Yell Scott Mississippi Cleburne Stone Jackson Fulton Randolph Sharp Izard Independence Baxter Faulkner White St. Francis Clay Greene Craighead Poinsett Woodruff Cross Crittenden Bradley Calhoun Clark Hempstead Nevada Saline Garland Hot Spring Dallas [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Choose a county to access a list of all the libraries in that county across the entire state of Arkansas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
map Created with Sketch. Boone Marion Searcy Newton Benton Carroll Crawford Madison Washington Van Buren Conway Perry Pope Johnson Franklin Sebastian Logan Yell Scott Mississippi Cleburne Stone Jackson Fulton Randolph Sharp Izard Independence Baxter Faulkner White St. Francis Clay Greene Craighead Poinsett Woodruff Cross Crittenden Bradley Calhoun Clark Hempstead Nevada Saline Garland Hot Spring Dallas [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Choose a county to access a list of all the libraries in that county across the entire state of Arkansas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
map Created with Sketch. Boone Marion Searcy Newton Benton Carroll Crawford Madison Washington Van Buren Conway Perry Pope Johnson Franklin Sebastian Logan Yell Scott Mississippi Cleburne Stone Jackson Fulton Randolph Sharp Izard Independence Baxter Faulkner White St. Francis Clay Greene Craighead Poinsett Woodruff Cross Crittenden Bradley Calhoun Clark Hempstead Nevada Saline Garland Hot Spring Dallas [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Choose a county to access a list of all the libraries in that county across the entire state of Arkansas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
map Created with Sketch. Boone Marion Searcy Newton Benton Carroll Crawford Madison Washington Van Buren Conway Perry Pope Johnson Franklin Sebastian Logan Yell Scott Mississippi Cleburne Stone Jackson Fulton Randolph Sharp Izard Independence Baxter Faulkner White St. Francis Clay Greene Craighead Poinsett Woodruff Cross Crittenden Bradley Calhoun Clark Hempstead Nevada Saline Garland Hot Spring Dallas [...]

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Ackerman, P.T. & Dykman, R.A. (1996). The speed factor and learning disabilities: The toll of slowness in adolescents. Dyslexia, 2, 1-21.

Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (1991). Conditions of vocabulary acquisition. In R. Barr, M. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, and P.D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research, Vol. II (pp. 789-814). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Catts, H.W., Fey, M.E., Zhang, X., & Tomblin, J.B. (1999). Language basis of reading and reading disabilities: Evidence from a longitudinal investigation. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3, 331-361.

Cunningham, A.E. & Stanovich, K.E. (1997). Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later. Developmental Psychology, 33, 934-945.

Curtis, M.E. & Longo, A.M. (1999). When adolescents can't read: Methods and materials that work. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

Fischer, P. (1999). Concept Phonics: Objectives and Activities, levels One and Two. Farmington, ME: Oxton House Publishers.

Greene, J.F. (1996). LANGUAGE!: The effects of an individualized structured language curriculum for middle and high school students. Annals of Dyslexia, 38, 258-275.

Henry, M. (1997). The decoding/spelling continuum: Integrated decoding and spelling instruction from pre-school to early secondary school. Dyslexia, 3, 178-189.

Lyon, G. R. (1998). Why reading is not a natural process. Educational Leadership, 55 (6), 14-18.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. Washington, DC: NICHD. (1-800-370-2943)

Shankweiler, D., Crane, S. Katz, L., Fowler, A.E., Liberman, A.M., Brady, S.A., Thornton, R., Lindquist, E., Dreyer, L., Fletcher, J.M., Stuebing, K.K., Shaywitz, S.E, & Shaywitz, B.A. (1995). Cognitive profiles of reading-disabled children: Comparison of language skills in phonology, morphology, and syntax. Psychological Science, 6, 149-56.

Shankweiler, D., Lundquist, E., Dreyer, L.G. & Dickinson, C.C. (1996). Reading and spelling difficulties in high school students: Causes and consequences. Reading and Writing: An interdisciplinary journal, 8, 267-294.

Shankweiler, D., Lundquist, E., Katz, L., Stuebing, K.K., Fletcher, J.M., Brady, S., Fowler, A., Dreyer, L.G., Marchione, K.E., Shaywitz, S.E., & Shaywitz, B.A. (1999). Comprehension and decoding: Patterns of association in children with reading difficulties. Scientific Studies of Reading, 31, 69-94.

Shaywitz, S.E., Fletcher, J.M., Holahan, J.M., Shneider, A.E., Marchione, K.E., Stuebing, K.K., Francis, D.J., Pugh, K.R., & Shaywitz, B.A. (1999).

Persistence of dyslexia: The Connecticut Longitudinal Study at Adolescence. Pediatrics, 104 (6), 1351-1359.Stanovich, K. & Siegel, L. (1994).

The phenotypic profile of reading-disabled children: A regression-based test of the phonological-core variable difference model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 24-53.

Torgesen, J.K., Alexander, A.W., Wagner, R.K., Rashotte, C.A., Voeller, K., & Conway, T. (in press). Intensive remedial instruction for children with severe reading disabilities: Immediate and long-term outcomes from two instructional approaches. Journal of Learning Disabilities.

Torgesen, J.K., Wagner, R.K., Rashotte, C. A., Alexander, A.W., & Conway, T. (1997). Preventive and remedial interventions for children with severe reading disabilities. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 8, 51-61.

Williams, J. (1998). Improving the comprehension of disabled readers. Annals of Dyslexia, 48, 213-238.

Wilson, B. (1996). Wilson Reading System, Instructor Manual (3 rd Ed). Willbury, MA: Wilson Language Training Corporation.

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These research-based reading strategies can build a foundation for reading success in students in third grade and beyond.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ackerman, P.T. & Dykman, R.A. (1996). The speed factor and learning disabilities: The toll of slowness in adolescents. Dyslexia, 2, 1-21.

Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (1991). Conditions of vocabulary acquisition. In R. Barr, M. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, and P.D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research, Vol. II (pp. 789-814). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Catts, H.W., Fey, M.E., Zhang, X., & Tomblin, J.B. (1999). Language basis of reading and reading disabilities: Evidence from a longitudinal investigation. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3, 331-361.

Cunningham, A.E. & Stanovich, K.E. (1997). Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later. Developmental Psychology, 33, 934-945.

Curtis, M.E. & Longo, A.M. (1999). When adolescents can't read: Methods and materials that work. Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books.

Fischer, P. (1999). Concept Phonics: Objectives and Activities, levels One and Two. Farmington, ME: Oxton House Publishers.

Greene, J.F. (1996). LANGUAGE!: The effects of an individualized structured language curriculum for middle and high school students. Annals of Dyslexia, 38, 258-275.

Henry, M. (1997). The decoding/spelling continuum: Integrated decoding and spelling instruction from pre-school to early secondary school. Dyslexia, 3, 178-189.

Lyon, G. R. (1998). Why reading is not a natural process. Educational Leadership, 55 (6), 14-18.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel, Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. Washington, DC: NICHD. (1-800-370-2943)

Shankweiler, D., Crane, S. Katz, L., Fowler, A.E., Liberman, A.M., Brady, S.A., Thornton, R., Lindquist, E., Dreyer, L., Fletcher, J.M., Stuebing, K.K., Shaywitz, S.E, & Shaywitz, B.A. (1995). Cognitive profiles of reading-disabled children: Comparison of language skills in phonology, morphology, and syntax. Psychological Science, 6, 149-56.

Shankweiler, D., Lundquist, E., Dreyer, L.G. & Dickinson, C.C. (1996). Reading and spelling difficulties in high school students: Causes and consequences. Reading and Writing: An interdisciplinary journal, 8, 267-294.

Shankweiler, D., Lundquist, E., Katz, L., Stuebing, K.K., Fletcher, J.M., Brady, S., Fowler, A., Dreyer, L.G., Marchione, K.E., Shaywitz, S.E., & Shaywitz, B.A. (1999). Comprehension and decoding: Patterns of association in children with reading difficulties. Scientific Studies of Reading, 31, 69-94.

Shaywitz, S.E., Fletcher, J.M., Holahan, J.M., Shneider, A.E., Marchione, K.E., Stuebing, K.K., Francis, D.J., Pugh, K.R., & Shaywitz, B.A. (1999).

Persistence of dyslexia: The Connecticut Longitudinal Study at Adolescence. Pediatrics, 104 (6), 1351-1359.Stanovich, K. & Siegel, L. (1994).

The phenotypic profile of reading-disabled children: A regression-based test of the phonological-core variable difference model. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 24-53.

Torgesen, J.K., Alexander, A.W., Wagner, R.K., Rashotte, C.A., Voeller, K., & Conway, T. (in press). Intensive remedial instruction for children with severe reading disabilities: Immediate and long-term outcomes from two instructional approaches. Journal of Learning Disabilities.

Torgesen, J.K., Wagner, R.K., Rashotte, C. A., Alexander, A.W., & Conway, T. (1997). Preventive and remedial interventions for children with severe reading disabilities. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 8, 51-61.

Williams, J. (1998). Improving the comprehension of disabled readers. Annals of Dyslexia, 48, 213-238.

Wilson, B. (1996). Wilson Reading System, Instructor Manual (3 rd Ed). Willbury, MA: Wilson Language Training Corporation.

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These research-based reading strategies can build a foundation for reading success in students in third grade and beyond.

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Arkansas Adult Education - Move ahead so life won't pass you by.

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We are the Adult Education Division of the Arkansas Department of Career Education (ACE). Since 1965, we have served more than one million adults across the state of Arkansas.

There are hundreds of Arkansas adults who lack high school diplomas and the skills and knowledge to succeed in the twenty-first century workforce. This impacts every community in Arkansas. It's devastating to the adults who want to fulfill the American dream of a better life for themselves and their families.

Mission Statement

To provide adult learners with the tools to improve and refine their academic skills, attain the General Educational Development ® Credential, and the life skills that prepare the citizen for self-sufficiency and improvement in the quality of life.

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About Arkansas Adult Education - Arkansas Adult Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are the Adult Education Division of the Arkansas Department of Career Education (ACE). Since 1965, we have served more than one million adults across the state of Arkansas. There are hundreds of Arkansas adults who lack high school diplomas and the skills and knowledge to succeed in the twenty-first century workforce.