HELPING

STRUGGLING
READERS
W H AT YO U C A N D O I N YO U R
OW N C L A S S

MIND-BLOWING FACTS
Reading is associated with a 35%
reduction in the risk of dementia. It
can reduce stress levels by 68%.

WHY READING ACROSS THE

CURRICULUM MATTERS
In nearly all subjects, students are expected to do
some amount of independent reading. The reading
requirements increase each year.
Help students understand that reading occurs in
all aspects of life not just in English class, and
not even just at school.

Turn and talk what reading occurs in your class?

What are your reading expectations for your
students?

CREATING A CULTURE OF
READING
STEP ONE READING ROLE MODELS
Children read more when they see other people reading
We expect them to have reading role models at home, but many dont
Role models shouldnt just be in English class
Reading doesnt end when formal schooling ends

How can you be a reading role model?

Ask students what they are reading & take their book suggestions
Share what you enjoy about the books you read
What Im Reading signs outside of classrooms

Turn & Talk What are you reading right now? Whats a book you
could recommend to someone in search of one?

MIND-BLOWING FACTS
Research from the University of Londons Institute of
Education found that reading for pleasure was more
important for childrens cognitive development
between ages of 10 and 16 than their parents level of
education.

Turn & Talk What was your favorite book in middle

school?

CREATING A CULTURE OF
READING
STEP TWO CREATE LITERACY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS
IN EVERY CLASSROOM
A literacy-rich environment: full of print, word walls, books, and reading
materials
Supports both CCSS and provides a setting that encourages reading.

Also supports speaking, listening, and writing in a variety of authentic

ways.
Pinterest has lots of ideas for middle school word walls!

MIND-BLOWING FACTS
In some middle schools where reading is a top
priority, time is devoted to silent reading each day.
For 15 minutes every day at Parkdale Middle
School, for example, everyone on campus reads
silently.
The majority of students and teachers at this
school feel that time devoted to silent reading
contributed significantly toward creating a family
of readers within the school.

CREATING A CULTURE OF
READING
STEP THREE READING ALOUD
The single most important activity for building the knowledge required
for success in reading is reading aloud to children.

Read alouds allow teachers to model what good reading sounds like.
Read alouds expose students to more complex vocabulary than they
typically hear or read.

When should YOU read aloud? All-class reading

When should STUDENTS read aloud? Small group settings or
partner reading.

BUT WHAT ABOUT POPCORN

READING??
Think about it how would you feel if you were asked to
read aloud from a text you had never seen before in front
of a group of 30 of your peers?
We get use to a practice like popcorn reading or round
robin reading because its so prevalent. But just because a
practice is prevalent doesnt mean its a good.
Why do we use it? Its a strategy to keep kids on task
and gauge readers fluency.

BUT WHAT ABOUT POPCORN

READING?
Popcorn reading just doesnt work.
Research doesnt support the practice
Students actually do less good reading work in
this format
It lacks differentiation
It does not build fluency
Its an outdated practice that needs to be
replaced.

SO WHAT CAN I DO INSTEAD?

Choral reading students read all together along with the teacher. Best
used for short passages.
Partner reading students are paired up (with intentional high-low
pairings) and read from the book together.
Whisper reading each student in the group whispers the passage
independently.
Alternating silent reading Ask students to read a passage to themselves
and then have them retell the meaning and relate it to their prior
knowledge in small groups.

Shared reading the students follow along with a proficient reader (i.e.
the teacher or an audio recording). This is helpful with texts are very
difficult.
Turn & Talk What does reading out loud look like in your class? What
other methods have you used for student reading oral or silent?

SO WHAT CAN I DO
TOMORROW?
Consciously work on becoming a reading role model for your
students.
Heres What Im Reading signs outside every classroom

Evaluate the literacy richness of your classroom.

Assess and revamp (if necessary) your read aloud practices in your
classroom. Try and employ one of the alternative reading methods this
week or next week in your class.
Invest in some picture books related to your curriculum! (Trust me,
they LOVE it)