Basic literacy is a vital skill in virtually any society. In order to develop strong reading comprehension, it’s important for children to start learning at any early age. However, as is the case with any academic subject, some students are unable to process the material at the same pace as others. While some young readers are able to soak up their lessons with ease, others find themselves frustrated and confused by their lack of progress. Parents and educators looking for simple and effective ways to help struggling students hone their reading abilities can benefit from the following pointers.
Daily Practice
When developing a skill as important as reading, daily practice is essential. Even children who are proficient at reading should be encouraged to practice every day. Additionally, instead of quickly moving from one lesson to the next, parents and teachers should devote ample time to reviewing the material. While some students may prefer a faster paced learning environment, this can be an effective way to ensure that everyone’s on the same page.
Since many teachers lack the time and resources to provide individual attention to students on a daily basis, it behooves parents to practice reading with their children each day. Kids often thrive on routine, so the sooner you make reading a part of everyday life, the better. Daily practice can take place in the morning, after dinner or before bed – as long as it gets done. Habitually allowing children to skip reading practice will ultimately make ingraining it into their daily routine much harder.
Blended Learning
Young readers who are hands-on learners can benefit from blended learning. Blended learning incorporates both words and visuals and is spread across a variety of resources and applications. This can effectively break up monotony and give kids a consistent sense of intellectual stimulation. It can also make learning seem like less of a chore by turning it into an interactive multi-level exercise. If an exciting new approach to reading comprehension is what you seek, consider the benefits of blended learning.
Rewards
Children tend to work harder when a tangible reward is within reach. With this in mind, parents and teachers should consider implementing reward systems. For example, parents may find success with promising small gifts or fun outings in exchange for noticeable progress. Conversely, teachers will need to offer rewards that appeal to an entire class. For instance, if the class successfully finishes a difficult lesson or maintains test scores that fall within a certain range, a fun-filled field trip or in-class movie may serve as suitable rewards. Since many children are unable to understand how much good reading skills will benefit them in the long term, providing them with rewards in the present can be a great way to keep them motivated.
Children who struggle with reading comprehension often become adults who struggle with reading comprehension. While there’s never a bad time to improve one’s reading skills, developing strong reading comprehension during childhood can be highly conducive to academic success.