The good news is that there are plenty of evidence-based techniques that are proven to help struggling readers improve their literacy skills. Dr. Seong-shin Kim, department chair for the Teaching Students of Other Languages (TESOL) program at Touro University Graduate School of Education, offers the Science of Reading as a case in point.

An interdisciplinary body of scientific research, the Science of Reading provides evidence for a range of techniques that support reading proficiency, including word recognition, building vocabulary and fluency, and developing comprehension, among other skills. “The Science of Reading is proven by research to be effective,” Dr Kim stresses. “That’s why the Master of Literacy program at Touro has a strong focus on the Science of Reading, and we also train our teachers to be really good at running records.”

Running records is a tool that helps teachers to evaluate reading skills in terms of fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. While a student reads a level-appropriate passage out loud, the teacher takes detailed notes about skipped words, self-corrections mispronunciations, and other potential problems. The teacher also asks questions about the material to get a sense of the student’s reading comprehension level.

After analyzing the data to find the student’s strengths and weaknesses, the teacher can formulate a plan, make instructional decisions, and employ the strategies that are most likely to help. That could encompass anything from multi-sensory techniques like visual aids or audiobooks to direct approaches like modeling and reading practice, as well as indirect techniques like encouraging students to read for fun.

A teacher will also likely choose to incorporate a number of evidence-based approaches rooted in the Science of Reading, like the following five strategies to support struggling readers described by Dr. Kim.

1. Focus on Phonics

For a while, phonics was replaced by the now-disproven idea of teaching children whole language, but there’s been a renewed focus on phonics as a foundational aspect of literacy. In fact, it’s one of the components of the Science of Reading and has been proven by research to be effective as part of a balanced literacy approach.

Dr. Kim views it as a way to give students a firm foundation in reading on which they can build and expand. “Spoken words are made up of individual sounds, and each sound actually has a function,” she explains. “One sound makes a huge difference in a word!”

As an example, she shares the story of a student who was asked to read a phrase out loud and proudly exclaimed, “A freakin’ lion!” However, the phrase was actually “African lion.” By going back to the basics and focusing on phonics, teachers can help students to understand the relationship between letters and sounds. That provides students with a solid base on which they can continuously build to become better readers.

2. Build Better Fluency 

When it comes to reading proficiency, speed matters. After all, if a student taking a math test can’t read and understand the questions in a timely manner, it doesn’t matter how much they know; they’ll never have the opportunity to prove they can do the math if reading the problems takes too long. As Dr. Kim puts it, “students need to be able to read quickly, accurately, and with proper expression.”

Building this fluency can be accomplished in a number of ways, and Dr. Kim suggests chunking sentences. That means that a teacher breaks down a sentence into several small groups and slowly increases the size of those groups as the student improves, eventually working up to an entire sentence. In time, a student will be able to read multiple sentences, then paragraphs, and then entire pages.

3. Develop a Deeper Vocabulary

Without vocabulary, a person cannot read, so building up a student’s knowledge of and familiarity with words is critical for improved reading skills. However, having a teacher simply say a word in the classroom isn’t enough. “Research shows vocabulary has to be explicit, and it has to be used in a meaningful way,” Dr. Kim explains “Students need to hear a word repeated 10-14 times to make it stick in their heads.”

To accomplish this, teachers can introduce new words in a variety of ways. They can say the word; show images that depict it; use the word in a sentence; ask students to come up with their own sentences; and have them draw their own pictures. After a word has been learned, teachers can also help students make their own dictionaries, which can include definitions, images, examples, or other information that makes it memorable.  

4. Build Comprehension

Of course, being able to sound out words or even read an entire passage isn’t meaningful if a student doesn’t actually understand what they’re reading. It’s like going to a foreign country and being able to sound out the words on the menu to place an order—but having no idea what food is about to arrive at the table.

“Reading comprehension teaches students how to predict, question, clarify, and summarize so they actually own what they read,” Dr. Kim says. Teachers can build that comprehension by asking questions, tapping into what students already know, and drawing connections to the material they’re reading. They can also encourage students to summarize what they’ve read—either by writing it down, saying it out loud, or even drawing a picture—which encourages them to take ownership of the material.

5. Translate Oral Language

Humans learn to speak before they read, but thanks to today’s technology, many kids learn to type or text at the same time they’re developing their formal reading and writing skills. “There’s a link between spoken language and reading that’s fundamental, and more and more, writing is becoming similar to oral language,” says Dr. Kim. “Especially when they’re working on keyboards, kids are learning to speak through their fingers.”

In fact, she’s noticed a huge difference between the work students do with pencils and paper, where they use complete sentences, compared to work done on a chromebook, which is more fragmented and often reflects the way they talk. Teachers can address this by giving students opportunities to speak in class, so they learn how to say what they’re thinking, and then helping students translate that into written language, explaining the differences between language used for writing and that used in texting or chatting. 

The Touro Graduate School of Education Master of Literacy program

Strategies like these are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to building better literacy skills for struggling readers. The Master of Literacy program at Touro University Graduate School of Education was specially designed to give teachers in-depth knowledge and skills to better support students who have difficulty reading and writing. “If teachers come to our program, they will get so many strategies in their toolbox!” Dr. Kim exclaims. “Our program is a culmination of all the research out there.”

An interdisciplinary and academically intensive program comprised of 36 credits, this master’s degree in literacy builds a strong foundation in the basics of reading instruction and child development. Teachers will learn to spot the early signs of reading and writing disabilities, tailor their instructions to meet the needs of individual learners, and develop practical strategies for working one-on-one with struggling students.

The program also explores the socio-cultural factors that affect learning and includes a practicum with six hours of fieldwork experience. This provides teachers with the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a real classroom setting under the guidance of experts.

Since this literacy master’s degree is designed for existing teachers and professionals with an interest in interest in becoming literacy specialists, classes are offered exclusively online to provide flexibility and convenience. The program fulfills the academic requirements for New York State Certification in both Birth-Grade 6 and Grades 5-12, and graduates are eligible to apply for NYS-certification in teaching literacy. Additionally, earned credits can apply to an additional salary differential.

If you’re ready to advance your teaching career and help boost your students’ literacy skills, contact us to learn more about the Touro University Graduate School of Education Master of Literacy and how you can apply today.