Student Reading Skills
The value of strong student reading skills is in having a purpose for reading. When children have a purpose for reading, they find that purpose not only directs their reading towards a goal, but helps to focus their attention. Purposes for reading may come from teacher directed questions, questions from class discussions, brainstorming with fellow students, or from the individual student. Along with a question, it is a good idea for the student to pose predictions of the outcome and problems which need to be solved. These may be generated by the student or the teacher, but the teacher should use these to guide students in the needed direction for the assigned selection. Students should also be organized before they read. It is important that the skills they bring to the printed page help determine what they understand and how much, or how well, they comprehend the subject matter.
Student reading skills: Assessment
Student reading skills can be enhanced by certain strategies before reading ever begins. For example, a student can research a topic before he or she ever reads the text by examining the title or selection that is to be read. They can determine if they have previous knowledge of the subject. This will help in understanding what they plan to read. Discussions in and out of class help students discover what they bring to the reading, what their fellow students bring, as well as shared experiences. They can bounce ideas off each other and examine the characters in a story. By sharing different views, they will gain more insight, which will be helpful the next time they read.
Student reading skills: Action
Student reading skills are also developed and enhanced with visual aids. Pictures and other visual material can activate prior knowledge. Using the Internet, for example, to search for pictures related to a title/topic to give a student a visual images of what they are about to read. Asking a teacher for background about the subject matter also helps. Other strategies include doing additional research, becoming familiar with the vocabulary, structuring a proper working environment that is conducive to learning. Always having a purpose in reading is the most important aspect. At LearningRx, we equip students with tools that allow them to be successful readers We train the brain for success. Call a LearningRx Center near you or check us out at www.learningrx.com.
