The Reading Process and Older Students - Part 1

 Reading is Hard

Reading is a complex process. When we read, we have to perceive symbols that are initially foreign, interpret what  we see, follow the linear and grammatical aspects of the written word, follow the logic of the written word, relate the words back to experiences that give the words meaning make inferences and evaluate material. We must also recognize the link between the symbols and sounds, between the words and what they represent - and then put everything together to make sense of it all. Yikes.

Reading is more that decoding words - which it hard enough - it is also about understanding what those words mean.

Reading is a skill learned through practice and a word rich environment - great T - what if I have an older student who can't read? Teaching the parts is awkward. Much of the material out there for older students seems babyish. Plus, each part is not reading - the whole of the

parts is reading.  Besides the skills - we must understand students interests, attitudes toward reading and self-concept about reading. We must encourage students and seek out resources that help students grow confidence and learn the process without feeling marginalized by reading material that looks of feels young.

All this means is that we, as teachers, must be the initiator and mediator of learning to read. We must find or develop curriculum that suits each students' needs, and we must be supportive.

First, create a literacy rich environment. Poster, bulletin boards and lots of multi-level books are essential. Individual decodable words as motivation or funny quips work wonders - and don't underestimate the value of memes. Put posters such as these up on your wall and text or email your student memes. Poster and coloring pages link.

The actual task of teaching one to read should hold a balance between helping with word recognition, developing automaticity while decoding and providing opportunities for students to show recognition and inference skills. Older, students who struggle with reading need more than skills practice, they need more than worksheets designed for younger students - they need to be motivated and prompted towards meaning and comprehension.

Teaching high frequency words with material that catches student interest is key. Separating decodable high frequency words from words that do not fit into a pattern is also essential.

So, start with your classroom and some basic materials.

Fill a back table, binder or box with materials such as this High Interest Low Level Reading Passages:


Fill your classroom with posters such as these that are loaded with decodable high frequency words.

Put up a poster of high frequency words that don't fit into a pattern. I like to also provide color sheets of each of these words for students to zone out to. Give students some pens, these color sheets for older students and let them zone. Make sure they know what the word is before the start coloring.   (Pinna B, Deiana K. On the Role of Color in Reading and Comprehension Tasks in Dyslexic Children and Adults. i-Perception. April 2018. doi:10.1177/2041669518779098)
  




Sight word practice for older students
Get this resource here.


Resources:


This resources is designed to help older students master reading sight words. Quick, engaging activities designed to enable struggling readers to master words.

The reading passages use research-based practices - such as word repetition, scaffolding and engagement. Passages also incorporate recently practiced sight words to maximize exposure and help students better achieve automaticity.

Activities are designed to help students recognize and remember sight words on-demand.

Coloring pages: Give students some pens, a couple of High Frequency Word Color Sheets for Older Students and let them zone. Make sure they know what the word is before they start coloring. 

Research on coloring and memorization. Coloring allows our brains to pick up information in a different way. Many of us will remember information easier and quicker when we are physically coloring. Coloring increases focus and attention.Pinna B, Deiana K. On the Role of Color in Reading and Comprehension Tasks in Dyslexic Children and Adults. i-Perception. April 2018. doi:10.1177/2041669518779098)

Wall Hangings: Tables specifically designed to be enlarged and put up on the walls as posters.



More Sight Word Practice for Older Students – Set 1 – Pre-K to First Grade 138


138 Dolch sight words designed to help older students master reading sight words. Quick, engaging activities designed to enable struggling readers to master words.

The reading passages use research-based practices - such as word repetition, scaffolding and engagement. Passages also incorporate recently practiced sight words to maximize exposure and help students better achieve automaticity.

Activities are designed to help students recognize and remember sight words on-demand.

Words Included - Most Words from Kindergarten through First Grade Lists

Other Resources

Fast Fluency Practice for Older Students: Phonics Set 1 -- Grades 5-12

Fast Fluency Practice Nonfiction: Fluency & Comp Gr 5-12 – Reading Levels 2-5

Sight Word Practice for Older Students – Set 2: Dolch Second Grade Sight Word Work


Sight Word Mega Bundle


Seven sight word resources, over 600 pages, in multiple formats. These resources are high interest and designed to look like resources for older students - making them engaging and accessible.

Resource 1 More Sight Word Practice for Older Students – Set 1 – Pre-K to First Grade: 138 - Words

138 Dolch sight words designed to help older students master reading sight words. Quick, engaging activities designed to enable struggling readers to master words.

The reading passages use research-based practices - such as word repetition, scaffolding and engagement. Passages also incorporate recently practiced sight words to maximize exposure and helps
students better achieve automaticity.

Activities are designed to help students recognize and remember sight words on-demand.

Mega Sight Word Bundle

Resource 2: Sight Word Practice for Older Students – Set 2: Second Grade Dolch List 45 Words

Two pages of exercises, for each word, to help older students master reading sight words. Quick, engaging activities to help struggling readers master words.

The reading passages use research-based practices such as word repetition, scaffolding and engagement. Passages also incorporate recently practiced sight words to maximize exposure and help students better achieve automaticity.

Activities are designed to help students recognize and remember sight words on-demand.

Differentiated: Each activity can be differentiated. The word searches are embedded with grade level words, so the whole class can participate in the activities. Strugglers search for the sight word of the day, whereas other students search for grade level words and make a word bank.

For the passages, students who created a word bank can write a paragraph using found words rather than try to improve the given sentences.

Great for class work, morning work, homework, bellringers, pairs, early finishers, intervention and more. This resource takes students about 20 minutes to complete.

Resource 3: Sight Word Practice for Older Students – Set 1 – Pre-K to First Grade 192 Words

192 Words! Two pages of exercises for each word -- to help older students master reading sight words. Quick, engaging activities designed to enable struggling readers to master words.

The reading passages use research-based practices - such as word repetition, scaffolding and engagement. Passages also incorporate recently practiced sight words to maximize exposure and help students better achieve automaticity.

Activities are designed to help students recognize and remember sight words on-demand.

Resource 4 and 5: 40 High Interest: Low Level Reading: Sight Word Based Grades 5-12: Set 6

SET 6: 20 - High interest, low level reading passage for grades 5-12.

These passages are perfect for older struggling readers.

Passages are at reading level grade 1 - without sounding or looking like it.

Perfect passages for older students who struggle. These passages are heavily inclusive of the Dolch Sight Words - without sounding too simple. They are specifically designed to look like readings for older students, only they are accessible to most low readers.

This resource contains:

1. Form Fillable PDF for upload or email to students for digital distance learning. Works great for digital language arts centers as well.

2. PDF Printable for packets – with lines for students to complete their work –

3. PowerPoint of entire resource with answer key

These are HIGH INTEREST-LOW LEVEL READABILITY PASSAGES – perfect for Distance, Digital and Classroom learning. Because students are able to read the passages on their own and complete quick comprehension assessments, they are great for centers, homework or distance learning. The assessments contain three to four multiple-choice questions and one or two short constructed-response questions that can be answered and sent to instructors through email or uploaded to any drive.

20 reading passages, with comprehension assessments, that are high interest but at lower reading levels - based on the 100 words that appear most in text. This resource is perfect for reluctant older readers who need reading practice but are put off by text that looks “young” or “babyish.” The passages revolve around interesting places, people from pop culture and fiction interesting to secondary students. 

The passages use research-based reading techniques and appeal to students in grades 5 through 12.

Readability scores are determined using the Renaissance ATOS calculator. Each passage has a corresponding comprehension assessment.

Resource 6: Sight Word GO FISH! and Concentration: 7 Different Decks for Older Students

Students LOVE this version of Go Fish that uses site words instead of numbers. Sight Word - Go Fish works great as a whole class activity, early finisher activity, literacy center activity, booster activity or as a differentiated center activity for reluctant readers. Cards work for the game Concentration - Instructions for both games included.

This resource contains seven different decks of cards – each with a leveled set of Dolch sight words. I print them on cardstock and put the individual cards into penny baseball/game card sleeves – which preserves the cards for hours of game-play engagement.

Two sets of cards are included for each set of words – a Word editable version and a PDF version.

7 sets of cards are included:

1.Pre-K

2.Kindergarten

3.First Grade

4.Second Grade

5.Third Grade

6.Noun Set 1

7.Noun Set 2

Other Great Resources for Older Students




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