Struggling Readers MUST Connect with Text
No struggling reader will ever read a classic if they are not interested in reading at all.
Struggling readers must connect with the text. This statement may seem simple enough. However, it took me a while to learn. When I taught in an alternative school, I thought I could bring the same great literature with me that I had used with my previous students. Wouldn’t my enthusiasm and creative activities engage them? Not at all. As long as they couldn’t relate to the stories, then why should they care about the stories enough to read them?
Yes, I understand we need to open all students to a world beyond their own and help them encounter classic literature. However, no struggling reader will ever read a classic if they are not interested in reading at all. Struggling readers MUST connect to the text!
It is frustrating, but it is reality.
Having encountered this with my students, I sought out books that were relatable. At times it meant I had to read the book to them. Even reading aloud helped my students begin to care about the characters and the story. Suddenly they were able to dialogue, engage and offer their personal perspectives. (See more in my next blog about reading aloud).
But I also learned that the stories needed to be fast-paced. They liked books that didn’t linger on details that were meaningless to the plot. They wanted to know what happens next.
This quick paced approach is how I wrote The Way I See It series. Each story moves quickly and keeps the readers engaged, so much so, that they want to read the next book and the next. https://www.lbtillit.com/the-way-i-see-it-series/
The Way I See It series,by LB Tillit, engages readers as they move from one book to the next. This not only builds reading fluency, but also helps prepare reluctant readers for more complex literature. https://www.myeasyreadbooks.com/
Blog Photo Credit: Armin Rimoldi (Pexels)