I have students who are struggling with reading. What are some strategies that I can use to help them?

First, you need to determine the area of focus that the student is struggling with. This can be done by using various assessments. Gather data on different areas of reading: decoding, sight words, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Once you have determined the area(s) of concern, you can apply reading interventions to address these needs.

Word Study

Phonemic awareness

Decoding

High Frequency (sight words)

Syllabication

Spelling

Fluency

Modeled and assisted oral reading

Prosody development (pacing, intonation, volume, smoothness, phrasing, expression)

Guided reading

Partner reading

Vocabulary

Teacher models and explains

Technical

Content specific (using different genres)

Teaching word parts (roots, prefixes, suffixes)

Is there anything you would shy away from when teaching special education students about phonics and using individual syllables?