After teaching "regular" English classes as well as debate and communication classes for many years, I became a high school reading teacher. I feel for teachers who struggle with how to teach reading. I have degrees in English and education, but those prepared me to assist students with higher-level writing skills and literature (imagine a British accent here :) discussion. I was not prepared to remediate real reading difficulties.

I'll admit that, when I was first asked to become a reading teacher, I secretly thought, "No, not me. I don't want to be the educational cheerleader for students who would probably rather do anything else BUT read. I'll burn out, and I don't really know what I'm doing. I want to keep working with the motivated kids."

Four years later, I'm working as an instructional facilitator in our building and teaching a couple of sections of reading skills to 10th-12th grade students, and I can't imagine having better connections with students and colleagues. I'm a lucky woman.

I'm fortunate that our state requires reading teachers to have a separate endorsement. Taking the required courses taught me a LOT about how to teach reading, and collaborating with colleagues taught me just as much. There are many basics that all teachers could benefit from.

Before tackling a piece of reading:
1) Help students connect to their background knowledge about the topic. This might be based on what they know from their "real life" experiences, from previous learning in class, or from learning in other content areas. This is something that "good" readers do automatically, but struggling readers often don't. Accessing background knowledge helps students become more interested and connect to the reading as something that will enhance and refine what they already know.

2) Establish a clear purpose for the reading task.
What do you expect students to learn from the reading?
What should they pay particular attention to?
Are there text structures (pictures, charts, graphs, headings, etc.) that students should notice and use for better understanding?
What will students be doing during or after the reading--taking notes, participating in a discussion, working on a project, taking a quiz?
(This preempts the inevitable whiny question, "WHY do we have to do this?" And it helps struggling readers see the reading as more meaningful.)

3) "Front load" (pre-teach) vocabulary before students tackle a piece of reading. Not understanding vocabulary can be a huge obstacle for struggling readers. This can be as simple as writing the words and a quick (user-friendly) definition on the board as a reference.

4) Anticipate places in the reading that might confuse readers or create misconceptions. Deal with these sections (perhaps in a quick discussion format) before, during or after the reading.

It's really not rocket science; it's just reading. But it is an important skill that crosses over all content areas.

It's also not a bad idea to engage your students in informal discussions about reading in those few minutes of down time you might have occasionally in class. Mention the kinds of things that you read in your leisure time and ask students about what they read (magazines and newspapers definitely count here too--reading isn't just about literature). It's really powerful for students to see us as real reading role models who have interests and lives outside of school.

Finally, the following understanding as been transformative for me: The goals of "good" versus struggling readers are vastly different. Good readers read to understand. Struggling readers read to be done.

The more we can do to make reading understandable and meaningful for struggling readers, the more we nudge them toward being "good" readers
:) :) :) :) :) Votes: +1

I most definitely concur. As students progress through school, many lose the joy of reading. For some students, reading has become a chore. I believe a mandated reading class could reignite the joy of reading. Votes: +1

This is sooo true. We must do everything within our human powers to help all students in all grades. Teachers push students away and let problems grow. What is wrong with working for the very reasons we have jobs, our students? Teachers in any area of study, are teachers of reading. Teachers should teach students how to read the text. Our educators are letting down students and that is sad. Votes: +0

We wrongfully assume that by the time students get to high school they have mastered the art of reading. But good reading is a multilayered skill that even "gifted students" have only mastered at very rudimentary levels. A student's ability to read the word on the page does not necessarily translate into a deep understanding of the meaning underlying these words - singularly or collectively - their literal and/or implied meanings. The reading process must be unpacked, separated into components and a scaffolded sequence of instruction implemented. Teaching reading on the high school level will afford students a separate opportunity to focus on these higher level skills thus allowing subject area teachers more time to help students develop a deep understanding of concepts. Votes: +2

In my position as a social studies content coach, one of the staff development trainings we offer is reading in the content area. You are so right when you say that secondary teachers don't want to teach reading. The major problem is that they really don't know how to. It isn't that they don't love reading, though some may not, the training they received to become secondary teachers focused on the content the would be teaching. Elementary teachers on the other hand receive more training on teaching reading.
As a classroom teacher, the most valuable training I received was a tool to improve my students ability to read. What did I have to do, model reading. As adults who are proficient readers we don't realize the tools we use to aid ourselves in understanding what we read. If teachers were to go the extra step to find graphic organizers to help students organize what they are reading and then understand what they are reading, would also go a long way in improving the situation we are currently facing.
I also agree the commitment begins with 9th grade, bring in interesting ancillary materials that go along with what you are teaching, read to the class, believe me your students won't find it elementary if the story is interesting.
There is much that can be done if we stop complaining and as Nike says "just do it." Votes: +0

I agree 110% I have taught reading for 8 years to high school students. I only teach level 1 and 2 students but agree that many sturggle with reading and if they were encouraged to complete summer or Saturday classes it would turn education around. The budget cuts in Florida are tremendous and will have an adverse effect on adding anything to the school that has to be funded.
I am also a realist and after working with so many students realize that not all will complete high school and we need to reinstate vocational classes at the high school level. Again $$ will dictate how much if any of this is done.
Nancy Lay
Pace High School
Pace, Florida
Reading Department Chair Votes: +0

I clicked on to this article thinking that teachers had discovered that students were ready to be reading harder and more advanced literature. Ready to read and discuss relevant topics to today's society as well as gaining an understanding and appreciation of the classics. I was very saddened by the fact that the opposite is true. We are not creating a generation of thinkers; we are allowing our students to be lulled into thinking that just getting by is more than enough. Yes! We need to teach reading to high school students who struggle. Yes! We need to shore up students who have fallen behind. I don't know why any teacher would not. I don't believe that No Student Left Behind was intended to mean that everyone gets passed on even when standards aren't met. Votes: +3