slac_reading
slac_reading
Adults who show greater literacy competencies often earn higher incomes, have better job prospects,
lower risk of mental illness, and enjoy better health (Fawcett, 2003;Lyon, 2002). However, no clear-cut
borders exist between the precursors of reading and spelling, such as children's vocabulary and
phonological awareness, and children's later reading and spelling skills (Bowman, Donovan, & Burns,
2003;Schatschneider, Fletcher, Francis, Carlson, & Foorman, 2004;Torgesen, 2002;Torppa et al., 2007
Reading development refers to the process through which children or individuals acquire the
skills needed to decode, comprehend, and engage with written text. The journey from early
literacy skills to proficient reading involves several stages, from recognizing letters and sounds
to understanding complex texts.
Some children face significant challenges in learning to read, which may be due to cognitive,
environmental, or developmental factors. Early identification and intervention are key to helping
students overcome reading difficulties.
1. Dyslexia:
o Description: A specific learning disability that affects reading, spelling, and
decoding abilities.
o Symptoms: Difficulty with phonemic awareness, word recognition, and spelling,
despite having normal intelligence.
o Interventions: Structured literacy programs that focus on phonics, multisensory
learning, and repetition.
2. Reading Fluency Issues:
o Description: Difficulty reading smoothly and with expression, often due to
inadequate decoding skills.
o Symptoms: Slow, choppy reading with frequent hesitations and difficulty
recognizing sight words.
o Interventions: Repeated reading, timed reading exercises, and practice with high-
frequency words.
3. Reading Comprehension Issues:
o Description: Difficulty understanding or recalling what has been read.
o Symptoms: Inability to answer questions about the text, poor retention of
information, and trouble making inferences.
o Interventions: Strategies like summarizing, predicting, questioning, and
rereading.
4. Attention Deficits (ADHD):
o Description: Difficulty sustaining attention, which can impede the reading
process.
oSymptoms: Easily distracted while reading, skipping lines, or losing place in the
text.
o Interventions: Shorter reading sessions, frequent breaks, using graphic
organizers, and minimizing distractions.
5. Language Delays or Speech Disorders:
o Description: Delayed language development or speech problems can affect
reading development, especially phonological awareness.
o Symptoms: Trouble understanding or producing sounds, limited vocabulary, or
difficulty with word recall.
o Interventions: Speech therapy, targeted vocabulary development, and focusing
on phonemic awareness.
To support children in overcoming reading difficulties, various reading programs and approaches
have been developed. The effectiveness of a program depends on the child's specific needs, but
several approaches have shown widespread success:
Conclusion
Reading development is a dynamic process, and while many children will progress smoothly
through the stages, others may encounter difficulties that require targeted intervention.
Understanding these difficulties and implementing effective reading programs and strategies can
help children gain the skills they need to become confident, proficient readers.