DIFFICULTIE

S IN
READING
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03 04 05

WHY STRUGGLING READING ERRORS REMIDIAL

READERS OF STRUGGLING STRATEGIESIN
STRUGGLE READERS TEACHING READING

TYPES OF READING 8 STEPS FOR

DIFFICULTIES READING SUCCESS
 01
WHY STRUGGLING
READERS
STRUGGLE
 WHY STRUGGLING READERS STRUGGLE
There are multiple reasons why readers struggle, often
stemming from cognitive, emotional, environmental, or
instructional factors. Some common causes include

● Phonological Processing Deficits: Many struggling

readers have difficulty with phonemic awareness, which is
the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual
sounds in words. This makes it hard for them to connect
sounds with letters.

● Language Processing Issues: Some students may

struggle with language comprehension, vocabulary, and
sentence structure, leading to difficulties understanding
what they read
 WHY STRUGGLING READERS STRUGGLE
● Poor Working Memory: If students have weak working memory,
they may have trouble keeping track of information as they read,
which affects their ability to comprehend texts

● Lack of Exposure to Reading: Children who are not read to

frequently or who do not have access to books may struggle due to
a lack of experience with language patterns and vocabulary

● Learning Disabilities: Some students may have conditions like

dyslexia or ADHD, which affect their ability to process written
language.

● Motivation and Engagement: If a student is not interested in the

reading material or feels insecure about their abilities, their
motivation may decrease, further hindering reading development.
02
WHAT ARE THE 4
TYPES OF READING
DIFFICULTIES
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
The four (4) types of reading difficulties can provide a more nuanced
understanding of why some students struggle with reading. Each type
of difficulty involves different cognitive or processing challenges, and
understanding them can help in applying the right interventions.
Here’s an in-depth discussion of each type:

1. Phonological Processing Deficits (Dyslexia)-

Phonological processing deficits are most often associated with
dyslexia, a common reading disability that affects the way the
brain processes written language. Dyslexic readers have difficulty
with phonemic awareness and phonics, which are foundational to
reading and spelling.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
Phonological Processing Deficits (Dyslexia)

Key Features:
● Struggling to break down words into their constituent sounds (phonemes).
● Difficulty recognizing and working with the sounds of spoken language.
● Problems blending sounds to form words, leading to incorrect word pronunciation.
● Reversing letters or words, such as reading "was" as "saw" or "b" as "d."

Common Errors:
● Decoding difficulties: Dyslexic readers struggle to map sounds onto letters and
blend them into words. This is why they often take longer to sound out words or
misread them.
● Spelling problems: Since they have trouble associating sounds with letters,
spelling errors are frequent, and they often spell phonetically, leading to
inconsistent spelling of words.
● Slow, laborious reading: Dyslexic readers might read slowly, needing to re-read
sentences to grasp the content, leading to a frustrating reading experience.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
Phonological Processing Deficits (Dyslexia)

Interventions:
● Explicit phonics instruction: Teaching dyslexic
readers the relationship between letters and sounds can
help them decode words more effectively.
● Multisensory approaches: Methods like Orton-
Gillingham incorporate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
activities to strengthen sound-letter associations.

 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
2. Fluency Issues
Fluency involves the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and
with expression. Some readers struggle with fluency, even if they
can decode words correctly, which can significantly hinder
comprehension.
Key Features:
● Slow reading speed, where decoding each word takes considerable effort, leading to
choppy, halting reading.
● Lack of prosody, or reading with appropriate intonation, pitch, and expression. This
can make their reading sound robotic or monotonous.
● Difficulty recognizing words automatically, causing frequent pauses to sound out
familiar words.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
FLUENCY ISSUES
Common Errors:
● Slow pace: Fluent readers read with ease and rhythm, while those with
fluency issues read word-by-word, which disrupts the flow and makes
comprehension more difficult.
● Lack of comprehension: Because struggling readers spend so much mental
energy decoding words, they often miss out on the meaning of the text.

Interventions:
● Repeated reading: Having students read the same passage several times can
improve fluency, as familiarity with the words leads to smoother reading.
● Paired reading: Struggling readers read alongside a more proficient reader
(like a teacher or peer) to model fluency, which helps them develop smoother
reading skills.
● Guided oral reading: This allows immediate feedback on pacing, accuracy,
and expression, helping readers improve their fluency in real-time.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
3. Comprehension Problems
Reading comprehension difficulties occur when students can read
text but struggle to understand its meaning. This type of
difficulty can arise even when decoding skills are intact.

Key Features:
● Difficulty in grasping the main idea or purpose of a text.
● Struggles with making inferences or understanding implied
meanings.
● Challenges in summarizing, synthesizing, or analyzing what
they’ve read.
● Problems retaining information from texts, leading to poor
recall of details or events in a story.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
COMPREHNSION PROBLEMS
Common Errors:
● Literal interpretation: Students with comprehension difficulties may fail to infer
meaning beyond what is explicitly stated. For example, they might not understand
figurative language or implied messages in the text.
● Poor retention: They often forget key details soon after reading because they do
not engage deeply with the content or fail to organize and store the information
effectively.

Interventions:
● Teach comprehension strategies: Explicitly teach how to summarize, ask
questions, predict outcomes, and visualize what is happening in the text. Strategies
like “think aloud” during reading can help struggling readers become more active
and reflective.
● Graphic organizers: Use tools like story maps, Venn diagrams, or concept webs to
help organize and retain information. This visual support can help struggling readers
break down and better understand complex texts.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
4. Visual Processing Issues
Visual processing difficulties affect how the brain interprets what
the eyes see, leading to reading challenges. These issues are not
related to eyesight but rather the brain’s ability to process and
understand visual input.
Key Features:
● Difficulty distinguishing letters, words, or sentences, causing
confusion or misinterpretation.
● Problems tracking lines of text, leading to frequent line skips
or re-reading the same line multiple times.
● Difficulty recognizing and remembering words, even if they’ve
encountered them before.
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
VISUAL PROCESSING ISSUES
Common Errors:
● Letter reversals: Mistaking similar-looking letters or words (e.g., "b" and
"d" or "was" and "saw").
● Skipping lines or words: Struggling with visual tracking often causes a
reader to lose their place in a text or skip entire lines.
● Frequent re-reading: Visual processing difficulties can make the text
appear jumbled, forcing the reader to go back and re-read sections for
clarity.

Interventions:
● Visual tracking exercises: Simple exercises such as following a moving
object or using a finger or ruler to guide the eyes across the text can
improve visual tracking.
● Use of larger print or different fonts: Some students benefit from text
printed in larger sizes or fonts designed for easier reading, such as
 TYPES OF READING DIFFICULTIES
Each type of reading difficulty—phonological processing
deficits, fluency issues, comprehension problems, and visual
processing challenges—requires distinct instructional
strategies to address. For struggling readers, it is important to
first identify the specific type of difficulty and then apply
targeted interventions to help them overcome their unique
challenges. By doing so, educators and parents can provide
the support necessary to improve reading skills and foster a
positive reading experience.
 03
Reading Errors
of Struggling
Readers
 READING ERRORS OF STRUGGLING
LEADERS
Common reading errors made by struggling readers often fall into
different categories, depending on the type of reading difficulty. These
errors include:

• Substitution: The reader replaces one word with another (e.g.,
reading "dog" instead of "cat").
• Omission: The reader skips words, phrases, or entire lines while
reading.
• Reversal: The reader reverses letters or words (e.g., reading “was” as
“saw” or "b" as "d").
• Insertion: The reader adds words that aren't in the text.
• Mispronunciation: The reader mispronounces words due to a lack of
phonological awareness.
 04
STEPS FOR
READING
SUCCESS
 STEPS FOR READING SUCCESS
Here are eight steps that educators and parents can take to help
struggling readers achieve reading success:

1. Assessment and Identification: The first step is to assess the

child's reading abilities to identify specific areas of difficulty, such as
decoding, fluency, or comprehension.
2. Explicit Phonics Instruction: Teach phonemic awareness and decoding
skills through explicit instruction, helping students connect sounds to
letters.
3. Guided Reading Practice: Give struggling readers regular, structured
opportunities to read texts that are at the appropriate level of
difficulty while receiving guidance from an instructor.
 STEPS FOR READING SUCCESS
Here are eight steps that educators and parents can take to help
struggling readers achieve reading success:

4. Develop Vocabulary: Work on building a strong vocabulary by teaching the

meanings of new words explicitly and
encouraging wide reading to expose students to different words.
5. Fluency Training: Use techniques such as repeated readings and paired
reading to improve reading fluency. This will help readers develop automaticity
and confidence.
6. Comprehension Strategies: Teach students how to monitor their
understanding, ask questions, make predictions, and summarize what they’ve
read to improve comprehension.
7. Progress Monitoring: Regularly monitor the student’s reading progress
through assessments and adjust instruction based on their growth or continued
05
REMIDIAL STRATEGY
IN TEACHING
READING
 REMIDIAL STRATEGY IN TEACHING READING
When it comes to remedial instruction, the goal is to target specific
deficiencies in a student’s reading ability. Here are several effective
strategies:

• Multisensory Approaches: This method involves using multiple

senses (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to help children learn. For
example, they might trace letters in the air while sounding them out
or use tactile materials like sandpaper letters.
• Phonics-Based Instruction: Direct, systematic phonics instruction is
particularly effective for students with decoding problems. It teaches
them how to recognize the relationship between letters and sounds,
helping with word recognition and spelling.
• Repeated Reading: Have students read the same passage multiple
 REMIDIAL STRATEGY IN TEACHING READING
• Scaffolded Reading: Provide support by breaking tasks into smaller, more
manageable parts. For example, preview difficult vocabulary before reading or
provide sentence starters to help with comprehension.
• Use of Graphic Organizers: Help students organize their thoughts by using
visual aids like story maps, KWL charts (what you Know, what you Want to
know, what you Learned), and Venn diagrams.
• Small Group Instruction: Teaching struggling readers in small groups can
provide them with the personalized attention they need. This allows for more
focused instruction and feedback.
• Leveled Reading Materials: Provide books that match the student’s reading
level, gradually increasing the difficulty as their skills improve.
• Encourage Oral Reading: Let students read aloud, either one-on-one or in
small groups. This helps to build fluency and allows the teacher to correct
errors and provide immediate feedback.
 REMIDIAL STRATEGY IN TEACHING READING
Understanding why readers struggle and the specific
types of difficulties they face allows educators and
parents to apply targeted strategies to support
improvement. Remedial strategies, explicit instruction,
and continuous assessment are all necessary to foster
reading success in struggling readers. With the right
support and interventions, many struggling readers can
make significant progress and develop stronger reading
skills over time.
