Characteristics of Successful and Struggling Readers
While seemingly effortless, good reading is made up of a set of complex skills and strategies. Successful readers actively and consciously coordinate these abilities before, during, and after reading a text.
Students in grades 4-12 begin to use reading as a tool for learning and may face growing challenges in tackling the complex informational text presented in content-area classrooms, which is very different from the texts students encountered in early elementary grades.
When older readers struggle with foundational reading skills, it is imperative teachers provide these struggling readers and at-risk students explicit and systematic instruction in phonics. See Interventions for effective strategies and practices to support struggling readers.
Successful Readers
Before Reading
- Set a goal for reading.
- Preview the text.
- Make predictions.
During Reading
- Read words accurately and quickly.
- Employ strategies to determine the meaning of the word.
- Connect the meaning of one sentence to another.
- Read sequentially, skimming some parts, focusing on others.
- Make notes.
- Check and adapt predictions.
- Monitor and repair comprehension.
- Connect to background knowledge.
- Make inferences.
- Visualize.
- Paraphrase/summarize passages.
After Reading
- Reread selectively.
- Summarize.
- Reflect.
Struggling Readers
- Lack sufficient metacognitive awareness to develop, select, and apply comprehension strategies that will aid in their comprehension of texts.
- Have difficulty decoding words.
- Read slowly or lack fluency.
- Do not have background knowledge about the topic of the text.
- Are unaware of text structures.
- Do not think about and reflect on what was read.
- Have difficulty summarizing or retelling what they read.
Source: Texas Educational Agency, 2002
Related
Find recommended instructional strategies and practices aligned with the science of reading by age/grade level and foundational literacy skill.
Evidence-based reading interventions support students who are identified as struggling with specific foundational literacy skills.
Evidence-based core curricula, interventions, and supplemental programs play a critical role in supporting students’ reading success.
Developmental benchmarks and literacy behaviors that most children display at a particular age/grade.