Reading Strategies
LOW-TECH (Easy)
- Line/reading guide:Construction paper, rulers, highlighters, etc.
- Change appearance of text: Italics, bold, underline, highlight, etc.
- Increase white space and decrease distractions on reading material
- Peer / adult reading
- Simplify complexity of text: Color code words or phrases, Fitzgerald Key
- Educate on key site words prior to activity
- Encode words: provide cueing for pronunciation of words (i.e., highlight long vowel sounds in yellow)
- Active reading (i.e., student places Post-It® note on specific section of text to allow for quick question/referral while reading)
- Verify comprehension
- Summarize text frequently
- Provide questions to encourage thought prior to reading
- Read in small groups with limited distractions
- Preferential seating: study carol
- Illustrate text after reading:keep a visual diary/journal
- Decode words: pronunciation guide
- Increase time to complete reading assignments
- Decrease length of reading assignments
- Use of music to reinforce memory of key words
MID-TECH
- Digital Books from Bookshare.org
- Tumblebooks.com (see school website for username and password)
- Start to Finish Books http://www.donjohnston.com (available at the ATRC)
- Use of color transparencies or color overlays to enhance contrast between words.
- High interest low readability level
- Magnifying glass
- Enlarge text
HIGH-TECH
- Text to Speech/Word Prediction Software:
- Microsoft Word, Write Out Loud, Windows 7, Mac OSX
- Read and Write by TextHelp: www.texthelp.com
- Kurzweil 3000
- Read Out Loud – www.donjohnston.com
- Reading aids: Talking spell checker/dictionary as word recognition aid
- Electronic reference tools: Encarta, dictionary, thesaurus
- Spellcheck dictionary (Franklin)
- Spellcheck/Grammercheck on word processing program
- E-readers and Digital books
- Symbol to text software – Boardmaker, Writing with Symbols, Symbol Styx
