Research abstract

5 Decoding Tips and Tools for Reluctant Readers

Did you enjoy reading as a child? Most children do not have joy in reading unless their imagination is fully evolved. There are ways, however, to fire-up a reluctant reader. Hopefully, they also become adult readers. By Help for Struggling Readers

Laura Lurns Last updated February 8, 2017 · 1 min read

Decoding is the act of translating written words into sounds. You may find decoding easier if you highlight each phoneme or syllable in a word. This can be done with different colored markers, or by simply drawing a box around each word. Another method is to cover up irrelevant parts of the word with your finger, focusing only on the part that currently needs decoding. This can help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by a word.

Reader focus cards are an inexpensive tool for those with reading difficulties. They have a colored reading window which can be used to highlight words, and a notch which can be used to reveal small parts of a word at a time, to allow you to decode without feeling overwhelmed. For digital documents, there are apps for both Windows and Mac that function like reader focus cards.

Key takeaways

Teachers often have their students read words they have not come into contact with so that they learn to use a dictionary early and to be curious about context.
When teaching sounds, educators have to be precise as to how they explain the anomalies in the English language.
When having difficulty sounding a word out, using a ruler to slowly reveal one letter at a time assists in learning words by pronunciation.

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A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.

Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

Key takeaways

Is your child struggling in school?

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