Strategies for Struggling Readers: Re-engaging to Build Confidence and Motivation

Motivating upper-elementary, middle, and high school students who have been frustrated by their past experiences with reading is no easy task. However, with the right strategies and a compassionate approach, we can build their confidence and rekindle their motivation for reading.

Understand the Unique Needs of Struggling Readers

Older readers require a different type of support than younger students. Once students pass the third grade, they encounter longer words, more complex passages, and unfamiliar concepts. If students are reading at a second- or third-grade level in the upper grades, they need significant support to fill in the gaps. Let’s look at effective strategies within general education settings to scaffold these students in various subjects.

Establish Pre-reading Strategies

Before diving into a passage, it's crucial to prepare students:

• Preview the Content: Identify essential vocabulary and teach it directly.
  
• Background Knowledge: Provide any necessary context or background information.
  
• Pronunciation Practice: Help students pronounce unfamiliar words they will encounter.

By setting this foundation, we can make reading less intimidating and more accessible for all students.

Use Scaffolding Techniques during Reading

While reading, consider these methods to support struggling readers:

• Choral Reading: Read passages aloud as a group and pause to let students pronounce the next word. This shared responsibility reinforces their confidence.
• Partner Reading: Allow students to read with a partner, giving them the "me or we" option. This means a student can decide to read solo ("me") or request their partner’s support ("we").
• Technology Assistance: Use audiobooks to improve vocabulary and background knowledge so students can listen first. But remember . . . this is just one part of the equation. You don’t just want to accommodate. You want to liberate these readers.

Combine Intervention with Classroom Instruction

It’s essential to address specific skill gaps through very explicit direct instruction while maintaining respectful and age-appropriate materials:

• Phonics and Fluency: Focus on making letter-sound associations, decoding multisyllabic words, pronouncing prefixes and suffixes, and practicing fluency.
• Complex Texts: Choose meaningful passages that are long enough, embedded with challenging words, and rich with informational content to keep students engaged.

Build Confidence and Motivation through Success

Confidence and motivation stem from success. When students experience success, they become more motivated to engage in the learning process. Here’s how we can instill this in our students:

• Set Clear Goals: Design intervention programs that focus on the critical skills students need most, such as phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
• Direct, Explicit Instruction: Use systematic, research-backed instructional methods to ensure students master the necessary skills.

When students feel competent, their motivation naturally increases. And that’s when the magic happens—they start to believe in their abilities and want to participate more actively.

Avoid "Baby Stuff"

One of the quickest ways to disengage older readers is to use materials that feel juvenile to them. Students often reject interventions if they sense the content is not age-appropriate for their developmental level. Here’s how to avoid this pitfall:

• Use Appropriate Fonts and Illustrations: Use regular fonts and pictures of older children or adults.
• Present Complex Texts: Use passages that include multisyllabic words and cover engaging, age-appropriate, and informational topics.
• Include Extended Reading Material: Present longer passages that challenge students, making them feel accomplished.

I've seen firsthand how these strategies can transform a classroom, not just student perceptions, but teacher perceptions too—you’re teaching serious stuff. In one Grade 5 class, a group was using an intervention program. A student approached the group and asked, “How do I get into this group?” He noticed how engaged the students were and the interesting activities they were doing and wanted to join, not realizing it was an intervention. It was a moment.

Teach the Stuff, Cut the Fluff

Filling in reading gaps takes time and effort, but focusing on the most impactful areas will make the biggest difference:

• Target Essential Skills: From phonics to fluency, ensure your interventions address the critical areas for growth.
• Engage Actively: Keep your students on task with a perky pace and frequent checks for understanding.

Finally, it all ties back to the success–motivation loop. Witnessing students high-fiving each other when they spell a challenging word correctly or break down a multisyllabic word brings unparalleled joy. One older student’s words will always resonate with me: “Dr. Archer, I was able to walk, and I was able to talk, and now I can read.” The wisdom is that being able to read is as important to a student’s future as being able to walk and talk. That sums up the transformative power of reading instruction. 

Together, let’s create more readers who are confident in their abilities and eager to learn!

Want to hear more from Anita? Tune in to her Extraordinary Educators™ Podcast or read Anita Archer Reading Intervention Tips, Anita Archer Takes the Stage: The Science of Reading in Focus, and/or Anita “Archerisms”: Foundations in Explicit Instruction.