The REACH (Reaching to Educate All Children for Heaven) initiative provides teachers with resources, training, and ongoing support.
Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, and spell on grade level |
Inconsistent performance; may have discrepancies in test scores |
Easily frustrated and emotional about academic work |
Sings or chants to recite the alphabet in correct sequence |
Fails to demonstrate proficient word attack skills; difficulty with phonics skills |
Confuses similar letters and words (angel-angle, dream-drama) |
Often makes the following mistakes with reading/writing: additions (baby – babey); omissions (plan – pan); substitutions (sin – sen); inversions (mom – wow); reversals (b-d , was - saw); numbers (37-73, 96-69); rotations (b-p, oiL -710); transpositions (girl- gril); repetitions (rat- ratt) |
May use mirror writing |
Auditory discrimination problems (difficulty hearing differences in similar sounds, e.g., b– p, o-u) |
Difficulty recognizing rhyming words |
Difficulty comprehending written material; may lose place when reading |
Difficulty sequencing (such as events in stories) |
Shows some directional confusion |
Difficulty telling time, managing time, being punctual |
Fails to complete reading/writing assignments |
Difficulty with recalling previous lessons |
Difficulty segmenting syllables in a word |
Poor spelling, phonetic but inconsistent (e.g., book, bok, buk, boock) |
Difficulty copying quickly and accurately (from chalkboard to notebook or book to notebook) |
Difficulty reading printed music |
Seems to forget often (e.g., homework, papers, assignments) |
Has difficulty remembering sight words |
Difficulty remembering and following multi-step directions |
Difficulty with independent activities that include reading and writing |
Short attention span for reading/writing tasks |
Seems to zone out or daydream often |
Poor study skills |
Poor work on timed or essay screening tools |
Poor self–esteem |
Hides or covers weaknesses with creative compensation techniques |
Complains of dizziness, headaches, stomach aches while reading/writing |
Falls asleep or shows signs of exhaustion while reading/writing |
May seem to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don’t reveal a problem |
Thinks primarily with images and feelings, not sounds or words |
Mistakes and symptoms increase with confusion, pressure, stress, or poor health |
Difficulty restraining talking |
Discrepancy between verbal communication and written expression |
Slow reader; may have to read and reread in order to comprehend |
Understands auditory material more readily than written material |
Difficulty with directions |
Still confuses letters (such as b and d) especially when tired, stressed, or ill |
Difficulty with foreign languages |
Poor grades |
High frustration level with schooling |
More information | |
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Provide student with a “reader” or a taped copy of the text, i.e., Learning Ally | |
Use varying reading comprehension strategies |
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Avoid calling on a child to read aloud unless s/he has had time to practice the passage | |
Alter size of assignment to challenge yet facilitate success, i.e., do even questions, instead of the entire page |
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Have students preview the chapter before reading | |
Assign questions at the end of the chapter before reading the text |
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Sit students in the front of the class with a study buddy | |
Give assignments in terms of time rather than required number of pages; set clear time limits (using a timer, watch, or other visible device) |
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Allow the use of assistive technology | |
Have a “reader” work with student to mark key passages in student’s text |
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Reduce the amount of writing, allow oral presentations, posters, comic strips etc. | |
Provide assignment notebook | |
Find a suitable paraphrase or condensed version of the book (e.g., Shakespeare Made Easy) |
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Allow students to use the Reading Pen | |
Utilize audio books |
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Provide a study guide and graphic organizers; orally review key points | |
Teach students to outline/map stories | |
Provide students with a purpose to read |
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Teach students to understand that they read differently for different purposes (to locate information, for pleasure, etc.) |
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Provide wait time for students to answer; allow note cards for presentations | |
Teach through hands-on experiences, demonstrations, experiments, observations, discussion, and visual aids |
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Talk slower and put notes on the board for the students to copy | |
Give students a copy of the notes, use a peer note taker or NCR paper | |
Allow students to highlight key concepts in text | |
Use questioning balls | |
Give un-timed assessments |
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Provide assessments that do not require rote memory recall; instead, test for conceptual understanding; use fill in the blanks (with a word bank), multiple choice, short answer, true and false (explain why it’s false), matching, etc.; vary the formats |
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Read tests to students; provide an audio recording; allow students to give oral answers | |
Provide personal dictionaries and word walls | |
Provide adapted reading material | |
Have high expectations; give generous praise for specific behaviors; strengthen the student’s self-concept |
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Provide a reading helper to help students keep their place while reading | |
Provide for individual pacing |
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Give pre-reading experiences (e.g., stories, visitations, interviews, photos, videos) |
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Repeat step by step directions; check for understanding |
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Use prediction strategies before reading | |
Provide peer tutoring |
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Teach vocabulary words before reading | |
Select books appropriate to level of skill; utilize high-interest, low-level books |
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Give open-book, open-note tests to individual student |
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Teach organizational skills | |
Use an electronic speller such as a Franklin Speller |
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Allow students to use highlighting tape | |
Allow students to have an extra set of textbooks at home |
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Have students keep all their supplies in one place |