Supporting Reading Skills in Special Need Teenagers

It seems like more and more teenage students struggle with reading. Trying to come up with new ways to teach and present reading comprehension to special ed teens can be a challenge. You need to find fun ways to engage them in reading while making it interesting to them. First, let’s identify the problem that some teenagers face with reading comprehension.

Some students struggle with understanding what they read on a daily basis. They are able to read with the proper fluency, but when it comes to answering questions or retelling what they just read, they just can’t seem to do it. The struggle is due to the fact that many students have a specific learning disability in reading, which affects their ability to comprehend what they read. Now that you know what causes their struggle, let’s examine some things that can be done in the classroom to help with this.

First, we need to try to present teenagers with reading material that is of high interest to them. Many publication companies offer great books that are geared for high school students due to the content. There are biographies on people they admire, sports and various other topics that are of specific interest to the teenage mindset. Chances are that if they are interested in what they are reading, the more likely they are to remember what they read. You can also ask the students what type of books they like to read and find a way to incorporate them into your existing curriculum. In special education, you have a little more flexibility with your curriculum options because you teach the students based on what they students need. So, let them choose their books.

In the classroom, there are a few other accommodations that can be made to help children understand what they read. You can present them with small pieces of information at a time. Too much information can be overwhelming, so instead of having them read several pages, only have them read a couple of pages. Read out loud to the students or provide them with audiobooks. Many of them struggle just with the reading aspect, so if they can hear the information they will be able to comprehend it better. As they are reading, have them stop and ask them questions along the way. Also, provide them with opportunities to frequently review the information, this will aid in comprehension as well.

As you can see there are many things that can be done in the classroom that will increase reading comprehension in special ed teens. Try some of these suggestions out. These little changes in the classroom can make a big difference in the students’ ability to comprehend what they read.