Students that struggle with reading in school is not a new problem. This has been a

challenge for teachers for years and continues to be an issue in school systems nationwide. As

stated in video program five, “While a child’s development may be delayed, the developmental

pattern will remain the same.” (Bear, 2004 ). This really lets school officials know that these students

are reachable, but the teachers need to provide appropriate instruction for the student’s

developmental level. There are several things to be considered such as: grouping, type of

instruction, spelling words, and vocabulary.

Teaching special education, it seems that my students are usually grouped in the

teacher/child ratio. Within those small groups there are a variety of reading levels and

adjustments that have to be made. We have reading groups everyday in my classroom. My

students along with my teammates students are grouped according to ability. Even with that

type of grouping remediation for some students is needed because of their rate of progress. It

was stated in video program five that struggling readers need repetition, practice, and explicit

instruction (Bear,2004). I try to provide this through different modalities. One strategy is a computer

program called Intelli-talk.

This is a program similar to Cowriter or Write Out Loud. It allows information to be

inputted into the system by the teacher and it will orally read the directions, any reading or

activities that go with the lesson. This program also allows pictures to be associated with vital

vocabulary in the reading in the form of a word bank. By clicking on a picture the students

can review a brief definition of the word and hopeful this will aid them in completing the

vocabulary/comprehension activities. This program will also allow the teacher to make a word web and using the pictures mentioned early, the students can match the correct word with the

picture. This is a great way to have students review independently what was read or discussed

previously in a small group setting. This also allows the teacher to engaged in another activity

with other students without having to be directly one on one with another student.

My students are tested annually on 400 basic sight words using the Brigance test. Any

words that the students do not know how to read are given to them as spelling words. The

students are expected to know what the word means, how to read and spell the words by the end

of the week. Supplemental activities for classwork and homework are given as a reinforcement.

A shorter list is given to those students that may have difficulty. Vocabulary match and

flashcard activities may also be given to assist the students that are really having a hard time in

learning. Pairing the student with a buddy is also an excellent way for students to learn. When

broken down into smaller chunks the students are usually more successful in

learning as stated in video program four.

After reading a story or often times before writing a paragraph, the students will engage

in a webbing activity using the computer program Inspiration. This is a great way to engage

students in the retelling of a story. It is also great for brainstorming for writing. The use of the

computer is a plus because it really captures the students attention more than pencil and paper. I

also have a model that I show to the students so that they can see and hopeful understand what is

expected of them. When completing this assignment I have observed that the students seem

more focused and attentive to the task at hand. I have really received quality work using these

programs and activities.

Reference List

Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.