Reading Wednesday Strategies for students with Learning Disabilities By: Gale Stanford and Paula Webber Often students with learning disabilities struggle with reading in the content areas. The best way a teacher can support a struggling reader is to give them opportunities to read and provide them support as they read new content which is often filled with unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts. Our middle school students were struggling with the new science curriculum, so we decided to give the students and their teachers support by compiling a list of reading strategies they could use within their classrooms. It is important to pair students carefully when you want them to read together. Our students have learned that new content does not have to be difficult when they apply strategies with a friend. Below is a list of strategies, their purpose and description of each. They were designed for the 7th and 8th grade science courses at middle school level. Each Wednesday, students read science lessons and focus on vocabulary development and the use of the vocabulary in speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. These strategies could be used in any core classroom. STRATEGY PURPOSE DESCRIPTION SQ3R An approach to studying and reading to improve comprehension and retention Have students to scan passage, formulate questions to be answered, read, recite what they have read, and then review. K-W-L Strategy used to introduce a topic "Know, Want to know, Learn" Students identify what they know about a topic, what they want to know, and after reading or instruction, identify what they learned or would still like to learn Reciprocal Teaching To encourage student-student learning Students take turns being the teacher for a pair or small group. Teacher role may be to clarify, ask questions, ask for predictions, etc Think Aloud To encourage critical thinking and oral reading Teacher or student describes own thoughts while reading aloud to class. Read and Respond Assesses student response to what they have read Read a passage to the student or have them read it by themselves or in a group. Have the student respond to the story in a number of creative ways. They can communicate by drawing, recording in the journal, or by use of diagrams and mapping about what they heard or read and how they felt about it. Have the student report to a partner, a small group or to the whole class about their responses. Graphic Organizer Visual frameworks to help the learner make connections between concepts Graphic organizers are used before learning and help remind the learner of what they already know about a subject; are designed to be used during learning to act as cues to what to look for in the structure of the resources or information; are used during review activities and help to remind students of the number and variety of components they should be remembering. Chalk Talk To check for understanding A silent activity where no one may talk. T ...

1. Reading Wednesday
Strategies for students with Learning Disabilities
By: Gale Stanford and Paula Webber
Often students with learning disabilities struggle with reading
in the content areas. The best way a teacher can support a
struggling reader is to give them opportunities to read and
provide them support as they read new content which is often
filled with unfamiliar vocabulary and concepts.
Our middle school students were struggling with the new
science curriculum, so we decided to give the students and their
teachers support by compiling a list of reading strategies they
could use within their classrooms.
It is important to pair students carefully when you want them to
read together. Our students have learned that new content does
not have to be difficult when they apply strategies with a friend.
Below is a list of strategies, their purpose and description of
each. They were designed for the 7th and 8th grade science
courses at middle school level.
Each Wednesday, students read science lessons and focus on
vocabulary development and the use of the vocabulary in
speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. These
strategies could be used in any core classroom.
STRATEGY
PURPOSE
DESCRIPTION
SQ3R
An approach to studying and reading to improve comprehension
and retention
Have students to scan passage, formulate questions to be

2. answered, read, recite what they have read, and then review.
K-W-L
Strategy used to introduce a topic
"Know, Want to know, Learn" Students identify what they know
about a topic, what they want to know, and after reading or
instruction, identify what they learned or would still like to
learn
Reciprocal Teaching
To encourage student-student learning
Students take turns being the teacher for a pair or small group.
Teacher role may be to clarify, ask questions, ask for
predictions, etc
Think Aloud
To encourage critical thinking and oral reading
Teacher or student describes own thoughts while reading aloud
to class.
Read and Respond
Assesses student response to what they have read
Read a passage to the student or have them read it by
themselves or in a group.
Have the student respond to the story in a number of creative
ways. They can communicate by drawing, recording in the
journal, or by use of diagrams and mapping about what they
heard or read and how they felt about it. Have the student report
to a partner, a small group or to the whole class about their
responses.
Graphic Organizer
Visual frameworks to help the learner make connections
between concepts
Graphic organizers are used before learning and help remind the
learner of what they already know about a subject; are designed
to be used during learning to act as cues to what to look for in
the structure of the resources or information; are used during
review activities and help to remind students of the number and
variety of components they should be remembering.

3. Chalk Talk
To check for understanding
A silent activity where no one may talk. The facilitator writes a
relevant question on the board or a topic, hands students a
marker or piece of chalk to encourage students to communicate.
A student can comment on the question or topic or on another’s
student’s comment by drawing a connecting line.
ABCD Whisper
Summarizing
Students get in groups of four where one student is A, the next
B, etc. Each student will be asked to reflect on a reading
passage and draw a visual of his/her interpretation. They will
share their answer with each other in a zigzag pattern within
their group.
A-B Partner
Enhancing literacy and summarization skills
Have students to count off A, B, A, B, etc…Chunk reading
passage so that A’s read a piece to B’s while B’s listen and read
along. B’s then summarize to A’s what they read. They then
switch roles. This continues until all of reading passage has
been read.
SQPRRS
An approach to studying and reading to improve comprehension
and retention
Similar to SQ3R; scan, question, predict, read, respond, and
summarize.
Sticky Summary
Main idea
After a student reads a paragraph they take a stick note and
write the main idea of the paragraph. Place the sticky on the
paragraph. At the end of the reading, students write what they
wrote on each stick note to create a main idea essay.
The Big Story
Review vocabulary
Given the vocabulary words, students create a story from the
journalist point of view. They must use the content vocabulary

4. in the story. It should have a headline, by line, and a creative
story line using the science vocabulary for the unit being
studied.
5-3-1
Reading to improve comprehension
On their own, ask students to list 5 words from lesson or
reading. Partner students up to share their 5 words. Partners
then agree on the 3 important words. Have partner groups join
another partner group and share the 3 words each group came up
with. Then have the 2 groups agree on 1 key word that best
represents the content. Ask each group to share that word with
the whole group and tell why it is the best word to represent the
content.
Key Word Method
Summarization and comprehension
After reading a short section of a text, ask students to choose 2
words that best summarize what the section was about. These 2
words should be recorded on a sticky note or on the text. After
reading, students can use the key words to summarize the text.
I Remember
To enhance memory and check for understanding
After giving students a reading passage, have students to make a
fist. Tell them to list 5 things (verbatim) they remember from
the lesson
3-2-1
Provides a structure for students to summarize and make
meaning of a reading assignment
Identify 3 important vocabulary words or facts from the
reading. Write 2 questions you have about the reading. Make 1
connection to something else you already know.
A-B-C Summarize
Review and comprehension
After reading an article, each student in a class is assigned a
different letter of the alphabet and they must select a word
starting with that letter that is related to the topic being studied
or the reading.

5. Basketball Review Game
Review
Assign students a reading passage. Students read silently.
Write at least 25 review questions based on the reading. Buy or
make a small (3-4 inches diameter) ball. Set up the room with a
(clean) garbage can in the front. This will be the ‘basket’. Place
a piece of masking tape on the floor approximately 3 feet from
the basket. Place a piece of masking tape on the floor
approximately 8 feet from the basket. Divide the students into
two teams. Explain that each student must answer the questions
given to them. When they make a basket. If they miss, they go
to the end of the line. Game is over when all questions have
been answered. Questions are worth 2 points
Read Aloud
To improve comprehension, expose students to correct
pronunciation, or to create positive feelings about reading.
Teacher reads aloud to students.
Think-Pair-Share
Summarization and comprehension
Students are given a reading assignment. They turn to a partner
and share what they have learned. They then share with the
whole group.
Three-Step Interview
To get to know concepts in depth
After having students read, have them to individually formulate
3 questions to ask another student based on the reading. Divide
students into groups of four (a, b, c, d). Have A to interview
B; C interviews D; B interviews A; D interviews D. All in group
share what they've learned in their interviews.
Walking Tour
Check for understanding
Passages from reading are posted on individual pages around
the room. Divide class into groups of 4 or less. Groups tour the
room and discuss each passage, then summarize on a sheet of
paper and share with the whole group.