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← Reading Supports, and How to Ask

Reading Supports, and How to Ask

Three short lessons for parents and teachers of a reader who finds print hard: what the common supports actually are, which have good evidence behind them, and how to ask for one.

Spark & Whetstone · sparkwhetstone.org/learn/reading-supports · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Answers are at the end, so you can try each question first.

Lesson 1. What the supports are

Common reading supports include: text read aloud by a device, with each word lit up as it is spoken; audiobooks; extra time on tests; notes handed out before a lesson; and reading one line at a time with a ruler or a screen mask.

Each one removes a different barrier. Read-aloud removes the decoding load so the reader can focus on meaning; extra time removes the pressure of slow reading; notes ahead let them preview new words.

Question. What barrier does text read aloud mainly remove?

  1. The effort of decoding the words.
  2. The need to understand the text.
  3. The time limit.

Say it back. In your own words: what does each support remove?

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Lesson 2. What has evidence

Some supports have research behind them. Studies of text read aloud for students with reading difficulties have found it tends to help their understanding of what they read, though the effect varies from student to student.

Others do not. Coloured overlays and tinted lenses are often sold to help with dyslexia, but good studies have not found that they improve reading, and doctors' groups advise against them for that purpose.

Question. What does good research say about coloured overlays for dyslexia?

  1. They reliably improve reading.
  2. Good studies have not found that they improve reading.
  3. They work only for adults.

Say it back. Say it back: which of the supports has evidence, and which does not?

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Lesson 3. How to ask

A good request names the support, what it helps with, and when it is needed: "Reading aloud with the words lit up helps me keep my place. Could I use it for the history test?"

Practise the words before the meeting, at home, out loud. A short, specific request is easier for a teacher or a manager to say yes to than a general one.

Question. Which request is most likely to get a clear yes?

  1. I need help with reading.
  2. Having the questions read aloud helps me keep my place. Could I use it on Friday's test?
  3. Can I skip the test?

Say it back. In your own words: what three things go into a good request?

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At the table: Rehearse the request

Players: a grown-up and a young person, 12 or older. You'll need: paper and a pen.

  1. Together, name one support that helps.
  2. Write a single sentence: the support, what it helps with, and when.
  3. The grown-up plays the teacher. The young person makes the request out loud.
  4. Swap roles once, then make it shorter.

Answers

  1. The effort of decoding the words. — Read-aloud takes on the decoding, so the reader can spend their effort on meaning.
  2. Good studies have not found that they improve reading. — Good studies have not shown that overlays improve reading.
  3. Having the questions read aloud helps me keep my place. Could I use it on Friday's test? — The second request names the support, what it helps with, and when.