I1. Minimize distractions while the student is reading. It’s hard for slow readers to concentrate and make progress in a stimulating, distracting environment.

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2. Use flashcards to help struggling readers recognize troublesome words. Many slow readers around grades 2 and 3 are adept at sounding out new words, but struggle to retain words’ spelling, meaning, and pronunciation. Help your student by putting words on flashcards and quizzing the student on their meaning and pronunciation.

• Once a student identifies and pronounces a word, say, “Great job! Now can you use that word in a sentence?”

• You can turn it into a fun game for the student by giving the students a small reward (e.g. ‘gold star’) after each correct guess.

 

3. Help slow readers sound out the vowels in troublesome words.  You can help by encouraging the student to figure out the vowel sounds before consonant sounds. Help readers develop by encouraging them to sound out the word in one try, without stopping partway thorough. This will increase their reading speed and competence.

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4. Encourage slow readers to master short words before moving on to long.  Elementary-age readers should be able to instantly read, pronounce, and understand 1-syllable words before moving onto multisyllabic words. Help your student sound out the individual letters in words like “c-a-t,” “h-a-t,” “j-o-b,” “f-i-t,” “s-i-t,” “p-a-t,” and “d-o-g.” Then encourage the student to string these sounds together, pronounce the full word, and recognize the word when it appears on the page.

• Learning to rapidly identify and pronounce 1-syllable words will boost the student’s confidence and allow them to enjoy reading more.

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5. Ask slow readers to move line by line using an index card. Many slow readers struggle to keep their place on the page or jump from line to line as they read. In this case, give the student a note card and instruct them to hold the card across the page. Ask the reader to move the card down the page whenever they finish a line, so that only 1 line of new text can be seen at a time.

• If you don’t have note cards nearby, instruct the reader to hold their finger horizontally across the page for the same purpose.

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6. Read out loud to the student.  Hearing texts read out loud will pique the student’s interest in reading. The student will benefit from hearing you pronounce words correctly and inflect your voice to match emotions expressed in the text.

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7. Ask questions to help the student engage with the content of their reading. Slow readers often lose interest in the book they’re reading or convince themselves that reading isn’t fun. You can help them re-engage with the material they’re reading by asking questions about the characters, plot, and setting of a book.​​

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8. If the student is struggling to read a level-appropriate book, offer to take turns reading with them. For example, switch off reading 1 page at a time. This will keep the student engaged in the text without over-taxing their reading skills.

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9. Praise students when they improve their reading speed or word pronunciation.  Bolster students’ self-esteem by highlighting their accomplishments as they improve their reading skills. This sort of encouragement—especially when coming from a tutor—will help struggling readers feel better about their reading proficiency.