I never really realized the extent that confidence could have on my shy young readers ability to read. I remember going off early on a Maternity leave and getting a call from my principal. She was asking me why she was seeing different results in my students reading assessments then I was. She was having a lot of trouble getting the students to show her the same skills. I tried to explain the importance of confidence and that my students were struggling to have any. I’m not sure she believed me.

It was a high risk school. Many of my students had been through more than most adults do in a lifetime. Trust was a big issue for them. After building relationships with a very empathetic approach for several months these students began to try. They started to take chances on words they weren’t entirely comfortable with. Began to apply the reading strategies that I had been working hard to teach them. It’s a beautiful thing once it clicks for your students. Unfortunately this mental block with sudden change can make it all difficult again. Which is why we see these trends in our struggling students. Schools that have a high turn over with staff and students that come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Block after block for these deserving students.

So how do we help our struggling students?

The good news is the shift back to phonics is really helping. The Right to Read Report and the emphasis on word mapping and word reading is making the possibility of “no child left behind” a very real thing. In the next few years we will see updated screeners made mandatory in our schools. Flags happening earlier for struggling students so they will have a real chance at their right to being literate. I find it very hopeful.

Recently I was doing some reading assessments. I thought the book the student was reading was too high. I added a set of noise cancelling headphones and we moved into the hall for a quiet space. Immediately the student showed fluency and comprehension with the same book they were unable to read a moment ago. I mean drastic improvement. I often take this approach and almost always get the same results. Our students are expected to preform their assessments in a noisy classroom with one educator. The role of the educator is to complete the assessment and control the classroom behaviour simultaneously. This really doesn’t set anyone up for success. This type of instruction leads to lots of interruptions. A very difficult environment for our student and teachers to try and focus in.

Some solutions for our shy young readers?

Use the same phonics program every day. Don’t skip days, don’t worry about engagement of the whole group. Just be consistent. I promise everyone is getting something good from it. You will have very good days and some rough ones but stay the course. Over time, the routine for our students minds will lead to strong foundations for their early reading skills. Being flippant with our resources leaves gaps in learning. Especially in phonemic and phonetic awareness.

It is great if you have one resource used from Kindergarten to Grade two. If your staff can get on board with you it triples the chance of success for our students. This is due to the scaffolding and again the muscle memory, the steps that train the brain to be literate. If you’re looking for a suggestion I would recommend UFLI ‘s manual. You can find more from their website here. I would also recommend you check out the Scarborough’s Reading Rope here. As the path to literacy goes far beyond a great phonics program. To check out my blog on Five ways to support decoding in Early Readers click here.

The Bottom Line

We are ever evolving as Educators. Each year we gain new insights and tricks of the trade that make us excellent at what we do. Much to the gratitude of our shy young readers. The education system is very cyclical. Mistakes happen along the way that shift our thinking and help us to be even better. When these shifts happen all is not lost. We still have mad skills in the teaching department we just have to remember that we are life long learners. Assuring ourselves that whatever comes along with any shift is going to also bring us positive change. Reflection is the most important part of our practice, it’s what make us the professionals.

With Love C.

If you are looking for a fun way to implement a much needed phonics instruction to your day check out my year long phonics bingo bundle. All fun, all learning, all the time. Right here.

Interested in getting my latest posts follow my page on Facebook here. Look for me on Instagram here.