How fast can I improve my reading?

Question

My student data showed in 2022 that I can help remedial readers gain a grade level every three months. This is only possible if the teacher is not using a set curriculum, but teaching to the individual miscues heard when a person reads. If the tutor closely notices what phonics concepts the student already knows and just targets the weak spots, a student can move a lot faster. I also give a professional assessment when I start with a reading student, to find their instructional level. This is the level at which a reader reads slightly higher than their ability. There should be about ten percent of the text that the student must learn, and ninety percent that they already can read well. This continually raises the reading level, while still giving enough context clues for the reader to maintain reading comprehension. With Covid learning loss a big issue--2/3 of fourth graders in the U.S. currently read below grade level--quick catch up is very important and it is possible with the right tutor!

Answer 1

This depends on a number of factors, including the specific nature of the student's difficulty, the frequency of practicing, and the support of friends and family, along with insights from the teacher. Prior knowledge is also important; people read more easily the more familiar they are with the context for what they are reading. Most often, there is a phase of slow gathering of vocabulary and awareness of spelling patterns, followed by a sudden, rapid improvement and rise in reading levels, when all the pieces come together. First, though, I help my students to demystify the reading process, to understand what actually happens in the brain when we read. This includes activating schema--or making connections, between what the text is saying and the life experiences of the reader. We also practice making inferences and predictions, and we practice identifying and using literary elements such as suspense, imagery, and metaphor, even with beginning readers. When people know what reading is and isn't, they're ready to walk through the open door of literacy.