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Teaching reading is a challenging career. For educators from elementary all the way through the high school level, there are always difficult situations to face for those that are teaching reading. Reading is different from many other subject areas because it is not quite as intuitive. Unlike math, where a child can see that one apple plus one apple makes two apples, learning to read requires more effort initially. Teaching strategies for reading must be methodical and orderly. This is why great reading teachers are so important.
For those teaching reading - any kind of reading class: elementary through high school - it is important to have a solid foundation for teaching reading strategies. One resource that can help with this effort is a Teaching Reading Strategies class. This kind of class should cover various different strategies to understand how to approach fiction and non-fiction, narratives, and international texts. Another area to cover when teaching strategies for reading might be to emphasize strategies students can employ before they begin reading a piece, as well as during and after. Learning before, during, and after strategies can help with content retention and help students become more efficient readers. When a student knows how to get the most out of a piece of literature, he or she will likely enjoy reading more (and maybe be encouraged to read outside the classroom as well!).
Another method that might be covered while learning teaching strategies for reading is reciprocal teaching. Reciprocal teaching is essentially a dialogue between the students and the teacher. The role of teacher alternates between the students and the teacher as they each pose questions to summarize, clarify, and make predictions about the text. This kind of exercise is a great way to deep-dive into a piece of literature while keeping class interactive. Reflective strategies may also be covered in a teaching reading strategies course. These strategies fall upon the teacher - he or she must analyze his or her efforts for teaching reading. Recognizing which teaching models are working and which are not is key to benefitting the students.
In addition to teaching reading, reading teachers must also help their students develop effective writing strategies to analyze the texts they have read. Writing is often neglected in reading classes; both teachers and students may push this priority to the side in favor of focusing on reading only. However, it is critical to understand the importance of effective writing so that students can eloquently state what they have read about. In order to fully appreciate good writing, students must also learn to write well.
Lastly, a comprehensive teaching reading strategies class should examine some of the current research with respect to teaching reading so that teachers can learn the most effective strategies when it comes to teaching reading. There are many different approaches to teaching reading, and it is helpful to explore them all when trying to develop your own curriculum. A class for teaching reading strategies will cover ways to integrate these strategies into your lesson plans and give good skills for application in the classroom.
