How to develop reading skills in School

If you want to learn how to develop reading skills in school, here are some simple and effective ways to help students build reading skills to better understand classroom curriculum.

Teachers, parents and mentors can help ignite a child’s passion to read by incorporating activities focused on building reading skills to improve comprehension and engagement. Many children see reading as a chore, especially if it’s tied to lesson plans and learning complex information, undoubtably reading is very important and even more important for student.  

These are practical tips for students who are learning how to develop reading skills in school, compiled by loftyscholars.com   

1. Set goals for Reading

Encourage students to set their own reading goals to take ownership of their progress in building their reading skills. This will help them become more aware of their development and encourage them to take action towards improving.

2. Let your Students guide their Reading

Allow your students to guide their own reading experience as each individual processes reading material and curriculum differently. By implementing reading activities that cater to each student’s learning style, teachers can help their students better understand complex materials.

Integrating more reading activities into classroom coursework can help students improve their vocabulary, writing skills, problem-solving abilities, concentration, and cognitive development. These skills can lay a solid foundation for future learning.

3. Relate reading to other areas of the student’s life

Encourage your students to relate the material they read to other areas of their lives. Ask them to select a piece of literature and then compare it with other books, movies, news items, or TV shows. Have them analyze and discuss the similarities and differences between the formats in how they portrayed the topic. Ask your students what they liked about each format and how they would have improved it to better match the topic.

Also, help them identify the message that the writers intended to convey to the reader or observer. Encouraging students to connect what they have read to their own experiences helps them to think abstractly about the material.

4. Highlight or Underline text

Teach your students to highlight and underline important information while reading. Encourage them to take notes on the pages they are reading to enhance focus and comprehension.

They can also jot down questions to seek clarification on a new concept or to define a new word.

5. Read in portions

To make lengthy and complicated reading materials more manageable, one can divide them into smaller sections. Breaking down the text into shorter segments can aid students in retaining information during class discussions.

Moreover, this approach can boost their confidence in comprehending a challenging topic.

6. Make use of various reading materials

Utilize diverse reading materials and employ creativity when teaching reading using various formats such as books, magazines, audiobooks, CDs, and other recorded readings. Providing multiple ways for students to engage with the material can help them connect with it better.

For instance, you can encourage students to read along with an audiobook to improve their experience of seeing the words on the page while also hearing them on the recording. Additionally, incorporating technologies like text-to-speech software can transform a reading exercise, allowing students to concentrate on sentence structure and words without becoming overwhelmed by their comprehension levels.

7. Understanding common themes

To enhance engagement, request that your students search for instances of a particular theme throughout the chapter. Encourage them to share their discoveries with the class, which will aid in a more comprehensive understanding of the particular theme.

8. Connect the contents to real life

Students can increase their understanding by seeing how the material connects with their life. Have your students make personal connections with the text by writing it down on the page. You can also help students comprehend the text by helping them see an association with current events. 

9. Incorporate more senses

Incorporating multiple senses can reinforce learning and improve comprehension. You can encourage your students to engage more actively with the text by suggesting they annotate as they read using a pen or pencil, which will help them process information visually and kinesthetically.

Furthermore, taking turns reading aloud can stimulate both auditory and verbal learning, enabling students to hear the material and express it in their own words. You can also use visual aids, such as projectors or videos, to provide a more immersive learning experience that engages students’ visual and auditory senses. For example, showing a documentary about the topic being discussed in class can help students understand the material on a deeper level by incorporating both visual and auditory elements.

10. Have fun with words

Encourage word play among students by asking them to jot down unfamiliar words or phrases from their reading assignments on index cards and bring them to class. Hold a group discussion on these words until everyone grasps their meanings and contextual usage.

Moreover, the students can display their index cards on a bulletin board as a testament to their mastery of challenging language. Depending on the class format, these cards can be used for subsequent writing lessons to help students enhance their vocabulary.

11. Create a record for improvement or progress

Encourage students to track their progress in reading by creating a personalized journal. The journal should include a list of the books or articles they have read and a concise summary of each piece. Dedicate a section to challenging words or phrases encountered while reading, and another section for passages that were difficult to comprehend. Finally, students can share their opinions of the material, what they liked or disliked, and if they are interested in reading more from the author.

Regularly review these journals with students to acknowledge their progress and celebrate their achievements. These journals can also be used during parent-teacher conferences to showcase their improvement.

FAQ on How to develop reading skills in school 

What is the most effective reading strategy? 

Read with a purpose, Preview, identify the main point, create questions 

How long should a student read in a day?

A student can read for 3 hours including school material or 1 hour excluding school material 

What activities can help a student improve his or her reading skills?

Personalize the content, set reading goals, highlight text, have fun with words