Asking Students about the Nature of Their Reading Difficulties

Abstract

This study examined students' perceptions of themselves as readers and the strategies they used to solve reading problems. Data was collected over a two-year period at two reading clinics from elementary grade level students ( N = 72). Subjects were interviewed about the types of reading difficulties they experienced and described how they attempted to remediate these difficulties. Additionally, subjects described the type of reader they wanted to become, how they might improve, and why a particular classmate was a good reader. All subjects except one was able to describe a reading difficulty. The most frequently stated perception was the ability to read words (77%), followed by the ability to comprehend text (14%). Most perceptions were confirmed by assessment data (75%). Whenever perceptions were not confirmed, problems either were found in another domain (word recognition vs. comprehension or vice versa) or were school-related (e.g., the inability to work successfully as a member of a reading group). A comparison of the word recognition and comprehension strategies students generated revealed differences in levels of knowledge they possessed. Students with word recognition difficulties knew that they had difficulty reading words and had developed strategies to deal with their problems; however, they lacked sufficient knowledge about why their strategies were ineffective and when they should use another one. Students with comprehension problems generally were unaware of their reading difficulties and frequently lacked any strategy to remediate them. Regardless of their reading difficulties and the strategies they used to remediate them, most students viewed word recognition as central to the reading process. Discussion focuses on how these findings can be used by clinicians to develop alternative assessments and by classroom teachers to develop strategy-based instruction.