Sometimes it is very difficult in the tutorial program to incorporate reading into a student’s tutoring session when they absolutely hate reading yet, desperately need to. It is like pulling teeth to get them to read just one chapter! It was once frustrating in the past, but now just telling their parents or taking away privileges seem to help blow off steam on the Instructor end. Nevertheless, reading is essential, especially during grade school when there is test after test after test every year. These tests analyze students’ reading and comprehension skills. It is important for students to constantly grow in every subject area, and that includes reading and ELA (English Language Arts).
 

A few of the students at the tutoring program hate reading. Every week, it is like a constant battle to get them to read for a mere thirty minutes. I try to explain to them the benefits of reading and why it is so important. Though I try to give them the benefit of the doubt by allowing them to choose a book of their choice, I still require them to choose a book in their grade level or above. Each year, the student’s vocabulary words become more challenging and it essential to tackle these new words at their core. When the students do not understand a word while they are reading, utilizing the “Words to Know” worksheet helps to aid students with that problem. “Words to Know” is a worksheet used to jot down words that students do not know or have trouble pronouncing during their thirty minute reading time. After the students are done reading, they review the words with the Tutorial Instructor by practicing the pronunciation of the misspelled words and learning the definition of each one.
 

Teaching reading comprehension and identifying context clues to a student is another great tool to incorporate in their reading time. Another reason why students become frustrated during reading time is because they struggle with connecting the dots with they are reading, which shows a lack in reading comprehension skills. When they learn this skill and practice it over time, reading becomes easier even if the book isn’t very interesting. One way to practice this during reading time is the “Tell Something About What You Read” strategy. During tutorial, students are always asked this question after reading. This is to ensure that they know and remember what they just read, aka, reading comprehension. Otherwise, students would just spend 30 minute reciting words without actually understanding anything they just read.
 

No matter the students’ bad attitudes and constant sighs when it’s time to pull the book out, reading has to be enforced. The gag is, reading isn’t going anywhere and it is here to stay.

Mari
Super Tutor