Struggling Emerging Literacy Learners: The Importance of Text Selection and Supportive Book Introduction

Abstract

For the majority of young learners, learning how to read comes relatively easily. However, some young children experience difficulty and require particularly specific thought and planning by the teacher. When early literacy behaviors are not securely evident in the struggling literacy learner, the teacher can support the development of those behaviors through selection of novel text and a book introduction that is tailored specifically to the needs of the learner experiencing problems. Specific attention needs to be paid to the types of information in the text that the young student is either utilizing or neglecting. The teacher needs to know the student well, including an awareness of specific high-frequency words that the student knows in either reading or writing. The teacher then can make decisions based on the knowledge base specific to the struggling emerging literacy learner. This article details how teaching decisions resulting from knowing a child’s specific reading behaviors support the struggling emerging literacy learner.