Teaching and Reading Struggles
Teaching is a career that calls for humility in service and constant attention to each student's academic progress, extracurricular activities, and social life. Since they did not encounter these situations during their training, teachers have occasionally found themselves in situations that they do not comprehend. (Jennings, Caldwell, & Lerner, 2013). When students struggle with reading in class, their social lives suffer and some even turn to complete truancy. As a result, this has caused teachers and the parents of the affected pupils great concern. It's clear that the problem does not only affect the preschool and kindergarten but also those in grade schools and high schools. Also, it is worth noting that t there are different ways in which these students struggle in reading hence the need to device different approaches in solving the problem. In this regard, it's the moral obligation of the parents and teachers to monitor the students reading habits and identify the problems for such learners to benefit.
Case Analysis
Many learners struggle in one way or another during the beginning of their academic lives (Balajthy & Lipa-Wade, 2003). Therefore, there is need for parents and teachers to assist and identify such special cases. The study of John's case helped me understand the problems encountered by learners especially of the struggling reader. In this regard, studying an individual student (John) has boosted my understanding of the key areas that such learners have when reading. When taking time with a single learner, the level of difficulty and the remedy to that learner (John) is diagnosed. As such, I realized most learners have the main cause of difficulties in reading emerging from: vowels, especially the diphthongs and words with r-controlled vowels, a case known as the phonemic awareness, the ability to break words into recognizable sounds. All these cases can only be revealed when time is spent with individual learners. In my future performance as a teacher, the understanding of John's case has sharpened and deepened my insight on how to treat my students. Through this, I will make follow ups on each learner's progress and performance in all subjects, identify, if any problem associated with the performance of learners in class and also get to know the interest of most learners. In addition to that, I will ensure phonetics and all aspects of reading development becomes my key concern for each individual learner (Dell, Newton, & Petroff, 2016).
Struggling Students and Reading
Teaching as a profession involves socializing with various students from various backgrounds and conditions. In this view, there are various students who suffer differently in the process of learning to write and read (Daly et al., 2015). Through this project, I was able to identify the kind of problems am likely to face in future as a teacher. Besides it was also through this project that I was able to learn new methods of helping my struggling students in future. I learnt that there is need to carry out tests for such students, find some information from their background and work hand in hand with their parents to ensure that the student improves. Strategies such as part time learning and study, teacher-learner extra time coaching, and enhanced learning using improved audio and visual language machines were the best that I learnt worth for this case. Therefore, I agree that experience is the best teacher and in this regard having been in the study team and in observation of John's case its only through the guidance of the tutor and the parents that the student can be able to improve. In addition to that, I was able to learn that as a literature teacher there other ways we can identify students who struggle to read. For instance, we have students who skip some words that they do not comprehend preferring to read the words they understand first and fill the gaps later. Also, others fear missing the pronunciation and hence resolving to guess the ones they are sure off. I also learned that reading is the worst subject for the beginners, for instance in John's case he is good at Science and Mathematics.
The Impact of Case Studies
Through in depth studying of a case study one gets an overview of what really happens in most situations (Emmer & Evertson, 2016). Having carried an in-depth study of John's case, I was able to carry out further research and realized that these cases have been in existence and am likely to face them during my career time as a teacher. In addition to that, I was able to learn through john's case that struggle in reading does not only affect ones learning process but also self-esteem and social life. Therefore, close scrutiny of this case gave me a clear picture that students affected by such cases undergo a myriad challenges and they should be treated as special cases. Furthermore, the cases are likely to manifest as frequent reversing of letters for example mixing b and d, difficulty in recalling letters, and poor spelling.
Effective Strategies for Struggling Students
There are different cases of students struggling to read, therefore there is need to divide the students into specific groups when assisting them. For instance, through learning John's case I saw how Mrs. Mark tested John through various tests in order to determine his problems and later prescribe the best way for him to be assisted. As a result, I learnt that it is imperative that we get to know the root course of the problems in struggling learners and then place them in the correct group. Putting such learners in "one size fits all" will limit the ability of the teacher to find the level of difficulty of each learners and how fast they need to be helped. Also, by placing them in one class only a few that have the problem being targeted by the instructor shall get their problem solved while the remaining bunch shall not be wasted.
The Value of Learning and Case Studies
Learning is a process that empowers one with knowledge and new information. Therefore, through studying and doing my project at Touro College, I was able to acquire vast knowledge that I had not acquired before joining (Tadlock, 2015). Thorough and in-depth study of John's case enabled me to understand that as a teacher I will be meeting a variety of cases in class. Consequently, I shall be required to help at all cost to enable the student learn as others. Besides that it is through learning at this institution that I have been able to come up and write a case study, without such a chance I could have not been able to meet Mrs. Mark who was very vigorous and determined to get the real cause in John's struggling reading. As such, this acted as an eye opener as I was able to conduct more research in books and internet to get various forms in which students struggle and the ways in which they can be assisted. Therefore, it was honor getting such a chance in Touro College in order to learn and enable me write a study case.
Continuous Learning and Future Improvement
Finally, learning is a process that never ends in one's life till they die. Therefore, having been able to acquire the required knowledge and later write a case study, I will improve on the number of cases and the fields of study in the future. Besides, I will also expand the level of cases I shall study. This will be cases on specific level, subjects, gender, and further international levels (Balajthy & Lipa-Wade, 2003).
The Importance of Support for Struggling Students
In conclusion, it's evident that these cases have been in existence and scientist are very much aware of such conditions that is, dyslexia condition the condition of difficulty in recognizing letters and which sounds they make. Therefore, it's the duty of teachers and parents to assist the students when such cases arises since they are normal people and that they have to be aided in order to catch up with their colleagues.
References
Balajthy, E., & Lipa-Wade, S. (2003). Struggling readers: Assessment and instruction in grades k-6. New York: Guilford Press.
Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2016). Assistive technology in the classroom: Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.
Daly, E. J., Neugebauer, S., Chafouleas, S. M., & Skinner, C. H. (2015). Interventions for reading problems: Designing and evaluating effective strategies. Guilford Publications.
Emmer, E. T., & Evertson, C. M. (2016). Classroom management for middle and high school teachers. Pearson.
Jennings, J. H., Caldwell, J. S., & Lerner, J. W. (2013). Reading problems: Assessment and teaching strategies. Pearson Higher Ed.
Tadlock, D. R. (2015). Eliminating Reading Problems: Foundational for Preparing Competent World Class Students.
