I have been a teacher for nearly thirteen year.  It is a job that I love and cherish with my heart, because it was my “calling” from God.  Science is the subject that I teach and nearly half of my students are intimidated by it, because science was not taught during the elementary grades.  While in the fourth grade, students may spend fifteen to twenty minutes per week on the subject.

I have noticed during the past few years that the reading and comprehension skills of students are very low.  Many read or “call words” and cannot comprehend what they just read.  Most of the information from the textbook has to be “spoon-fed” to the students.  I will assign reading from certain sections in the textbook and ask questions from the reading.  Nearly all the students look at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.  I tell students to read the selection more than one time to get a better understanding the meaning.  Since some students skim or look over words, their grades begin to decline in more than one subject, because they do not comprehend what they have read.  More sophisticated reading skills, such as interpreting and analyzing need to be taught during the middle school grades and beyond.  During the middle and high school years, students move from class to class and different skills are required.  A student must not be only able to sound out words, but understanding plots to read longer, due to more complex texts in subjects such as science, literature, and social studies.

Many middle and high school students are at risk of becoming dropouts, due to the lack of basic reading skills.  Studies have shown that there are more than six million students are classified as “struggling readers”.  The MS Department of Education wants all students to score at proficient level on the MCT2 by the year 2014.  With the poor reading skills of many students, this may only be “wishful thinking” to those who are in charge of education.  To accomplish this goal, everyone, such as parents, teachers, relatives, friends, neighbors, and churches must be involved in this process.  Children must read every day even when there is no assignment, especially during the holidays or summer months.  All parents need to be proactive, rather than reactive when it comes to a child reading abilities.  Ultimately, parents must be held more accountable and be more responsible for their child’s education.  It is not all left up to the child’s teacher or school.  If a child fails due to poor reading skills, then that child probably will not be a productive member of society.

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High school learners are qualitatively different than younger learners. You certainly can “teach an old dog new tricks” by understanding the cognitive and social characteristics of high school learners. Using the right instructional strategies to maximize the learning advantages and address the learning challenges of high school learners can make all the difference in their success.

High School Cognitive Development

Most high school students have achieved the formal operational stage, as described by Piaget. These students can think abstractly and need fewer concrete examples to understand complex thought patterns. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:

1. Need to understand the purpose and relevance of instructional activities

2. Are both internally and externally motivated

3. Have self-imposed cognitive barriers due to years of academic failure and lack self-confidence

4. May have “shut down” in certain cognitive areas and will need to learn how to learn and overcome these barriers to learning

5. Want to establish immediate and long-term personal goals

6. Want to assume individual responsibility for learning and progress toward goals

High School Social Development

High school students are experimenting with adult-like relationships. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:

1. Interested in co-educational activities

2. Desire adult leadership roles and autonomy in planning

3. Want adults to assume a chiefly support role in their education

4. Developing a community consciousness

5. Need opportunities for self-expression

High School Instructional Strategies

High school students are still concerned about the labeling that takes place, when one is identified as a remedial reader. Labels and stereotypes are both externally imposed (by other students and, sometimes their parents), but are primarily internally imposed (by the students themselves). Years of academic failure, due to lack of reading proficiency, have damaged students’ self-esteem. Many students have lost confidence in their ability to learn. Students have developed coping mechanisms, such as reading survival skills e.g., audio books or peer/parent readers, or behavioral problems, or the “Whatever… I don’t care attitudes” to avoid the tough work of learning how to read well. High school teachers need to be extremely mindful of student self-perceptions. A few talking points may be helpful:

“Unfortunately, some of your past reading instruction was poor; it’s not your fault that you have some skills to work on.” a.k.a. “blame someone else”

“You can learn in this class. If you come to class willing to try everyday, you will significantly improve your reading, I promise.”

“I know you have tried before, but this time is different.”

“You will be able to chart your own progress and see what you are learning in this class.”

“Some of my past students were like some of you. For example, ___________ and he passed the high school exit exam after finishing this class. For example, ___________ got caught up to grade level reading and is college right now.” Personal anecdotes provide role models and hope for high school remedial readers. Any former students who have been successful will provide “street credibility” to the teacher and the class.

“You aren’t in this class forever. As soon as you master your missing skills, you are out.”