Type of difficulties may students will have.

When a child begins learning to read, many assume that to accurately decode each word of a simple story aloud represents reading. In reality, simply to translate printed words into a stream of speech is but the beginning step, however necessary, of reading. Indeed, even the initial comprehension that comes next is but a second necessary step. Essentially, one must be able to comprehend the meaning of a text in order to go beyond what is on the page: making connections to existing knowledge, analyzing the writer’s argument, and predicting the next twist in the story. 

• Fluency

It is here that the way we define successful reading is important. The term “fluency” has been used to describe the speed and quality of oral reading, often emphasizing prosody, yet this definition does not en- compass all the goals of reading or reflect the fact that most of our reading is done silently rather than aloud. We conceptualize fluency in a more comprehensive way.

In this blog, we examine reading fluency in the sense of what has been called “fluent comprehension”: a manner of reading in which all sublexical units, words, and connected text and all the perceptual, linguistic, and cognitive processes involved in each level are processed accurately and automatically so that sufficient time and resources can be al- located to comprehension and deeper thought 

(Wolf & Katzir-Cohen 2001). 

• Dyslexia

Define as unexpected difficulty learning to read despite adequate instruction, intelligence, and effort (Lyon et al. 2003).  

There is no single test and no absolute criteria for diagnosing dyslexia. This is in part due to the fact that there are so many processes in reading that can break down to cause reading failure. Inaccuracy at any level of language or processing or a lack of automaticity in connecting any of these circuits can lead to poor reading. More than 100 years of research into developmental reading difficulties has yet to reveal anything resembling one single explanation for all the symptoms of dyslexia, yet such pursuits continue unabated today. 

Children with dyslexia not only show poorer academic performance, but also socioemotional and behavioral effects such as lower self-esteem and higher rates of entry in to the juvenile justice system. (Grigorenko 2006, Humphrey & Mullins 2002, Svensson et al. 2001).