In spite of the prevailing assumption that formal reading instruction is no longer needed once adolescents reach high school, students at the secondary level still benefit from explicit reading instruction to continue developing advanced literacy skills enabling them to access complex narrative texts. This article argues for the importance of…

Advances in neurobiological research have created new opportunities for understanding and exploring dyslexia. The purpose of this article is to (a) provide a straightforward, although not overly simplified, overview of neurological research on dyslexia and (b) make connections between neurological research and classroom interventions for students…

Adolescent students with learning disabilities across the United States are not demonstrating gains on reading assessments from previous years, and many are not even achieving at proficient literacy levels (Boulay et al., 2015). Despite their difficulties with reading proficiency, adolescents with learning disabilities are often enrolled in…

For many, the terms dyslexia and Orton Gillingham (OG) go hand in hand, yet much is misunderstood about both terms. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and results in difficulty with accurate or fluent word recognition, reading, and spelling. OG is an approach to teaching individuals with dyslexia to read…

Although most students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) receive instruction in the general education setting (U.S. Department of Education, 2018), their academic outcomes have been found to be poor. Two evidenced-based practices that improve outcomes for students with SLD are explicit instruction and cognitive and metacognitive strategy…

The ability to comprehend informational texts is critical to students' academic success in a range of content areas. However, informational texts pose challenges to the reading comprehension of adolescents with or at risk for learning disabilities (LD). One such challenge is the use of multiple text structures in a single text. Text structure…

The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model for instructional delivery is well supported by research evidence and is often identified as a critical element of instruction for students with learning difficulties. However, there are challenges associated with effectively releasing responsibility to students. This may be especially true during…

Structured Literacy (SL) approaches are often recommended for students with dyslexia and other poor decoders (e.g., International Dyslexia Association, 2017). Examples of SL approaches include the Wilson Reading System (Wilson, 1988), Orton-Gillingham (Gillingham & Stillman, 2014), the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (Lindamood &…

This article describes the efforts of a U.S. History teacher to directly teach word meanings using the "robust vocabulary instruction" (RVI) approach, because research supports this method as a way to improve vocabulary knowledge for a range of students, including adolescents reading below grade level (i.e., struggling readers) and…

Struggling readers who are in need of Tier 2 supplemental reading instruction within a multitier system of support (MTSS) or a response to intervention are defined as those who are performing in the bottom 20% in reading-related skills as compared with their classroom peers. An MTSS model is a framework for instruction that provides increasing…

Literacy and other content-specific demands presented within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) coursework can overwhelm all students and especially students with learning challenges. Although STEM content is often complex in itself (e.g., numerous multisyllabic words, lengthy expository texts, abstract concepts), some…

The use of informational texts in the elementary grades provides a context for helping students develop content understanding and domain knowledge across a wide range of subject matter. Reading informational text also provides students with the language of thought, foundational vocabulary that can be connected to other words, and technical content…

The purpose of this article is to inform teachers about the dangers of misalignment between core (Tier 1) instruction and Tiers 2 and 3 supplementary instruction for struggling readers and students with learning disabilities. Misalignment between core and supplementary instruction is problematic for students at risk of academic failure because it…

Many secondary school students struggle to read complex expository text such as science textbooks. This article provides step-by-step guidance on how to foster expository reading for struggling readers in secondary school science classes. Two strategies are introduced: Text-to-Speech (TTS) Software as a reading compensatory strategy and the…

Vocabulary development for students with learning disability (LD) is affected by "differences in the amount of independent reading, lack of strategies to learn words from content, and diffuse word knowledge" (Jitendra, Edwards, Sacks, & Jacobson, 2004, p. 300). Generally, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have relatively strong skills…