Every early education program aims at helping students develop a strong reading culture. It is through reading that students learn about the world and expand their knowledge. Reading is also the key to writing and spelling. Unfortunately, not every learner enjoys reading; and it’s not an exception for adult students.

How reading works

Learners usually acquire reading skills at different rates. Reading begins when we master pre-literacy skills, such as enhancing phonemic awareness. During the early years of learning, children are taught how to map sounds to letters and to say the words. As they enter middle school, they are expected to achieve higher milestones of comprehension such as understanding intricate texts and processing a large volume of information within a short period. Being an efficient reader means that you will understand concepts faster than an inefficient reader. As an adult student, speed plays an important part in how well you perform at school.

Common reading difficulties

· Poor comprehension

While you are reading, you should be able to understand the narrative. You need to identify the gist, main message and specific details. If the student is unable to make inferences about what they are reading, chances are that they will not understand the text. As such, they need to go back to basic reading; where they start from letter and word recognition to comprehending the phrase.

· Issues with decoding

This problem is usually seen in young learners. Students who have this problem are unable to put sounds to letters. Although it’s common for one to struggle with new, complex terms, repetition lessens the issue. Children who continue to struggle should find help during their development years. It is the teacher’s responsibility to notice such a child and correct the issue early. If they fail to fix it, and the person grows up struggling with sounds, they might have a difficult time later.