RETHINKING READING FOR CHILDREN AT RISK

Abstract

We observe that at‐risk readers often have narrow notions about the reading process and their own roles as readers. Examples of such notions are provided, and research related to at‐risk readers’ comprehension strategies is reviewed. We suggest that several aspects of typical reading instruction for at‐risk readers may contribute to their views about reading and behaviors as readers: opportunity to read, content of discussions about reading, and teacher responses to miscues. Aspects of the broader classroom environment, particularly emphases on competition and “doing work,” may also affect at‐risk readers’ conceptions of reading and behaviors as readers. We offer several suggestions for evaluating these aspects of the classroom environment and for helping at‐risk readers rethink their views about reading.