Good reading skills are needed for postsecondary education

“Millions of adolescents lack the reading skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education and the workplace — and students with learning disabilities tend to struggle the most”( www.ldonline.com; 8/16/10). How do you know if your child has the reading skills they need to succeed at the college level? Poor reading skills can be distinguished by a number of features like poor word attack skills, decreased fluency, or limited comprehension. There can be the inability to break down a multiple syllable word which means that if each word isn’t looked up then comprehension is compromised. Another common reading problem can be identified when someone reads orally and all words are treated equally. Words aren’t grouped into meaningful semantic units which again impacts comprehension. Finally some students simply read the words without thinking or interacting with what they are reading. There are many behaviors that lead to reading difficulties and it is never too late identify and treat those difficulties.