side of the dilemma is that an adolescent who is testing at the fourth-grade level for reading will not
respond positively to approaches and materials used to teach reading to fourth graders (Fisher, 2008). As
Wolfson (2008) and Vacca and Vacca (2002) pointed out, these reluctant readers have, for some reason,
not developed in the area of literacy skills as easily as their peers, and now they are labeled as lowachieving and at-risk, believing that the system of education has failed them every time they have to read.
Compounding this frustration is the fact that students are assigned readings and activities that are too hard
and do not interest them, and the focus of the teacher is on implementing the program and not on
teaching the student (Allington, 2002; Fisher, 2008).
Many times the adolescents of today are given only one required text for their content area classes
(Hinchman, Alvermann, Boyd, Brozo, & Vacca, 2003). As Allington (2002) points out, schools purchase
numerous copies of content area textbooks, such as science and social studies, so every student can have
one, but this one-size-fits-all method will only work if students can be placed into classrooms according to
their academic ability. Most content area teachers at the secondary level have not been trained in the
teaching of reading, and yet reading is the main medium students use to glean the information from
textbooks (Baling & Evans, 2008). Many young adolescents who may have been making acceptable
progress until they encounter these content area books begin to labor with reading and comprehension
(Allington, 2002, Robinson & McKenna, 2008). Smith (1998) identified two danger signals that showed
students were not learning: one is when students are trying intentionally to memorize the material in their
lessons, and two is when students “find themselves plowing through material and activities where they
remember nothing except that they are confused” (pp. 87-88).
Reading Strategies
According to Ambe (2007), “using effective strategies and materials that appeal to learners’
interests can improve the reading abilities of reluctant readers and help them comprehend the subject
matter found in content area textbooks” (p. 632). An interest inventory can identify the interests of
students and help a teacher choose engaging material related to classroom lessons (Crawley & Merritt,
2004).
When Routman (2003) discussed struggling readers, she suggested that it was critical for them to
have “access to interesting books” (p. 65). She wrote about a teacher that took her students “to the library
to help them select books they were interested in, and they were amazed and grateful to be reading books
they liked. Choice contributed greatly to their growth as readers” (Routman, 2003, p. 97). She also
acknowledged that high school students developed a better outlook and were more engaged in reading
when asked about books they would like to see in the library (Routman, 2003).
Vacca and Vacca (2002) stated, “Strategic classrooms are places where students learn how to learn”
(p. 389). Strategies can include vocabulary self-collection strategy (VSS) or a vocabulary-building strategy,
assisted repeated reading strategies that involve repeated-paired as well as repeated choral readings for
fluency and comprehension, word maps and think alouds as well as readers’ theater and readers’ circle
(Hapstak & Tracy, 2007; Morra & Tracey, 2006; Vacca & Vacca, 2002). Some additional resources that are
important to help students use their personal and multiple literacies are pictures, trade books, journal
articles, magazines, music, newspapers, the internet, letter writing and cooperative groups (Ambe, 2007;
Hinchman et al., 2003). If one-on-one instruction is needed for skills such as comprehension, trained tutors
or peer tutoring can be an effective tool (Houge, Geier & Peyton, 2008).
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