Organizing Instruction for Struggling Readers in Tutorial Settings

Abstract

In this article, the authors suggest that many of the problems struggling readers encounter while reading stem from distinct yet fundamental sources of difficulty related to the types of text read (print or online), the task or activity readers engage in, and the sociocultural context of reading. The authors further argue that although these problems are multidimensional, they can and should be addressed simultaneously. Using a case scenario of a third‐grade struggling reader, the authors share guidelines with an example of how her tutor planned, organized, and monitored instruction in a one‐on‐one tutorial setting—here defined as a setting in which a single teacher or tutor, usually not the classroom teacher, plans and delivers instruction to one student. The authors anticipate that the insights shared will be helpful to professional educators, paraprofessionals, and volunteer or peer tutors who work with struggling readers in similar settings.