Assistive Tech

If a student is a struggling reader and they do poorly in your class because they lack that skill, then your tests are likely assessing reading ability more than mastery of the content in your class. I would never say to make the questions easier, but if you are aware that your class struggles with reading, you ought to write questions that do not take excessive amounts of time to read. I believe there is a rule of thumb in education about the reading level of your tests remaining lower than the grade that you teach. I believe this is a good thing. I would hate for a student to truly understand the material, but in my test I use a word (not a vocab word from class) that causes them to answer the question incorrectly.

I think that if you build many types of assessment into your class, this can help those students succeed. Labs during class are good because they have you and their peers to help them if they encounter troubles due to their reading level. Homework can also be helpful because it allows them as much time as they need to read whatever the assignment entails.

Assistive Technologies can help a struggling student as well. The read-back programs could really help these students by letting them learn the information despite their reading level, and things like a smart-pen may help the students who struggle to listen and take notes simultaneously. I do worry that students who could manage on their own may become too reliant on such programs, but for the student who truly needs the aid, these programs are invaluable tools.