Teaching Comprehension to Pupils with Learning Difficulties

There is a constant stream of research around the teaching of reading and much debate over the most effective teaching strategies. What emerges time and again is that it is a multilayered activity. Reading is not simply decoding words on a page, it also involves comprehension of the text. In fact, it could be argued that “reading is comprehension” (Rasinki et al., 2003, p.1). However, comprehension is not a simple process. No two individuals comprehend in the same way and effective comprehension requires the development of a wide range of skills and strategies over time (Rasinki et al., 2003). This paper explores barriers to comprehension for pupils with learning difficulties and outlines effective strategies for the teaching of comprehension which emanate from current research.