They need systematic phonics, as outlined in our position paper on beginning reading. Some children are able to decode, more or less, but they run their eyes over the text so quickly that they often misread easy words like 'the' and 'his,' while guessing at or skipping over difficult words. As a result, they typically read two or three words wrong in every sentence and consequently have no expectation that what they read will make sense. These students can be helped by being forced to read very easy text aloud with complete accuracy, while at the same time reinforcing and consolidating their phonetic skills. Progress through reading material of gradually increasing difficulty is often gratifyingly fast.
Some children read accurately but have difficulty with comprehension.
The source of their difficulty may be limited vocabulary, weak understanding of the conventions of print, or poor general knowledge. In addition, they may lack the skills that allow them to synthesize or summarize information, draw conclusions, make generalizations or relate information drawn from texts to their own knowledge. In short, there is no mysterious condition called 'dyslexia' that makes it impossible for children to learn to read. The notion of 'learning disabilities' is actively harmful to struggling students because it encourages everyone involved to accept imaginary limitations on learning. Instead, students with documented medical conditions that affect their learning should be viewed as requiring teaching methods and materials that enable them to overcome any developmental difficulties, and the same high standards and bright future should be held out to them.