Adults with learning disabilities may not see the difference between relevant and irrelevant information in a text or passage. Possible solutions include using techniques that help them to focus attention on the material being read and help them more readily identify the theme of the passage. Those who cannot process meaning easily may benefit from multiple organizers. This could include reading the passage, listening to the passage on tape, taking down notes while listening to what they hear, and then organizing their notes to make meaning of what they heard. The multi-sensory approach involves a combination of seeing, hearing, speaking, and organizing.³⁵

Regardless of the reading strategy, the following guidelines should be used.

Before reading: learners should become familiar with related vocabulary, make connections with background knowledge, understand the purpose for reading the text and be given strategies to help them preview the text.

During reading: learners should be taught self-questioning strategies, and utilize graphic organizers such as story mapping.

After reading: teach learners self-questioning strategies to reflect on what they have read, and encourage them to summarize and retell what they have read.³⁶

Reading strategies

Many of the following strategies have incorporated the recommended guidelines. These guidelines can be helpful if practitioners want to look at developing their own strategies in cooperation with the learners and/or to evaluate pre-existing strategies prior to using them. There are many reading comprehension strategies available and they are too numerous to include them all. However, we have included a few that have been frequently mentioned and/or when research studies have shown significant evidence to support their effectiveness.