The nature of reading difficulties

In this interview Professor Kate Cain from Lancaster University explains the processes of reading comprehension, the difficulties children can have with understanding written texts and how parents and teachers can notice reading comprehension problems.

Although the interview primarily focuses on first language readers, the nature of difficulties second language learners and students with additional languages in the classroom experience are very similar.

As you watch, think about how the issues discussed in this video apply to the students you work with.

• Have you encountered students who showed particular difficulties with reading comprehension?
• How did you find out about these difficulties?
• How can lack of second/foreign language proficiency cause reading comprehension problems?
• Would students who have reading comprehension difficulties in another language, also have problems in their first language?

Please remember to use #tags in your comments in order to make them easier to discover. Possible #tags on this page are #comprehension, #children, #adults, #firstlanguage, #secondlanguage… but feel free to make up your own too!