Catch-22 noun 1. a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.
PART 2 (continued).
There are many “Catch-22’s,” I see in educating kids with reading difficulties. Especially in older kids.
4. On-Level Reading-If your kid is reading below grade level then the catch 22 is that they need to practice a lot. They need reading material on their level. They want to read everything everyone else is reading. Often times kids pick the hardest books they are interested in. They plow through them but miss the humor, content and get stuck reading the words.
Too much on level reading and not enough interest reading both have a negative effect. Finding the perfect balance combats this catch 22.
5. Mastering Reading Skills- Kids with reading difficulties need to master decoding (reading). They need to practice writing (encoding). Kids need to work on vocabulary development. They need to practice reading silently, reading out loud and practice reading comprehension.
The catch 22 is that once they get these skills in these areas weaknesses in other areas pop up. Or grade-level material gets harder.
Giving kids practice with these reading skills and watching their growth combats this catch 22.
6.Hating to Read- It is hard to do something you hate. It takes a ton of maturity to practice something you struggle with. Kids need more time to be skilled readers and practice but the struggle can have a negative impact.
The catch 22 is that struggling to read makes kids not want to practice reading.
Making reading enjoyable and not a chore is a way to combat this catch 22.
If you need help addressing any of these catch 22’s reach out to me and I can help!