CLASSIFICATION OF

READING DIFFICULTIES

A. Deficiencies in Basic Comprehension

Abilities
1. Limited meaning vocabulary
2. Inability to read by thought units
3. Insufficient sentence sense
4. Lack of the sense of paragraph
organization
5. Failure to appreciate the author’s
organization
B. Faulty Word Identification and
Recognition

1. Failure to use context and other meaning

clues
2. Ineffective visual and analysis of words
3. Limited knowledge of visual, structural,
and phonetic elements
4. Lack of ability in auditory blending or
visual synthesis.
5. Over-analytical
a. Analyzing known words
b. Breaking words into too many parts
c. Using letter by letter or spelling attack
 6. Insufficient sight vocabulary
7. Excessive locational errors
a. Initial errors
b. Middle errors
c. Ending errors

C. Inappropriate Directional Habits

1. Orientation confusions with words
2. Transpositions among words
3. Faulty eye movements
D. Poor Oral Reading

1. Inappropriate eye-voice span

2. Lack of phrasing ability

3. Inappropriate rate and timing

4. Emotionally tense oral reading

E. Limited in Special Comprehension
Abilities

1. Inability to isolate and retain factual

information
2. Poor in reading to organize
3. Ineffective ability in reading to
interpret
4. Insufficient ability in reading to
interpret
5. Limited proficiency in reading to
appreciate
F. Deficiencies in Basic Skills

1. Inability to use aids in locating

materials to be read
2. Lack of efficiency in using basic
reference material
3. Inadequacies in using maps,
graphs, tables, and other visual
materials
4. Limitations in techniques of
organizing materials read
G. Deficient in Ability to Adapt to needs of
Content Fields

1. Inappropriate application of
comprehension abilities
2. Limited knowledge of specialized
vocabulary
3. Insufficient concept development
4. Poor knowledge of symbols and
abbreviations
5. Insufficient ability in the use of
pictorial and tabular material
6. Difficulties with organization
7. Inability to adjust rate to suit the
purpose and the difficulty of material
H. Deficiencies in Rate of
Comprehension
1. Inability to adjust rate
2. Insufficient sight vocabulary
3. Insufficient vocabulary knowledge
and comprehension
4. Ineffectiveness in word recognition
5. Being an over-analytical reader
6. Insufficient use of context clues
7. Lack of phrasing
8. Using crutches
9. Unnecessary vocalization
10. Inappropriate purposes
 Possible Causes, Symptoms and Remedies

Defects Causes Remedies

1.Auditory
A. Congenital Deafness
1) Complete hearing 1. Heredity 1. Give either the whisper
loss 2. Use of drugs test or the watchtick
2) Partial hearing loss 3. Contagious disease test to determine
extent of hearing loss.
incurred by mother
2. Refer pupils with
during pregnancy hearing loss to
audiologists for proper
hearing aids.
B. Adventitious Deafness 1. Illness 3. Let them sit near the
2. Overdose of pills source of sound.
3. Accumulation of wax 4. Have running ears
4. Deformed outer ear treated.
5. Accidents, falls, 5. Provide adequate
boxing of the ear training in auditory
discrimination.
 Defects Causes Remedies
1.Visual
A. Complaint of:
1) Frequent 1. Heredity 1. Refer them to
headache 2. Accidents oculist/optome
2) Pain in back during trist for
correctly fitted
of head childhood eye glasses.
and neck 3. Improper use 2. Let pupils sit
of the eyes at proper
distance from
blackboard or
chart.
B. Red or swollen
eyelids
 Defects Causes Remedies
3. Motor Difficulties
A. Irregular Ocular Motor
Control as shown by:
1) Unsteady handling 1. Malnutrition 1. Send pupils to a
of book 2. Mild brain physician, a specialist, a
2) Defective way of injury neurologist for
3. Lack of examination, treatment,
turning pages and correction of
3) Clumsy, awkward, opportunity
to develop malnutrition.
or uncoordinated muscle 2. Help the left-handed pupil
movements control by pointing at words from
4. Fear L-R until his movement is
fairly established.
5. Left-
handedness 3. Allow pupils to use
markers when reading
from the book to form
the habit of L-R
movement
Defects Causes Remedies
4. Give easy
materials at the
start.
5. Show interest in
what pupils say
or do to remove
embarrassment
and to make
them feel at
ease.
6. Praise them for
the slightest
evidence of
improvement.
 Defects Causes Remedies
4. Speech Difficulties
a) Stuttering 1.Heredity 1. Provide plenty of
b) Stammering 2.Sudden eye training
c) Lisping shift of exercises.
d) Faulty handedness 2. Give adequate
practice in auditory
pronunciation 3.Injury at discrimination.
e) Change in birth or 3. Send child to a
accent during speech clinic for
rhythm and childhood correction.
melody 4. Allow left-handed
ones to continue
using their left
hand if shift is not
favorable.
 Defects Causes Remedies
5. Reversals
A. Static 1. Immaturity 1. Have visual defects
Configuration 2. Poor corrected.
1) Reversal or eyesight 2. Develop reading
confusing 3. Poor word direction by
letters as: recognition a. Emphasizing
b for d 4. Poor reading from L-R
p for q direction b. Paying attention
n for u first to the
m for w beginning of
words before
going to other
parts.
 Defects Causes Remedies
B. Kinetic reversal c. Giving sufficient
where sequence training and drill on
of letter in word initial consonants.
is confused, as: d. Tracing or writing
law for wall words while pupils
read them slowly.
Was for saw
e. Using markers as
Left for felt guide in reading
C. Transposing along the line.
reversal such as f. Making the initial
reading a little letter of a word
good boy green and the last
instead of a letter red to signify
“start” and “stop”
good little boy
 Defects Causes Remedies
6. Additions
A. Adds any 1. Carelessness 1. Guide pupils and
1) Articles as of 2. Poor vision advise them to read
the country 3. Emotional carefully.
for of Instability 2. Have their eyes
4. Poor examined to correct
country visual difficulties.
2) Prepositions comprehension
5. Lacks 3. Assign seat at
concentration appropriate distance
from the blackboard.
6. Possesses a
wide and rich Build self-confidence
3) Syllables, as imagination by:
telling for tell a) Showing warmth
4) Words, as my and liking for
little feet for pupils.
my feet b) Encouraging them
to do the activities.
Defects Causes Remedies
c) Providing help when need
arises.
d) Giving them enough time to do
the activities.
e) Minimizing under-lying causes
of nervousness or excitement.
4. Give-word discrimination
exercises in the form of:
a) Drills with final endings
b) Drills in which words are
paired with inserted sound.
c) Specific work on:
1) Syllabication
2) Grouping together words
having the same affixes
 Defects Causes Remedies
7. Repetitions
A. Reads and 1. Lack of skills in 1. Improve word recognition
rereads word recognition techniques by using picture,
syllables, techniques action, context and
configuration clues.
words or 2. Material is too
2. Give plenty of exercises in
phrases difficult phonetic and structural analysis
B. Makes 3. Inadequate sight 3. Provide training to increase
frequent vocabulary perception span using materials
regressions of gradual difficulty
c. Reads word for 4. Train pupils in reading by
word in a phrase or thought units.
halting manner 5. Enlarge sight vocabulary with
the use of word and phrase
games.
6. Let pupils practice before
having oral or dramatic oral
reading
 Defects Causes Remedies
8. Omissions
A. Omits important 1. Carelessness 1. Use easier reading materials
words and 2. Lack of within their instructional level.
portions of concentration 2. Advise them to read carefully
words 3. Rapid reading with the appropriate speed
without depending upon the type of
B. Fails to note material.
understanding
crucial 3. Require them to reread
4. Desire to
punctuation catch up with passages where omissions were
marks the eyes when done.
pupil vocalizes 4. Use audiovisual aids.
5. Emotional 5. Give frequent exercises in oral
disturbance reading with proper expression.
6. Praise pupils even for slight
improvement. Give them
assurance that they are doing
fine.
 Defects Causes Remedies
9. Substitutions
A. Reads another 1. Poor word 1. Unlock new words before oral
word instead of recognition reading.
the one in the 2. Ignorance 2. Review phonics particularly the
book or printed of rules initial sounds.
material. 3. Carelessnes a) Use key words in teaching with
s or use of one initial sound like: vase, vine.
B. Says another sloppy b) Use pictures of objects showing
syllable or letter habits minimal pairs like: pin-pen, pan-fan,
instead of what hat-hut.
is written down. c) use flashcards, games of words
showing form and meaning.
3. Stress word parts that pupils failed
to recognize or analyze.
4. Read slowly and carefully until the
tendency is overcome.
5. Make rhymes that are to be
completed with troublesome words.
 Defects Causes Remedies
10. Refusals
A.Doesn’t want to 1. Lack of 1. Begin by using easier reading
try to read a motivation materials.
word or phrase. 2. Lack of 2. Praise children for successful
B.Stops reading self- efforts done and give
confidence encouragement with general
and gives signs or a feeling prodding.
showing that he of 3. Avoid scolding, nagging, or
needs prompting. insecurity punishment.
C.Skips the word 3. Fear or 4. Provide a strong motivation by
without noticing reading stressing the value of reading
the omission. 4. Inadequate rather than demanding skill.
word 5. Teach various methods of attacking
recognition words.
skill 6. Shorten the recitation period, then
5. Habit of gradually increase the length as
giving up interest and attention are gained.
quickly 7. Make use of appealing educational
games.
 Defects Causes Remedies
11. Faulty vowels and consonants
A. Can’t pronounce 1. Poor word 1. Provide guidance in
vowel sound recognition analyzing the most
correctly. 2. Faulty word significant features of
analysis printed words.
B. Confused
3. Lack of proper 2. Display the word in as
consonant many different forms as
sound
sounds such as; discrimination needed.
s for z 4. Lack of 3. Avoid introducing too
sh for s auditory sense many words in a single
or ch (poor hearing lesson.
l for r sense) 4. Help pupils to utilize a
v for w 5. Poor memory variety of clues;
span pictures, context,
phonetic, word analysis
with words previously
encountered.
 Defects Causes Remedies
11. Faulty vowels and consonants
c. Confuses letter 6. Immature 5. Guide them to see
forms such as; speech and use word parts
b for d development which are most
7. Emotional helpful in word
p for q recognition.
distress
n for m or u 6. Encourage them to
8. Faulty eye
t for f coordination use different analyses
9. Speech defects
of words instead of
referring to the same
10. Lack of well
ones.
directed
incentives to 7. Carry on word
improve comparison and word
analyses with words
previously
encountered.
 Defects Causes Remedies
11. Faulty vowels and consonants
8. Conduct flashcards drill of
words confused in
meaning.
9. Make completion or
multiple choice sentences
using often confused
words.
10. Give more training in
auditory discrimination
prior to phonetic
instruction.
11. Use visual aids to make
drills meaningful
12. Set up reading exercises
which focus the pupil’s
mind in word meanings.
 Defects Causes Remedies
12. Slow Rate of Reading
A. Reads word by 1. Limited reading 1. Increase sight reading
word vocabulary vocabulary by using a
B. Uses lips in 2. Inability to read combination of
in thought units techniques.
silent reading
or phrases 2. Give clear instructions
C. Points to words on how to read
3. Visual defects
with fingers effectively.
4. Weak in the
techniques of 3. Increase familiarity
getting the with words through
thought from meaningful exercises
connected and use of visual aids
materials to develop
5. Narrow span of understanding.
recognition 4. Read to answer a
question of inference.
 Defects Causes Remedies
12. Slow Rate of Reading
5. Select high interesting materials
6. Enrich sight vocabulary by means of short
exposure exercises combined with
practice in rapid reading.
7. Minimize or totally eliminate vocalization
in silent reading.
8. Encourage oral reading of familiar stories
or topics.
9. Use choral reading to develop sense of
phrasing.
10. Give easy, interesting materials within
limited time and check up at once.
11. Provide incentives for increasing speed by
using individual graphs, class charts, etc.
12. Provide practice on more rapid reading
after difficulties are overcome, or
minimized.
 Defects Causes Remedies
13. Word-by-word Reading
A. Dead-level 1. Meager sight 1. Give adequate training
utterance of vocabulary in word analysis.
one word or 2. Material too 2. Give easier and
another difficult interesting materials.
without 3. Poor training 3. Provide experience in
4. Overlooks choral reading and in
grouping words dramatic oral reading.
punctuation
that are closely marks 4. Read orally varied
associated 5. Lack of materials so as to
B. Uniform comprehension develop different kinds
spacing of of skills and to
words without increase the span of
recognition.
regard for
5. Use combination of
meaning or in techniques to improve
violation of it comprehension.
 Defects Causes Remedies
13. Word-by-word Reading
C. Long pauses 6. Let pupils read
between conversational parts in
certain books in which they
words must express emotion
and carry the feeling
and personality of the
character with their
voices.
7. Provide plenty of
opportunities to read
orally.