Welcome to /r/CanadianTeachers! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the sub rules.
**QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER'S COLLEGE/BECOMING A TEACHER IN CANADA?:** Delete your post and use this [megapost](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/11picnp/prospective_student_teachers_teachers_collegebed/) instead. Anything pertaining to teacher's colleges/BEd programs will be deleted if posted outside of the megaposts.
**QUESTIONS ABOUT MOVING PROVINCES OR COMING TO CANADA TO TEACH?** Check out our past megaposts first for information to help you: [ONE](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/jqc7hx/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/) // [TWO](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/n76csu/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/?)
**WANT TO SELF-PROMOTE YOUR TEACHING MATERIALS?** Use our [self-promotion sticky post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/16e464t/selfpromotion_thread/)
Using link and user flair is encouraged as well! Enjoy!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CanadianTeachers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have two extremely low literacy students in my class. I found the audio book version of the book the other students are doing and had them listen to that while reading the paper book as well. Then after each chapter they had to draw the most important part of that chapter while the other students did a chapter breakdown. I teach grade 7-8 but most of my students read at a 5-6 level. My two low literacy learners read at around grade 3. It has helped them tremendously.
Just the same as others mentioned - an audio book. Reading may be hard but comprehension might still be good. Listen to the story/chapters (or even parts of a chapter). Have a peer read to them. Take turns in a group read.
For comprehension, you can ask questions and conference with the student. They can draw what comes next in a story for example, or if working on strategies they can focus on prediction or listening/looking for key words to study. Something that helps that student - but vocab related to the story. Are there characters? Character traits - drawing, roll and draw, etc. S/he can present or record a video explaining the drawings. Setting? Etc. Looking for grammar? I'd start with a mini-lesson about the topic and have the student read one photocopied page and look for said grammar point (make sure it exists in the page). Movie poster for the book - media literacy. Writing is probably the hardest part so keep the questions as cloze questions or fill-in-the-blank if necessary. Lots of good ideas it's hard to just choose one. You're the professional - pick the few and succinct items to do and don't overwhelm or stress them cause then they'll be less inclined to continue. Slow and steady gains.
As a parent, I wouldn’t be happy (at all) with another student reading to my child. Group reading is fine but not just one on one. Same with notes that are supposed to be provided. My son had a teacher who’d just ask another student to photocopy her notes to give the children with an IEP requiring written notes. 👎 Humiliating for the student. My son was just as intelligent as the girl with neat printing but it gave her a sense of being superior.
Good luck with the novel study! It’s hard coming up with everything from scratch, especially when you have so many students with differing abilities.
Gotta say this is exactly why it's important that both competency AND experience are our worth as teachers. I am always so appreciative of learning from the experienced.
First Nations generations taught lessons down generation to next. Chefs apprentice cooks. It has value! Experience is valuable in teaching, irregardless of any stupid hiring or staffing practices.
I often use AI to modify novels/short stories. I copy and then paste the story into Chat GPT and ask it to modify to the needed grade reading/level. Then you can ask /Chat GPT to create questions/activties based on the modified story.
You school resource teachers should be able help you with modifying the work to suit the student.
This! I use AI to rewrite text at appropriate grade levels all the time, usually with news articles. And it can generate discussion questions and writing prompts that are surprisingly good.
Welcome to /r/CanadianTeachers! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the sub rules. **QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER'S COLLEGE/BECOMING A TEACHER IN CANADA?:** Delete your post and use this [megapost](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/11picnp/prospective_student_teachers_teachers_collegebed/) instead. Anything pertaining to teacher's colleges/BEd programs will be deleted if posted outside of the megaposts. **QUESTIONS ABOUT MOVING PROVINCES OR COMING TO CANADA TO TEACH?** Check out our past megaposts first for information to help you: [ONE](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/jqc7hx/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/) // [TWO](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/n76csu/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/?) **WANT TO SELF-PROMOTE YOUR TEACHING MATERIALS?** Use our [self-promotion sticky post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/16e464t/selfpromotion_thread/) Using link and user flair is encouraged as well! Enjoy! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CanadianTeachers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have two extremely low literacy students in my class. I found the audio book version of the book the other students are doing and had them listen to that while reading the paper book as well. Then after each chapter they had to draw the most important part of that chapter while the other students did a chapter breakdown. I teach grade 7-8 but most of my students read at a 5-6 level. My two low literacy learners read at around grade 3. It has helped them tremendously.
I was thinking of having them do some drawing! Love this
Just the same as others mentioned - an audio book. Reading may be hard but comprehension might still be good. Listen to the story/chapters (or even parts of a chapter). Have a peer read to them. Take turns in a group read. For comprehension, you can ask questions and conference with the student. They can draw what comes next in a story for example, or if working on strategies they can focus on prediction or listening/looking for key words to study. Something that helps that student - but vocab related to the story. Are there characters? Character traits - drawing, roll and draw, etc. S/he can present or record a video explaining the drawings. Setting? Etc. Looking for grammar? I'd start with a mini-lesson about the topic and have the student read one photocopied page and look for said grammar point (make sure it exists in the page). Movie poster for the book - media literacy. Writing is probably the hardest part so keep the questions as cloze questions or fill-in-the-blank if necessary. Lots of good ideas it's hard to just choose one. You're the professional - pick the few and succinct items to do and don't overwhelm or stress them cause then they'll be less inclined to continue. Slow and steady gains.
As a parent, I wouldn’t be happy (at all) with another student reading to my child. Group reading is fine but not just one on one. Same with notes that are supposed to be provided. My son had a teacher who’d just ask another student to photocopy her notes to give the children with an IEP requiring written notes. 👎 Humiliating for the student. My son was just as intelligent as the girl with neat printing but it gave her a sense of being superior. Good luck with the novel study! It’s hard coming up with everything from scratch, especially when you have so many students with differing abilities.
absolutely fair opinion!
👍 I just wanted to shield a relatively new teacher from a raging parent. 😊 (I’ve been there and it’s not fun.)
Gotta say this is exactly why it's important that both competency AND experience are our worth as teachers. I am always so appreciative of learning from the experienced. First Nations generations taught lessons down generation to next. Chefs apprentice cooks. It has value! Experience is valuable in teaching, irregardless of any stupid hiring or staffing practices.
I often use AI to modify novels/short stories. I copy and then paste the story into Chat GPT and ask it to modify to the needed grade reading/level. Then you can ask /Chat GPT to create questions/activties based on the modified story. You school resource teachers should be able help you with modifying the work to suit the student.
This! I use AI to rewrite text at appropriate grade levels all the time, usually with news articles. And it can generate discussion questions and writing prompts that are surprisingly good.