Reading
comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading. When a child is able to understand what
is read, success occurs not only in reading, but throughout life.
Unfortunately, many
children are unable to comprehend written text, even after they have been
taught to read, or decode, the words in a passage. Research has shown educators do not spend
much time teaching reading
comprehension, rather students are often asked to read and then answer
comprehension questions. An innovative teaching method based on interactive visual imagery has been
developed for children with reading difficulties by Dr. Karen Kelly. The Power of Visual Imagery: A Reading Comprehension Program for
Students with Reading Difficulties is a program that can be used both
at home and in a classroom setting with individual, small, and large
groups. The book is the result of
Dr. Kelly’s years as a special educator and experience as a
psychologist evaluating the developmental and educational neurocognitive
aspects of learning disabilities. Dr.
Kelly’s private practice is located in Southeastern
Pennsylvania.
Scope of
the Problem
- Between 3 and 10%
of population are Reading Disabled (Shaywitz, Fletcher, and Shaywitz, 1985)
- 70-80% of all
learning disabled children are Reading Disabled (Lerner, 1989)
- At least 10
million children in US are poor readers (Lyon, 1996)
- 74% of children
who are poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers in 9th grade (Francis et al,
1996)
Impact of
Reading Failure
- By end of 1st
grade:
- decreased
self-esteem
- lowered
self-concept
- decreased
motivation
- By elementary and
middle school years
- students
are unable to learn about the wonders of science, mathematics, and
literature
- cannot
keep up with grade level textbooks
- by
high school, college options are minimal with few choices regarding
educational or occupational opportunity
Questions? email
Dr. Kelly
