There are many reasons why students have difficulty with reading. Learning to read is a complex effort and not an innate ability, involving a set of cognitive functions that enable students to identify and manipulate sounds, recognize and sound out written words, read with speed and accuracy, and understand and interpret what they’re reading. Teaching students to read requires explicit instruction and practice. While they might have a natural aptitude for one or more of these processes, all of them can be taught and improved. For example, phonics instruction can help students learn to recognize the sounds associated with letters and letter combinations, while fluency practice can help students read more quickly and with greater understanding.
People learn in the same way: Information is received through our senses and transmitted to the brain. We all share the same core processes necessary for learning, but each person has cognitive and neurological differences. The brain is highly individualized, and variances in brain structure, function, and neural connectivity can influence how people process and store information. These differences may include:
Dyslexia: A neurological condition that affects the ability to recognize and process written words, making reading, spelling, and writing challenging
ADHD: Difficulty with focus and sustained attention can interfere with reading comprehension and retention.
Working Memory Challenges: ADHD and learning disabilities are often associated with working memory challenges and reading requires working memory.
Processing Speed Deficit: An inefficient processing speed can significantly impact reading because it affects how quickly and effectively a person can decode words, comprehend text, and integrate information while reading.
Impaired Executive Function: Executive function plays a crucial role in reading by enabling the cognitive processes necessary for understanding and interacting with text. It helps us to sustain attention while reading (especially longer text), organize ideas for effective comprehension, retain information, shift focus between decoding words and comprehending their meaning, structure our thoughts, and avoid distraction.
Language Processing Issues: Struggles with phonemic awareness (understanding the sounds in words), and/or difficulty understanding grammar, sentence structure, or vocabulary can make reading challenging.
Visual or Auditory Processing Problems: Some students have trouble seeing or recognizing words on a page because of vision issues, or challenges in processing auditory information (such as connecting sounds to letters).
Health-Related Issues: Hearing impairments or ear infections can disrupt language development. Chronic illnesses or fatigue can also reduce the focus and energy needed for learning.
When we think back to our experiences in elementary school, most of us will likely recall that time was set aside for “silent reading,” when students were allowed to choose their own book or magazine and curl up in a corner or at their desk to enjoy the benefits of reading for pleasure. Designed to improve students’ reading proficiency, independent reading was—and is still considered—an important element of reading instruction. This approach assumes that frequent reading across multiple texts helps build stronger readers.
One Tool in the Toolbox
But independent reading cannot take the place of targeted reading instruction. Students do not become better readers simply by reading more often because reading proficiency depends on more than just exposure to text. Effective reading requires the ability to decode words, as well as active engagement with comprehension strategies, background knowledge, vocabulary development, and critical thinking skills. If students struggle to decode words, they may have difficulty understanding what they read, even with frequent practice. Without guidance on how to analyze and interpret texts, they may not develop the skills needed for deeper comprehension. Instruction in phonics, word recognition, and comprehension strategies—along with practice with many kinds of texts—is essential for building strong reading abilities.
In a recent meta-analysis of 47 studies (examining nearly 7,500 students) that reviewed the effectiveness of using independent reading practice in the classroom, researchers found independent reading to be a supportive tool but not a teaching strategy (Bus et al., 2024). While independent reading encourages students to pursue their curiosity and interests and can strengthen positive attitudes toward reading, it cannot replace teacher-led reading instruction. It has no effect on reading comprehension, which requires cultural and content knowledge, reading-specific background knowledge, and theory of mind (the understanding that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions).
The analysis revealed that independent reading activity may offer additional print exposure that can be helpful for students in developing word-recognition skills when they are not receiving reading instruction guided by teachers but that it had no measurable effect on students who were already getting that instruction. In addition, the time set aside for independent reading in the classroom (an average of 25 minutes per day in the set of studies) was not long enough to have a noticeable effect on students’ skills and knowledge.
So, while the opportunity to curl up with a great book remains a helpful tactic for improving students’ attitudes and helps them learn to view reading as a way of learning new things and becoming better thinkers, it is essentially a fun and complementary activity that strengthens student engagement as part of a holistic reading program. Students who need to get better at reading benefit most from targeted, personalized instruction. No matter how often they read on their own, they cannot teach themselves.
