ROOT CAUSES OF POOR

READING COMPREHENSION
POOR READING COMPREHENSION
Poor word
attack skills

Poor automatic
word
recognition

Poor fluency in
oral reading

Cannot link sounds to

letters
Experiences spatial
confusion, causing
reversals

Lacks rich oral language

experiences
Has not encountered
words multiples times
in multiple contexts

Cannot break down or

blend sounds

Cannot analyze words

using roots and affixes

Ignores punctuation

Cannot break words

into syllables

Cannot infer a meaning

by using context clues

Does not read with

expression

Cannot see patterns in

syllables (onset/rhyme,
vowel, consonant)

Does not relate to

idioms or other forms
of figurative language

Does not set personal

goals and track progress

Cannot read in phrases

Cannot keep track of
current place on the
page

Poor
comprehension
Does not set a purpose
before reading
Does not make
connections to prior
knowledge
Cannot create visual
images of the
information
Does not predict or ask
self questions while
reading
Does not know fix-up
strategies and when to
apply them
Does not self-monitor
to see if text makes
sense
Does not remember
what was read

Source: Searle, Margaret. Causes & Cures in the Classroom. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. 2013.