askchapo

Hi I work with educators and I have a book on teaching reading content strategies and I can get you some additional information. I would focus on giving them pre-emptive and contextual information about the reading. Then highlight, or with a glossary, provide list of vocabulary words from the reading with their definitions. I will also look up info, or you can do that, about Paolo Freire's literacy programs for Brazilian and Cuban peasants. The principles are solid and would apply for your cadre.

Yeah, I work retail.

English is 4 languages in a trench coat that hangs out in dark alleys where it shakes down other languages for loose change and grammar.

Something that helps is knowing where words come from. Greek and Latin roots are easy to spot in words like "photography," where "photo" means light and "graph" means to draw or write. "Bourgeois" is French and has French pronunciation, which is very different than "buoyancy," a Germanic word.

Recognizing when a word comes from Latin, Germanic, French, or some other language as a loanword (for example: patio, tsunami, and robot) can help learn definitions of words you don't already know, along with pronunciation. Almost all compound words (cannot, backyard, grapefruit) come from Old English prior to the Battle of Hastings. Words with silent letters are usually French.

PACER method may help some but they may not be at the level for it yet. You can also use a group study method based on creating a test from the text and having everyone complete each others' tests. I can elaborate more on that if it sounds interesting to you. If the issue is at the level of recognizing which words and sentences were said then audiobooks could be a stopgap while phonics are put into practice. You can use them alongside text or on their own.

PACER method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okHkUIW46ks

is it a problem with reading in general? like even recognizing words? or is it a comprehension of the material?

If you have the bandwidth, giving them pre-reading really helps. A few paragraphs of context (and maybe a vocabulary/terminology list) and background to start with, and then some questions. Write the questions so that they know what to pay attention to, and make them as specific as possible (e.g. "in section 3, when x says y about z, what does that mean?") to call their attention to the important bits and help them scaffold their understanding. A lot of reading comprehension issues come from not knowing how to prioritize information: if you're not used to dense texts, it's really hard to know what's important and what's background/filler. Some signposting about what to think about and look for can be very helpful.

ETA: Here's another suggestion. Give them annotated copies of the things you're asking them to read (either your annotations or someone else's). That is, give them copies of the readings in which important passages are highlighted, and in which margin comments call attention to or explain particularly interesting (or tricky) passages. You could even invite all of them to read a single shared copy of the text and contribute their own annotations/comments to it. Anything that increases engagement is good, and seeing what other people have to say about a text can often be really helpful.

I don't have useful contributions, I just want to say that I have nothing but love and solidarity for you in your efforts. We meet the people where they're at, and learning to read is so revolutionary in its own right.