Reading comprehension difficulties experienced by students with learning disabilities

Lorraine Graham^a and Anne Bellert^b
aUniversity of New England; ^bLismore Diocese and University of New England

Abstract
Students with learning disabilities often experience poor comprehension due to their failure to read strategically and to spontaneously monitor their understanding while reading. This paper discusses in relation to current literature, the various problems with reading comprehension commonly experienced by students with learning disabilities. Specifi cally, these students may encounter problems in: (A) using background knowledge appropriately; (B) decoding and word recognition; (C) vocabulary knowledge; (D) fluency; (E) strategy use and metacognitive skills; and (F) differentiating between common text structures.