What if my learners can’t read the text?

5 inclusive strategies that help everyone

Designed by Freepik www.freepik.com

You’ve carefully selected a meaningful text. It links perfectly to your lesson focus, it’s rich in ideas, and it offers a chance for learners to think deeply.

But then… some learners don’t make it past the first paragraph.

They’re not off-task.They’re not lacking ability.They’re simply stuck — because they’re still developing the English vocabulary and reading skills required to access the text and make sense of it.

This is a quiet challenge many teachers face — particularly in diverse, multilingual classrooms. And when reading becomes a barrier, it affects more than literacy. It can slow down participation, limit writing, and interrupt learning across the curriculum.

The good news is: this problem is not only identifiable — it’s addressable. And the strategies that support multilingual learners with reading also benefit the entire class.

Drawing on what we know from Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) and evidence from reading and language development research, here are five practical strategies that make a difference — without adding to your workload.

1. Support learners before they read, not just while they read

Often, reading tasks require learners to process unfamiliar language and content simultaneously. For learners still developing academic English, this places a high demand on working memory.

As Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory explains, when that load becomes too great, learning can stall — not due to lack of effort but because of the way information is presented.

• Use visuals to introduce key vocabulary or concepts.

• Activate prior knowledge with quick discussion prompts or a question on the board.

• Provide a short summary or learning focus before reading begins.

These pre-reading strategies reduce cognitive load and create an entry point for all learners — not just those fluent in English.

2. Chunk the reading and build in pauses for processing

Breaking a text into manageable parts helps learners focus on meaning without becoming overwhelmed by density or unfamiliar language. This is especially helpful for multilingual learners, who may be working hard to decode, translate, and interpret ideas at the same time.

• Present 2–3 paragraphs at a time, with guiding questions.

• Pause for paired discussion or summarising.

• Use mini-whiteboards or think-pair-share to check understanding after each section.

These steps help learners stay engaged with the text and allow teachers to identify where support is needed.

3. Use visuals, models and oral rehearsal as scaffolds

Many multilingual learners have strong ideas and deep understanding — what they need are more ways to show what they know.

Visual scaffolds and spoken rehearsal create space for thinking and confidence-building before reading and writing.

• Use a diagram, map or timeline alongside the text.

• Provide sentence stems or discussion frames like “I noticed that…” or “This suggests…”

• Model one or two key responses as a class before asking for independent work.

Research into multilingual learners’ writing (e.g. Gibbons, 2002) shows that these forms of structured talk significantly boost outcomes.

4. Create space for home language use

Allowing learners to draw on their full linguistic repertoire can make texts more accessible — and build deeper conceptual understanding.

• Encourage learners to discuss main ideas in their strongest language before sharing in English.

• Offer access to bilingual glossaries or translation tools for key concepts.

• Welcome note-taking, annotation or thinking in any language that helps process the content.

As Cummins and others have shown, recognising home languages as a resource — rather than a barrier — supports cognitive development and nurtures inclusion.

5. Link reading, talk, and writing — in that order

If learners struggle to write about a text, it’s often because they haven’t had enough time to process it. Spoken language is the bridge between reading and writing.

• Build in time for talk after reading and before writing.

• Use oral sentence frames to help structure thinking.

• Co-construct a class model or summary before asking for individual responses.

  
  

This sequence supports planning, reduces pressure, and helps all learners — especially those developing English — build fluency with academic language.

Reflect and move forward

Supporting learners to access challenging texts isn’t about simplifying the content. It’s about making sure all learners have the tools they need to engage with it fully.

These strategies aren’t quick fixes. But used consistently, they support multilingual learners to thrive — and they raise attainment across the classroom.

If this resonates with your teaching context, try one or two of these strategies this week. You might be surprised by the difference they make — not just in comprehension, but in confidence too