Exploring strategies that the language teachers used in supporting learners with reading difficulties: A case study in Kisuta primary school in Ojolla zone-Kisumu west sub-County, Kenya

The study aimed at exploring the strategies that language teachers used to support learners with reading difficulties in Kisuta Primary School. The data for this study were collected through interviews, observations, document analysis and focus group discussion. The aim, therefore, was to identify, analyse and describe the strategies that the language teachers’ used to support learners with reading difficulties; the language teacher’s perceptions about learners with reading difficulties and the challenges these teachers faced when supporting learners with reading difficulties. The researcher used qualitative case study approach to understand the strategies that these teachers used to support learners with reading difficulties. The findings revealed that language teachers used multiple approaches to support learners with reading difficulties including using the TUSOME early grade approach to reading development, creating extra time to support learners with reading difficulties, using peers to support their colleagues with reading difficulties and collaborating with other language teachers. The study also found out that language teachers regarded learners with reading difficulties in different ways such as: the learners with reading difficulties are apathetic, the learners with reading difficulties are non performers and the learners with reading difficulties are hectic to handle. The study also found that the language teachers faced various challenges as they supported learners with reading difficulties including low teacher-learner ratio and large class sizes, curriculum overload, inadequate teacher time, lack of parental support, inadequate teacher preparation and training and lack of enough text books. Based on the findings above the study recommends among others that the curriculum developers should review the teacher education curriculum and syllabus at all levels so that it captures the strategies that language teachers should use to support learners with reading difficulties. The curriculum developers should further develop specific reading materials suitable for learners with reading difficulties