For a middle school ELL student with strong decoding skills but difficulty comprehending texts, how can their reading comprehension needs best be addressed?

Focusing on language and textual structures used in academic texts is an effective strategy for addressing the reading comprehension needs of a middle school ELL student who has strong decoding skills but struggles with comprehension. This approach helps the student understand the nuances of academic language, including complex sentences, specific vocabulary, and various text features such as headings, graphic organizers, and transitional phrases. By engaging with the specific structures and language conventions of academic texts, the student can develop their ability to interpret and analyze content more effectively, thereby improving their overall comprehension.

In this context, understanding the organization and language used in different types of texts is critical for fostering meaning-making and retention of information, which is essential for ELL students who may be transitioning from basic decoding to more sophisticated levels of reading comprehension. This targeted support aligns with their developing language skills and academic needs.