Learning to read can be a struggle for some students. Students who have difficulty reading may suffer from low self esteem, which ultimately reduces the pupil's motivation to continue the challenge. Teach the student that he can improve his reading ability through positive re-enforcement and by creating a safe, loving environment. The result will be a confident reader who will continue to improve and strive for reading success.

Set realistic reading goals. Students will feel more motivated to reach the next reading level if they can achieve challenging, but realistic goals. If the student is reading at a first grade level, set a goal of reaching grade 1.5.

When setting goals, instead of telling the student that she "must" reach a goal, tell her to describe the steps she will take to reach the goal. Give her power of ownership with goal setting which will boost her motivation and self esteem.

Provide the necessary tools for reading success. Whether its fluency or comprehension, students must challenge abilities and learn from those challenges in order to improve. One of the best ways to challenge reading abilities is to provide worksheets or activities that pertain to a reading passage. Select a set of worksheets that meets the student's reading level, and then allow the student to choose which worksheet he wants to tackle first.

Reading activities can also help improve reading skills. For example, ask the student to write an alternate ending to the story or act out the story.

Change your teaching methods from lesson to lesson. Keep students interested in reading by presenting and evaluating reading progress differently from lesson to lesson. For example, have students perform a play based on a book, then ask the other students to answer questions based on the play. The next day, set up a scavenger hunt where students find answers based on reading clues scattered throughout the room.

Praise and reward students' reading progress. If the student struggled with the same passage or type of passage and finally mastered it, shower the student with praise and perhaps a small reward.

Although important for overall scholastic measurement, grades can become a source of stress and de-motivation for many students, especially those struggling with reading. De-emphasize the importance of grades and create situations where the student is graded on her reading improvement and progress.

Give the student reading assigns on subjects that he is interested in, such as baseball, weather, computers, anything that would appeal to the particular student's interests.