Reading is talk written down in code. If we want children to read effectively, we must teach them the code so they can read words they encounter and unlock the meaning of the material being read. Some children know how to decode without being directly taught, but at least half of the population of children does not.
Children should be taught phonemic awareness, which involves the sound system of the language. Children need to know the sounds represented by the letters of the alphabet, how to blend them together to read words and how to separate the sounds for easier spelling. Young children not yet involved with written letters or words, can play with words by doing tasks that involve rhyming, repeating the beginning sound of a spoken word, or blending together the spoken sounds of a short word to form the word. Research indicates that the ability to play with words is the most reliable predictor of reading success.
Most children need beginning instruction in systematic explicit phonics where letter-sound connections for letters and combinations of letters are directly taught and practiced in the context of words in word lists and in text. Systematic instruction means that basic or simplest elements are mastered before more complex elements are introduced and reinforced. Explicit means that rules, reasons, consistencies and inconsistencies are taught so that the language makes sense to the learner. Books containing the words and sounds being taught (controlled readers) provide the best opportunity for reinforcement and while they may not contain the most exciting, inspired stories, they are exciting to the beginning reader who is mastering an important skill. Children should not be encouraged to guess but to use the letters to unlock the sounds of each word. Practicing this skill to an automatic level will cement in memory the tools needed to unlock unfamiliar words for life.
Spelling can be taught in conjunction with reading, moving from basic sounds, patterns and rules to more complex elements as they are taught for reading. Spelling is a multisensory activity which reinforces reading and cements the sounds, symbols and rules into long term memory. When spelling and word recognition are taught together, growth is faster and more secure. Segmenting words into sounds, which is a phonemic awareness task, helps the child break up each word into recognizable parts and the sounds can be written in the correct sequence.
While children need direct instruction in how to comprehend what they read, comprehension and vocabulary are built by reading. Readers encounter new words, new information and new ways of thinking through reading. The prerequisite for reading easily and quickly is to be able to decode words quickly. When reading is easy, students do more of it.
Reading comprehension is often confused with picture comprehension and listening comprehension. All are important. Picture comprehension is used when the child looks at the picture, tells what is happening, makes predictions and asks questions. When a child listens to a story and answers questions, makes observations or predictions, and asks questions, the child is using listening comprehension. Reading comprehension is in place only when a child reads a story alone and responds to the content. In order to comprehend written material, a child must be able to read words, phrases and sentences.
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