What Teachers Should Know About the Science of Reading
Education Week・2 minutes read
Reading instruction must be explicit, focusing on phonics and decoding, to help all students, including those with dyslexia, improve their reading skills. Teachers need training in reading science and the structure of English to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice, emphasizing the importance of quality materials and programs for better student outcomes.
Insights
- Explicit teaching of letter-word connections is crucial for reading development, especially in classrooms lacking such instruction, impacting dyslexic children who require intense core instruction rather than different methods, emphasizing the importance of quality teaching for all students.
- The debate between whole language and balanced literacy approaches underscores the necessity of incorporating systematic and explicit phonics instruction, highlighting the significant gap between available knowledge on effective reading instruction and its implementation in schools, indicating a need for teacher training programs to prioritize bridging this divide through dedicated resources and support for new approaches.
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Recent questions
Why is explicit reading instruction important?
Explicit reading instruction is crucial because the brain is not naturally wired for reading; it is hardwired for speaking. This means that children need to be explicitly taught the connections between letters and words to develop strong reading skills. Without explicit instruction, many classrooms lack the necessary foundation for children to become proficient readers, hindering their reading development. By providing explicit instruction, teachers can help all students, including those with dyslexia, improve their reading abilities through focused teaching methods.
What is the Simple View of Reading model?
The Simple View of Reading model emphasizes that reading comprehension is a result of both language comprehension and decoding abilities. Skilled readers can quickly recognize words through orthographic mapping, which involves processing sounds and letters to store words in memory. This model highlights the importance of understanding how sounds correspond to letters, known as phonics, to facilitate automatic word recognition. By focusing on both language comprehension and decoding skills, students can improve their reading comprehension and overall reading abilities.
What is the role of phonics in reading?
Phonics plays a crucial role in reading by helping individuals understand how sounds correspond to letters. By learning phonics, students can develop the ability to recognize words automatically, improving their reading fluency and comprehension. Phonics instruction is essential for breaking down words into their individual sounds and letters, allowing students to decode words accurately. Through phonics instruction, students can enhance their reading skills and become proficient readers by understanding the relationship between sounds and letters.
How does balanced literacy impact reading progress?
Balanced literacy, a common approach in classrooms, often lacks a focused emphasis on phonics, which can hinder students' reading progress. While balanced literacy incorporates various reading strategies, the lack of emphasis on phonics instruction may limit students' ability to decode words accurately and improve their reading fluency. By incorporating more explicit phonics instruction within balanced literacy programs, teachers can better support students in developing strong reading skills and progressing in their reading abilities.
Why is teacher training in reading science essential?
Teacher training in reading science is essential because many educators lack the necessary knowledge of how reading works and the structure of the English language. By providing teachers with training in reading science, they can better understand how to teach reading effectively and support students in developing strong reading skills. With a focus on the basics of reading science, teachers can enhance their teaching methods, improve student learning outcomes, and advocate for research-based information on reading to enhance their instructional practices.
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Summary
00:00
"Science of Reading: Teaching Phonics is Key"
- Emily Hanford is a senior education correspondent for APM reports, focusing on reading research and the science of reading.
- Reading doesn't come naturally; the brain isn't hardwired for reading but for speaking, necessitating explicit teaching of letter-word connections.
- Many classrooms lack explicit reading instruction, hindering kids' reading skills development.
- Dyslexic kids often struggle due to insufficient identification and specialized instruction, highlighting a core instruction issue.
- Dyslexia doesn't require different reading instruction; it needs more intense core instruction, emphasizing the importance of good teaching for all kids.
- The science of reading encompasses decades of research by various fields, establishing a solid evidence base on how reading works.
- The Simple View of Reading model underscores that reading comprehension results from language comprehension and decoding abilities.
- Skilled readers quickly recognize words through orthographic mapping, processing sounds and letters to store words in memory.
- Phonics is crucial for reading, aiding in understanding how sounds correspond to letters, facilitating automatic word recognition.
- Balanced literacy, a common approach in classrooms, often lacks a focused emphasis on phonics, hindering kids' reading progress.
14:21
"Expert Reading: Phonics, Balanced Literacy, Dyslexia"
- Becoming an expert reader involves mimicking expert reading practices rather than following a step-by-step process.
- Reading needs to be broken down into its components for children to develop all necessary skills.
- The foundation of phonics and phonemic awareness is crucial for early learning, as emphasized by the National Reading Panel.
- The National Reading Panel, established in 2000, highlighted the importance of systematic and explicit phonics instruction.
- Balanced literacy classrooms often incorporate some phonics, but the extent and emphasis vary.
- There is a debate between whole language and balanced literacy approaches, with differing opinions on the role of phonics.
- Teachers often lack training in the basics of reading science and the structure of the English language.
- Structured literacy instruction, if taught well, can be fascinating and engaging for students.
- Dyslexia is rooted in a phonological weakness, but individuals with dyslexia can become proficient readers with appropriate instruction.
- To improve teacher preparation programs, a focus on the basics of reading science and the structure of the English language is essential.
27:46
Bridging the Gap in Reading Instruction
- Teachers should advocate for access to research-based information on reading to enhance their teaching methods, emphasizing the importance of receiving quality materials and programs to improve student learning outcomes and teacher satisfaction.
- There is a significant gap between the knowledge available on effective reading instruction and its implementation in schools, highlighting the need for teacher preparation programs and educational institutions to prioritize bridging this divide through dedicated resources and commitment to supporting teachers in adopting new approaches.
