THE READING ACT

Chapter 1

Teaching Reading in Today’sElementary Schools

THE IMPORTANCE OF READINGTeaching reading in today’s schools is a challenging

vocation. Teachers are expected to- Prepare all students to do well on mandatory,

high-stakes standardized tests Choose methods that are research based and

represent best practices Work with an ever-changing array of technology Choose materials that are high quality, motivating

and appropriate from a multitude of titles available

Deal with an increasing diverse population of students-ELL learners and a variety of special instructional needs.

THE READING ACT- THE IMPORTANCE OF READING

The ability to read is vital to functioning effectively in a literate society.

Learning to read takes effort- easier for some than others

Teachers show the importance of functional reading by demonstrating- point out that everyday life involves reading-menus, news, advertisements, labels, signs, road signs, etc.

Think of an example that you could use to show the importance of functional reading for a Pre-K or K classroom.

A grade 3 classroom.

THE READING ACT- THE IMPORTANCE OF READING Reading for enjoyment is the ultimate goal in

teaching reading As a teacher you can help your students see

reading as a pleasure by doing the following: Read to your students daily using a variety of

genres, themes, topics Have many books available for students to look

at and read and set aside time for self-selection Give students opportunities to share their

reactions Encourage students to relate and connect to

what they are reading Share the pleasure you get from reading with

your students- read during reading time

THE READING ACT- THE READING PRODUCT-COMMUNICATION

THE READING PROCESS

Fluency is the ability to read with automaticity, appropriate rate, good expression, and good comprehension.

Fluent reading results when the subskills are put together as an integrated whole. Performing subskills individually is not reading. Practice integrating the subskills as a whole is essential in the reading process.. You learn to read by reading.

THE READING PROCESS- THE READING BRAIN- FAST FOR WORD PROGRAM

THE READING PROCESS

Reading is an extremely complex process. When students read they must be able to use the following aspects-

Sensory and perceptual Sequential Experiential background Thinking Learning Associational Affective Constructive

THE READING PROCESS- ASPECTS Sensory and perceptual- perceive the symbols set

before them and interpret what they see Sequential- follow the linear, logical, and

grammatical patterns of the written words Experiential background- relate words back to direct

experiences to give the words meaning Thinking- make inferences and evaluate the material Associational- recognize connections between

symbols and sounds, between words and what they represent

Affective- personal interests and attitudes affect the task of reading

Constructive-put everything together to make sense of the material

THE READING PROCESS- SENSORY AND PERCEPTUAL ASPECTS OF READING

Perception is the interpretation of sensory impressions

Reading begins with a sensory impression- either visual (sight) or tactile (touch).

Auditory sense- beginning stages in reading association between printed symbol and spoken word- person with poor auditory discrimination may find phonics difficult to master

Reading requires visual acuity (sharpness of vision) and visual discrimination (ability to differentiate among different shapes)

THE READING PROCESS-

Hearing affects the reading process- understanding phonics.

Auditory acuity- the ability to hear clearly and auditory discrimination-the ability to detect differences among sounds are essential in learning how to associate phonemes (individual speech sounds) with graphemes (printed symbols) for phonics instruction.

ACCOMMODATIONS- VISUAL & AUDITORY Visual- refer to specialist if you observe

squinting, covering or closing one eye, frequent rubbing eyes, frequent errors when copying the board. Accommodations include- lighting, seating, auditory recordings, large print, oral reading, practice tracking with highlighting tape, pointers, index cards

Auditory- refer to specialist if you observe frowning when listening, frequent requests to repeat, turning head so one ear is toward speaker. Accommodations include-speak slowly and clearly, use adequate volume, seat child away from distractions, supplement reading lessons with visual aids

THE READING PROCESS Sequential aspects of reading-readers must

learn to follow the sequence and order in which printed material is arranged.

Left to right- top to bottom Experiential background-readers integrate

information with prior knowledge for understanding

Schemata- clusters of information that people have developed about things, places, or ideas

Prior knowledge gained through direct and indirect (vicarious) experiences.

THE READING PROCESS

Reading and Thinking- recognizing and interpreting symbols, comprehending a reading selection requires a combination of thinking skills. Teachers help guide thinking by asking appropriate questions.

Reading to Learning- increases success in school, helps coping with everyday situations outside of school, bestows status, provides recreation.

Think and discuss- students “learn to read” in the primary grades and “read to learn” in intermediate and upper grades. Agree or disagree.

READING PROCESS Reading is an associational process- the

more meaningful an association is to a student, the more rapidly he or she will learn it. Comprehension is easier when connections are made.

Affective aspects of reading- interests, attitudes, and self-concept- determine how hard students will work at a reading task.

Motivation – the incentive to act Self-concept- opinion of one self affects

the risks one is willing to take to succeed. Constructive- the reader puts together input

from sensory and perceptual channels along with experiences and the printed word to gain meaning from the text.

READING PROCESS: SELECTED THEORIESSUBSKILL THEORIES

Reading is a set of subskills that children must master and integrate

Skills are mastered and used automatically. Automaticity is the ability to perform a task with little attention.

Subskills are practiced in the context of actual reading to ensure integration

Students master smaller units before larger ones and integrate them into larger units after mastery

READING PROCESS: SELECTED THEORIESINTERACTIVE THEORIES- Reading is a combination of two types of

processing- top-down processing (reader based) and bottom-up processing (text based) in continuous interaction.

In top-down processing, the act of reading begins with the reader generating a prediction

In bottom-up processing, reading is initiated by examining the printed symbols. Readers must first sound out a word letter by letter, pronounce it and so on.

Skilled readers use both simultaniously. Readers who cannot use clues from sentences

or pictures cannot grasp the meaning.

READING PROCESS- SELECTED THEORIESTRANSACTIVE THEORIES- Every reading act is a transaction involving a

particular reader and a text in a particular context with meaning coming into being during the transaction between the reader and the text.

No two readings are likely to be identical The readers stances, beliefs, and attitudes

affect their responses, as does the context Readers can comprehend a passage without

having identified all the words in it. Fluent readers use semantic clues

(meaning) and syntactic clues (word order) within the material

TRANSACTIVE THEORY

Louis Rosenblatt- the transaction between reader and text is dynamic.

Readers take one of two stances- Efferent stance- focusing on obtaining

information Aesthetic stance- focusing on the experience

lived through during the reading, the feeling and images evoked, and the memories aroused by the text

Reader chooses the appropriate stance

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Some people believe the meaning resides in the text

Some believe that readers bring meaning to the text

Some believe comprehension involves using both the information in the text and the information the reader brings to the text

Let’s Read

TEACHER’S DILEMMA: TAKING A BALANCED APPROACH

An approach in which teachers concentrate on providing both word recognition and comprehension strategy and skill instruction along with ample opportunities to read complete works of literature, to use reading materials to solve problems, and to explore nonfiction and fiction material.

Organized learning- whole-class, small-group, and individualized instruction

Use a variety of approaches to meet the needs of all learners

15 PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING READING

1. Reading is a complex act with many factors that must be considered

2. Reading involves the construction of the meaning represented by the printed symbols

3. There is no one correct way to teach reading

4. Learning to read is a continuing process5. Students should be taught word-recognition

strategies that will allow them to unlock pronunciations and meanings of unfamiliar words independently

15 PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING READING6. The teacher should assess each student’s

reading ability and use the assessment as a basis for planning instruction.

7. Reading and the other language arts are highly interrelated.

8. Using complete literature selections in the reading program is important

9. Reading is an integral part of all content area instruction within the educational program

10. The student needs to see that reading can be an enjoyable pursuit

THE 15 PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING READING

11. Sound teaching of all reading skills and strategies is important for all students

12. Reading should be taught in a way that allows each student to experience success

13. Encouraging self-direction and self-monitoring of reading is important

14. A supportive classroom organization can facilitate the teaching of reading

15. Teachers must help students develop facility in using technology to enhance their learning.