212: Untangling the Debate Over Reading Instruction
Aug 20, 2023
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Explore the controversy surrounding reading instruction and effective approaches with literacy experts. Understand the complexity of reading instruction, emphasizing the integration of word reading and language comprehension. Delve into the ongoing debate between skills and strategies in reading instruction, highlighting the importance of knowledge building. Connect online and access additional resources from the podcast.
Striking a balance between phonics instruction and comprehension strategies is essential in teaching children to read effectively.
The use of decodable readers and texts that reinforce phonics knowledge is crucial in facilitating student practice and application of decoding skills.
The active view of reading emphasizes the importance of strategies, fluency, and executive functioning skills in integrating word recognition and language comprehension.
Deep dives
The Debate on Reading Instruction
The episode explores the ongoing debate over reading instruction, with the speaker sharing personal experiences and observations. The discussion highlights the need to strike a balance between phonics instruction and comprehension strategies, emphasizing the importance of both in teaching children to read effectively. The risks of relying solely on contextual cues and pictures for word recognition are also addressed.
Challenges in Implementing effective Reading Instruction
The episode discusses challenges in implementing effective reading instruction, including a lack of training in phonics instruction for many teachers. It also highlights the impact of instructional materials that do not align with phonics instruction, hindering students' ability to practice and apply their decoding skills. The role of decodable readers and the importance of providing texts that reinforce phonics knowledge are emphasized.
The Complexity of Reading Instruction
The episode acknowledges the complexity of reading instruction and the need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses phonics instruction, comprehension strategies, and knowledge building. The speaker stresses the importance of research-informed practices and the role of collaboration among educators to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. The episode also addresses the false dichotomy between skills and strategies instruction versus knowledge building, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that incorporates both.
The Importance of Phonemic Awareness and Decoding in Reading Instruction
One key point discussed in the podcast is the importance of phonemic awareness and decoding in reading instruction. The speakers explain that the process of connecting letters and sounds to figure out words is crucial for building the connections needed in the reading network of the brain. Rather than relying on memorizing sight words, students should focus on decoding words, understanding spelling patterns, and mapping letters to sounds. By emphasizing phonemic awareness and decoding, students can develop a stronger foundation in reading and develop fluency and comprehension skills.
The Active View of Reading and Effective Instructional Strategies
The podcast also explores the active view of reading, which expands on the simple view of reading framework. This view incorporates bridging processes that require both word recognition and language comprehension. It highlights the importance of strategies and fluency, as well as executive functioning skills, in actively regulating and coordinating word reading and language comprehension. Effective instruction should tailor to individual needs, integrate content knowledge with strategies, progress monitoring, and differentiate instruction based on students' strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, the speakers emphasize the need for collaboration between teachers, researchers, policymakers, and parents to improve literacy outcomes and ensure equitable access to quality instruction.
When it comes to teaching kids how to read, what is the big debate about? And what does research say we should be doing? In this episode, literacy expert Jen Serravallo and researcher Dr. Kelly Cartwright help us understand the different perspectives on effective reading instruction and what research says teachers and school leaders should be doing now to help kids learn to read.
