Episode 1: The Reading Wars with Anne Castles and Kate Nation
Oct 27, 2018
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Anne Castles and Kate Nation, accomplished scholars in reading and literacy, discuss the ongoing 'Reading Wars' debate, highlighting the need for a balanced approach in phonics instruction. They debunk misconceptions about phonics instruction and emphasize the importance of understanding different perspectives in teaching children to read. They also discuss the significance of speech pathologists in teaching reading and share their favorite childhood books.
Explicit phonics instruction is supported by evidence and important for reading acquisition.
Language development and comprehension are also crucial aspects of effective reading instruction.
Collaboration between researchers, educators, and speech-language pathologists is essential to bridge the gap and improve reading outcomes.
Deep dives
Debate over teaching children to read
The podcast episode features a discussion with scholars Ann Castles and Kate Nation about the reading wars, a debate on how children should be taught to read. The phonics approach emphasizes teaching children the relationships between sounds and letters, while the whole language approach focuses on exposing children to meaningful texts. The scholars assert that evidence supports the importance of explicit phonics instruction, but also highlight the significance of language development and comprehension. They discuss how this debate varies in different countries and the challenges in implementing effective reading instruction.
The paper on ending the reading wars
The podcast episode centers on the scholars' recent paper titled 'Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition from Novice to Expert.' The paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the evidence surrounding reading instruction. It addresses misconceptions about phonics instruction and highlights the importance of not only explicit phonics but also language development and comprehension. The scholars discuss the motivation behind writing the paper, the difficulties in publishing it, and the impact they hope it will have in advancing the debate and enhancing reading instruction.
The impact of reading instruction policies
The episode delves into the varying reading instruction policies in different countries. The scholars mention that England has incorporated systematic phonics instruction into its national curriculum and implemented a phonics screening check to assess children's progress. However, they note that implementation and training still vary between regions and institutions. In contrast, Australia faces challenges in achieving consistent reading instruction due to its state-based education system. The scholars discuss the need for streamlined curriculum and greater national coordination to ensure effective reading instruction.
The divide between scientists and educators
The podcast episode explores the ongoing divide between reading scientists and educators, with the former emphasizing evidence-based instruction and the latter drawing from their classroom experiences. The scholars stress the need for fruitful dialogue and collaboration between researchers and practitioners to bridge this gap. They highlight the importance of incorporating research findings into practice and the value of teacher input to inform research. They also discuss the role of speech-language pathologists in supporting reading instruction and urge them to embrace their role in word reading alongside language comprehension.
Future directions and excitement in research
The episode concludes with the scholars sharing their current research interests. Ann Castles discusses her work on studying children's eye movements during reading, which provides insights into dynamic reading processes. Kate Nation expresses her excitement about exploring the differences between spoken language and language in children's books, aiming to promote book language and address vocabulary and syntactic complexity. Both scholars emphasize the importance of further research, close engagement between researchers and practitioners, and implementing evidence-based approaches to improve children's reading outcomes.
This inaugural episode of SeeHearSpeak podcast tackles the 'Reading Wars' with accomplished scholars Anne Castles and Kate Nation, authors of a recent comprehensive mega-paper that is sure to be THE go-to seminal write-up on this topic.
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