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CHAPTER TWO
APPROACHES TO READING INSTRUCTION
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WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON APPROACHES TO READING INSTRUCTION?
Two Competing Views of Reading
Phonics-Based Approaches
Sight-Based Approaches to the Teaching of Reading
Integrated Anthology Approach
The Language Experience Approach (LEA)
Literature-Based Approach
A Balanced Approach to Literacy Instruction
HOW DO I DECIDE WHICH APPROACH TO USE?
History of Approaches
Developing Your Philosophy
Becoming an Increasingly Skilled Kidwatcher
Becoming Increasingly More Skilled as a Reading Teacher
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the most common approaches to reading instruction?
How do I decide which approach to use?
Chapter Summary: This chapter summarizes the most common approaches to reading
instruction that are currently in use. An important part of the chapter is
thinking about when to use each approach and with whom to use it. It is important
that students are able to recognize the significant features of each approach so
that they can recognize them when they evaluate various materials and lessons that
are offered. The summary of reading approaches over the years can help students
place current reading instruction in a context of where the profession has been and
the changes that have taken place.
Class Activities:
1. Examine several basal reader anthologies and the teacher's guides to basal
readers from several different series, if possible. Ask students to examine the
directions to the teacher, the suggested activities, and the suggested enrichment
activities. Discuss the uses and misuses of a basal reader.
2. Create a chart to compare each of the approaches to reading instruction. Ask
students to help determine the headings that would be useful.
3. Demonstrate the teaching of phonic skills with some phonetically regular words
and then try with some words that are not regular: ounce, tongue, the, eye, or
others that you select
4. Engage the students in a language experience activity. Bring in something to
write about (an animal, a piñata, an old hat, and so on) and then follow the steps
of language experience.
5. Locate a picture book that is included in an anthology. Compare the book to the
selection in the anthology. Discuss the challenges for the reader if all the
illustrations are not included.
Cooperative Group Discussion: Discuss their own experiences with reading
instruction. What kind of instruction did they have? How did they feel about that
instruction? Did all students who experienced the same kind of instruction feel
the same way about their experience?
Another discussion topic would be the answers they provide to the questions
on p. 60. These questions should help students think more deeply about their own
philosophy. A discussion with a group can help students clarify their own thinking
about these questions. If you are going to assign a philosophy statement as one of
the assignments, you would want students to begin by having them answer these
questions.
Issues Discussions: Discuss the issues boxes in their small groups and then
provide a summary of their opinions for the class. These might also be posted to
the threaded discussion board on the website for the book.
Summarizing: It will be important that students can identify the major approaches
to reading instruction. On a transparency or sympodium screen list each approach
and ask students to list the major ideas under each approach.
Video Tape Suggestions: The Primary Literacy Video Collection Classroom
Management (1) Managing the Day (2) Planning for Effective Teaching, Fountas and
Pinnell, Heinemann.
Key Information: Having a clear understanding of the major approaches to
reading instruction is vital. Students can keep a copy of the list produced in
the summarizing activity or make their own list to keep in their notes.
Key terminology: The terms describing phonics, phonetics, and letter/sound
relationships are often confused; these terms should be clarified. The terminology
of whole language and literature-based instruction are also often used
interchangeably, especially in the popular press; these should be clarified as
well.
Chapter 2 Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is the most important variable in the teaching of reading?
A. The teacher
B. The materials used
C. The approach or method taken
D. The age of the student
2. When confronted with competing approaches to reading instruction you will
make your selection based upon:
A. research about the approach.
B. your personal philosophy of literacy instruction.
C. your assessment of what your students need.
D. All of the above
3. In
A.
B.
C.
D.
the bottom up view of reading the instruction begins with:
reading sentences.
whole stories.
the smallest pieces of language- the sounds (phonemes).
blending sounds in words.
4. Heidi Mesmer (1991) suggested that decisions about reading materials in
the classroom are:
A. complex and are better made by taking into consideration which book
will work for which readers at which developmental stages.
B. easy under the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher.
C. difficult and are mandated by the state legislature.
D. perplexing and are best made by the school’s Curriculum Director.
5. What is the
A. To teach
B. To point
language
C. To teach
D. To build
goal of sight-based reading instruction?
challenging words
out the inconsistency in the sound/symbol patterns of our
children that letters can represent sounds
an increasingly large sight vocabulary
6. The instructional focus of basal readers has changed in recent years to
include:
A. phonics and sight word instruction.
B. reading, writing, spelling, grammar and handwriting.
C. memorization of vocabulary words.
D. the reinforcement of words, skills and moral values.
7. Advocates of the Language Experience Approach believe everything children
read in beginning reading instruction should be:
A. decodable text.
B. sight words and challenging words.
C. as meaningful and relevant to the children as possible.
D. None of the above
8. In a classroom in which interesting things are happening, finding
something for children to write about is:
A. not a problem.
B. extremely difficult.
C. challenging.
D. time consuming.
9. The purpose of taking dictation in the Language Experience Approach is
to:
A. correct the child’s grammar.
B. allow children to see their own ideas in print.
C. write down what the child should say.
D. record your thoughts about frogs.
10. In the Language Experience Approach read-aloud sessions with your
students should include:
A. reading the children’s work.
B. reading narrative books on the topic.
C. reading informational books on the topic.
D. All of the above
11. A
A.
B.
C.
literature based reading program requires
organizational skills and assessment skills.
many books and time set aside for reading them.
knowledge of children’s literature and the ability to differentiate
instruction to meet the students’ needs.
D. Both A and C
12. Individualized reading is defined as reading instruction that is
organized so that all instruction is provided individually or in small
groups and :
A. each child is reading a book of their choice.
B. every child is reading the same book.
C. small groups of children are reading the same book.
D. the teacher assigns a book to each child.
13. Whole language is a philosophy about teaching and learning that is:
A. classroom friendly and uses books with decodable text.
B. child-centered and embraces the use of good children’s literature.
C. teacher based and encourages individualized reading.
D. child-centered and utilizes integrated anthologies.
14. Reading instruction that includes word study, engaging with meaningful
tests, instruction in reading skills and strategies and thoughtful
communicative writing instruction would be the
A.
whole language approach.
B.
the basal reader approach.
C.
the balanced approach.
D. language experience approach.
15. Advocates of a balanced approach to literacy instruction embrace
integration of:
A. the learners culture and values.
B. all the language arts; reading, writing, speaking, listening, and
viewing.
C. subjects across the curriculum.
D. Both B and C.
16. To balance reading instruction properly, a teacher must know about
A.
phonics, individualized reading, language experience, whole
language and sight word strategies.
B.
the number of books per student in the library.
C.
the student's reading level.
D.
teacher directed instruction and learner directed discovery.
17.
To make the most mindful professional decision about which literacy
approach to use in your classroom you will need to consider
A. the history of reading approaches.
B. your own philosophy of literacy instruction.
C. the nature and purpose of each approach.
D. all of the above.
18.
Yetta Goodman (1985) stated that kidwatching has caught on among those
who believe that children learn language best in an environment
A. with lots of books.
B. full of friendly kids.
C. rich with opportunities to explore interesting objects and ideas.
D. with professional observation.
19.
Contemporary wisdom within the teaching profession suggests that
informed teachers focus on
A. the parents of their students and the whole language approach to
reading instruction.
B. the needs of learners, use of an array of approaches and materials, and
bringing balance to their reading instruction.
C. their colleagues and their suggestions for approaches to use in the
classroom.
D. the children and the use of the language experience approach.
20.
What, as the teacher, should you move toward if your student tends to
fall behind his peers without teacher direction and has a loss of
confidence and interest because he never seems to "get it" on his own?
A. Teacher-directed instruction.
B. Learner-directed discovery.
C. Holistic focus.
D. Standardized-norm referenced assessment
Chapter 2 Essay Questions
1. Choose one of the four models of reading instruction as defined by
Gracia and Pearson (1991) and explain the components to the model.
2. Explain the two competing views regarding phonics instruction,
detailing the key points in each view.
3. Define the precepts of sound phonics instruction as viewed by Stahl,
Duffy, Hester and Stahl (1998).
4. What are the three lessons adapted from the Bridge, Winograd, and
Haley's1983 publication for using predictable books to build sight
vocabulary?
5. What are the characteristics of literature based reading instruction?
6. A balanced approach to reading instruction for you as a teacher will
include careful decision making to bring balance to what areas of
instruction?
7. Describe at least three ways that you can become a more informed
reading teacher.
Chapter 2 Answer Key
1. A
2. D
3. C
4. A
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. B
10.20.
11. D
12. A
13. B
14. C
15. D
16. A
17. D
18. C
19. B
A