Why d o we
need to read
aloud?
Reading is complex
The Many Strands that are Woven into Skilled Reading
(Scarborough, 2001)
Language comprehension
Background knowledge
(facts, concepts, etc.)
Vocabulary
(Breadth, precision, links, etc.)
Language structures
(syntax, semantics, etc.)
Verbal reasoning
(inference, metaphor, etc.)
Literacy knowledge
(print, concepts, genres etc.)
Word recognition
Phonological awareness
(syllables, phonemes, etc.)
Decoding
(alphabetic principle, spellingsound correspondences)
Sight recognition
(of familiar words)
Skilled reading:
Fluent execution and
coordination of word
recognition and text
comprehension.
There is no correlation between ‘word
recognition’ skills and intelligence
If there was, we would need to find evidence of the following
propositions:
1. that the pattern of information-processing skills that underlie the
reading deficits of low-IQ poor readers is different from the
information-processing skills that underlie the reading deficits of
high-IQ poor readers
2. that the neuroanatomical differences that underlie the cognitive
deficits of these two groups are different
3. that low- and high-IQ poor readers require different treatments to
remediate their reading problems
4. that there is differential etiology in the two groups based on
different heritability of the component deficits.
Stanovich (2005): “there is a wealth of evidence regarding [these propositions]
that is largely negative”.
So, what does cause reading
difficulty?
• Glue ear?
– “It’s estimated that one in five children around the age
of two will be affected by glue ear at any given time,
and about 8 in every 10 children will have had glue
ear at least once by the time they’re 10 years old.”
www.nhs.uk
• Visual problems?
– Maybe 1 in 5 children with undiagnosed visual issues
Optometry Today
• English orthography?
What’s going wrong?
Errors in word reading at
the end of first year of
instruction
Seymour, Aro & Erskine (2003)
All languages are not equal
• At the age of 9 a French child does not read
as well as a 7 year old Spanish child.
• It takes 2 additional years of schooling for an
English child to reach the level of a French
child.
80
60
40
English
French
Spanish
20
0
7 years
8 years
Evolution of error rates in pseudo word reading
Goswami et al 1998
9 years
The importance of fluency
They gradually ascended for half a mile
then found themselves at the top of a
considerable eminence where the
wood ceased and the eye was instantly
caught by Pemberley House situated on
the opposite side of the valley , into
which the road with some abruptness
wound.
Is comprehension possible?
1. What did they climb?
2. Where did the characters find
themselves?
3. At what point did they first see Pemberley
House?
4. Where was the house in relation to the
characters?
5. How did the author describe the road?
Comprehension depends on reading
speed
They gradually ascended for
half a mile then found
themselves at the top of a
considerable eminence
where the wood ceased and
the eye was instantly caught
by Pemberley House situated
on the opposite side of the
valley, into which the road
with some abruptness
wound.
1. What did they climb?
2. Where did the
characters find
themselves?
3. At what point did they
first see Pemberley
House?
4. Where was the house
in relation to the
characters?
5. How did the author
describe the road?
Into the classroom…
• Many students ‘hate’ reading but everyone loves
stories
• Independent reading is only likely to be beneficial if
students can decode fluently
• How can you practise fluency?
• Is listening ‘cheating’?
– Reading comprehension is highly correlated with listening
comprehension (Bell & Perfetti, 1994; Gernsbacher, Varner, & Faust,
1990)
– For difficult-to-understand texts, prosody can be a real aid
to understanding. (Kosslyn & Matt, 1977)
• Don’t make students ‘follow along’.
Working memory model
Central executive
Phonological
loop
Episodic
buffer
Visuo-spatial
sketchpad
Language
Episodic LTM
Visual
semantics
Fluid components
Crystallised components
Baddeley, Working Memory: Theories,
Models, and Controversies (2011)
The phonological loop system
Visual word
presentation
(reading)
Auditory word
presentation
(listening)
Phonological
store
Words are ‘stored’ for about 2 seconds
before needing to be rehearsed.
Auditory
control
processes
The silent voice
• ‘Silent’ reading is pretty recent
– “…his eyes scanned the page and his heart
sought out the meaning, but his voice was
silent and his tongue was still. Anyone could
approach him freely and guests were not
commonly announced, so that often, when we
came to visit him, we found him reading like
this in silence, for he never read aloud.
Augustine, Confessions Book Six, Chapter Three
• Silence may be an illusion:
– We all subvocalise
– Prosody adds meaning
Rubenstein, Lewis & Rubenstein, 1971; Colheart et al., 1977;
Seidenberg et al., 1996; Ferrand, 2001 (Chapter4)
St Ambrose – 340 - 397 CE
Are you reading ‘aloud’?
Lolita, light of my life,
fire of my loins. My sin,
my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the
tip of the tongue taking
a trip of three steps
down the palate to tap,
at three, on the teeth.
Lo. Lee. Ta.
Nabokov, Lolita
• Which should be our goal?
– Exam success
– Fluent readers
• Reading fluency benefits everyone in the
system but committing lesson time to
reading fluency tends not to benefit
individual teachers.
Reading makes you smarter
Very much
Quite a lot
A bit
Not at all
Below
expected
level
%
2.4
4.2
17.4
37
At
expected
level
%
63.5
83.5
75.8
Above
expected
level
%
34.2
12.3
6.8
54.9
Enjoyment of reading and reading attainment in 2012 (n=13,710)
8.1
Reading makes you cleverer
Every day
A few times a week
About once a week
A few times a
month
About once a
month
Rarely
Never
Below
expecte
d level
%
3.7
7.1
At
expecte
d level
%
68.3
81.7
Above
expecte
d level
%
26.1
11.2
13.6
14.1
78.4
78.8
8
7.1
18.9
72.2
8.9
25.1
36.2
67
58.3
7.9
5.4
Reading frequency and reading attainment in 2012 (n=13,710)
Knowledge and reading
• The more you read, the more you know
• How can we get children who cannot
decode fluently to read independently?
• The promise of ‘just reading’.
Westbrook et al 2019
Key Messages
1. There’s no correlation between
decoding and intelligence
2. Reading fluency is perhaps the most
pressing issue in schools
3. Comprehension depends on
background knowledge
4. Everyone loves stories
5. Being read to can help make kids
cleverer.
“It is so easy to be wrong – and to persist in
being wrong – when the costs of being wrong
are paid by others.” Thomas Sowell
@ D av i d D i d a u
l e a r n i n g s py. co .
uk ddidau@gmai
l . co m
Choral Reading
What is Choral Reading?
1. Choral reading is simply reading in unison
under the direction of aleader.
2. Choral speaking offers genuine opportunity
for problem solving as each group works out
its own presentation.
3. It has three major purposes:
– learning
– performance
– enjoyment
Types of Choral Reading
1.
Refrain is one of the most common forms of choral speaking. One person reads
the narrative portion of the text while the rest of the class joins in the refrain.
1.
Unison calls for the whole group toread the material together. Additional sound
effects might be incorporated.
1.
Antiphon calls for the class to be divided into two or more groups, with each group
being responsible for a certain part of theselection.
1.
Cumulative choral reading or speaking refers to a method where groups of voices or
individual voices are added toor subtracted from the choral reading, depending on the
message or the meaning communicated by the selection.
1.
Solo Lines is a type of choral reading where individuals read specific lines in
appropriate places throughout the group activity.
1.
Line Around is more solo work where each line is taken by a different person in the
group.
Example of Choral Reading Script
“The Dream
Keeper”
By Langston
Hughes
Speaker(s)
Text
Antiphonal 1
Bring me all
Antiphonal 2
of your dreams,
ALL
you dreamers,
Antiphonal 1
Bring me all
Antiphonal 2
your heart melodies
Antiphonal 1
that I may wrap them
Antiphonal 2
in a blue cloud cloth,
Speakers 1, 2
Away
Speakers 3, 4
from the too-rough
ALL
fingers of the world
Task
1. Working with your group, chorally arrange
the poem, “The Song of Wandering Aengus” for
performance by your group. As you work, please
consider how your arrangement helps an
audience to comprehend the text. For example,
consider the number of voices and gender of
those voices that you would want to say a word,
line, and/or stanza as you work through the
poem.
2. Practice performing the text.
3. Chorally perform the text.
SILENT READING
SILENT READING
 Silent Reading- In silent reading there is no
movement of the lips or the tongue.
 But there should be full concentration and the
thoughts should not wonder aimlessly while
they are reading silently.
 Silent reading provides the opportunity to
learn the meanings of many new words in
context
PRECAUTIONS
 (i) Only those passages should be read which
can be understood and
appreciated
by students.
 (ii) The duration of silent reading should differ
according to the nature of the matter and the
standard of the class.
 (iii) The weak students should be paid more
attention. The paragraph for reading should
not be long.
PRECAUTIONS CONT…..
 (v) Necessary instructions must be given
before silent reading.
 (vi) The teacher should be particular about
giving students task of wide reading by
gradually selecting fresh and unseen
paragraph.
ADVANTAGES
 (i) It saves time because it is quick.
 (ii) It saves energy also.
 (iii) It initiates self-education and deep study.
 (iv) It develops the ability to read with interest.
According to ‘Ryborn’ “It enables
attention and energy to be concentrated on
meaning and so saves a division of attention
resulting in a greater assimilation of information.’
LIMITATIONS
 (i) It is not advantageous for beginners.
 (ii) It is also uninteresting.
 (iii) Sometimes students cannot understand some
parts of the passage, but they cannot take the help
of teachers.
 (iv) The mistakes done by students during silent
reading can not be corrected.
 (v) It does not teach correct pronunciation.
 (vi) It cannot be checked if students are really
reading.
ADVANTAGES OF LOUD
READING
 1. Develops stronger vocabulary.

2. Builds connections between the written word.
 3. Provides enjoyment.
 4. Increases attention span.
spoken and
 5. To enable students to speak English correctly..
 6. Provides a safe way of exploring strong
emotions.
 7. Promotes bonding.
PROCEDUR
E
 Select a Text
 When doing a read-aloud, it is best if all students
have a copy of the text so that they can follow
along.
 Read- alouds can be structured “popcorn style.”
As soon as one student stops reading, another
student can begin.
 Teachers can assign students a section of the text
to read as homework
 Pause for Comments
CONCLUSION
 In short, all efforts should be made to
develop reading habits among the
students. We should create in them a real
love according to the genre of books and
their needs i.e. short stories, novel, poem,
and others