The dilemma in teaching reading
Question: Is one type of learning better than
the next in regards to Reading and Literacy?
Claim: it would seem to me regardless of other
opinion that phonics is the more advanced
route than learning through sight words, it
may not be the safest, but I believe it would
deliver the best results.
At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the
Progressive Education Movement pushed for
instruction that focused more on the interests
of students and what science was discovering
about teaching and learning.
More and more stories were included in reading
textbooks that emphasized particular sounds
or other targeted reading skills.
These stories with controlled vocabularies
were often of little interest to students and did
not include ethnic minority characters.
In the 1950’s scott
foresman wrote "Dick
and Jane" which was a
childrens picture
book. Foresman used
a "whole word"
approach to teaching
reading where words
were repeated on
each page enough
times that, according
to behavioral
research, students
could remember them
by saying and seeing
them numerous times.
Phonics advocates focus their efforts on the
primary grades OF EDUCATION and the importance
of students being able to sound out words based
on how they are spelled WHEN THEY ARE READING
THEM RATHER THAN RECOGNIZING THE WORD OUT OF
MEMORY.
A problem with English is that it does not have a
one-to-one sound relationship that would make
reading much easier. The many homonyms in
English such as “to”, “too”, and “two” create
difficulties for students, even at the university
level in regards to spelling. tHe woRDs “AFFeCt”
AnD “eFFeCt” ARe CoMMonlY MisspelleD Along
ADULTS AS WELL AS CHILDREN.
Phonics is considered a "bottom up"
approach where students "decode" the
meaning of a text.
The advantage of phonics, especially for
students who come to schools with large
vocabularies, is that once students get
the basics down, they can go to the
library and read a wide variety of
children's literature.
With whole language reading otherwise known
as sight word reading, teachers of our
primary school ages are expected to provide
a literacy rich environment for their students
and to combine speaking, listening, reading,
and writing.
Whole language teachers emphasize the
meaning of texts over the sounds of letters,
and phonics instruction becomes just one
component of the whole language classroom.
While this is the widest spread type of reading
curriculum in the united states today, we have
to wonder if it is the most effective.
Whole language is considered a "top down"
approach where the reader constructs a personal
meaning for a text based on using their prior
knowledge to interpret the meaning of what they
are reading.
Problems associated with whole language include
a lack of structure that has been traditionally
supplied by the scope and sequence, lessons and
activities, and extensive graded literature found
in basal readers or reading text books.
Whole language puts a heavy burden on teachers
to develop their own curriculum, as the concepts to
teaching whole language is repetition it then
requires the teacher to introduce and encourage a
large amount of sight words into his/her
curriculum through out the grade year.
The problem with just one type of reading being taught in
schools is that students all learn differently. The various
different ways and approaches to learning to read is
dependent on the individual learning and their direct
personality.
Phonics learning is heavily associated with Behavioralists and
their methods of teaching. The Behavioral learning methods
are based on studies of animal behaviors where animals such
as pigeons learned to do tasks when they received rewards and
stopped behaviors that were not rewarded or were punished.
Harvard psychologist B.F. skinneR sAiD tHAt: “Most of us can
point to things we continue to do because we are rewarded for
doing them. Rewards can be the pay we get for jobs we do,
desired recognition like "A" grades for doing excellent school
work, and praise from our friends when they like what we are
doing. Likewise, we can point to things we stopped doing because
we were not rewarded or were punished for them. Behaviorist
learning theory tends to look at extrinsic rewards like money,
grades, and gold stars rather than intrinsic rewards like
feeling good about successfully accomplishing a difficult task.
Sight word reading and learning is based on the
constructivist learning theory that is based on the
idea that children learn from connecting new
knowledge to previously learned knowledge. Russian
psychologist Lev Vygotsky introduced the concept of
sight words also known as whole language learning.
Vygotsky sAiD tHAt “. If children cannot connect new
knowledge to old knowledge in a meaningful way, they
may with difficulty memorize it (rote learning), but
they will not have a real understanding of what they
are learning. “
Vygotsky identified a "zone of proximal" development
where children can learn new things that are a little
above their current understanding with the help of
more knowledgeable peers or adults. This new
knowledge is incorporated into their existing
knowledge base.
LEARNG THEORIES COMPARED
Behaviorism (Official Phonics Theory)
•Teacher centered Direct Instruction
•Transmission (Paulo FReieR’s Model)
•Phonics Emphasis
•Sound and Skill Emphasis
Constructivism (Sight Word Theory)
•Student Centered Instruction
•Experiential Interactive
•Sight Word Emphasis
•Meaning Emphasis
When teaching reading there are several influences
to consider such as:
Literacy level when entering school – 5% of children
can read upon entering kindergarten, this comes from
HigH liteRACY involveMent in tHe CHilD’s HoMe.
Children who are multi lingual in the home and upon
entering school tend to have a lower literacty and
reading capacity upon entering school
Another issue to consider in teaching reading is the
brain development in children. Some children can not
learn to read until roughly 7 years old depending on
their cognitive development level.
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 through its Reading
First provisions attempts to improve reading instruction in
American schools and close the gap in test scores between ethnic
minorities and mainstream "white" Americans.
This has caused a push in the Sight Word curriculum. Educator
believe that rather than introducing and focusing on both
learning concepts that Sight Words can be taught to anyone
tHRougH Repetition. AltHougH tHis Doesn’t Allow CHilDRen witH
high literacy levels to continue development further, it does
allow an even playing field in the classroom and less one on one
attention from a teach to learn.
This is an issue that would have to be individualized by the
teacher and also by the student. A perfect curriculm would
include both concepts of teaching and teacher and student
centered learning. Each child would have to be taught more in
one area than the other or an equal balance dependent on their
development.
While this would take more time and structure in a classroom the
overall results could be substantial. When we say No Child Left
Behind, I think we also need to focus on No Child Being Held Back.