Reading: What, Why, and How?

Muhammad ShoaibEnglish Language Quality Manager

What is Reading?

Reading is making meaning from print. It requires that we:

Identify the words in print – a process called word recognition

Construct an understanding from them – a process called comprehension

Coordinate identifying words and making meaning so that reading is automatic and accurate – an achievement called fluency

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.

Scrambled Letters, yet you can understand

Familiar-looking words, yet difficult to make sense

Jabberwocky

‘Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:All mimsy were the borogoves,And the mome raths outgrabe.

It          isn't          as         if          the          words      are        difficult                   to          identify          orunderstand,                   but          the          spaces                   make                   you          pause                   between     words,                    which                   means        your                   reading                   is                    less                    fluent.

Recognition & Comprehension OK but

Fluency lacking

Speaking and listening come first. But learning to read is, without question, the top priority in elementary education.

Boyer, 1995, p.69

The Simple View of Reading

R = D x CReading=Decoding x Comprehension

(Phil Gough)

Fluency

Word Recognition & Comprehension

What are the Essential Components?

Phonemic Awareness Phonics Vocabulary development Reading fluency Reading comprehension

The Fab Five!

Classroom organization

Matching pupils and texts

Access to interesting texts, choice, and collaboration

Writing and reading

What are the Major Findings? Most children need explicit instruction in decoding and

comprehension.

While fluency isn’t sufficient for comprehension, it is absolutely necessary for good comprehension.

Assessment and instruction are inextricably linked.

Writing, spelling, and reading are highly related, especially in the early stages of learning to read.

Children should spend more time independently reading and writing.

Children not reaching benchmarks benefit from daily intensive instruction.

Chall’s Stages of Reading Development

The Effects of Weaknesses in Oral Language on Reading Growth/Academic Achievement

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

Read

ing

Ag

e

Level

Chronological Age

Low Oral Language in Kindergarten

High Oral Language in Kindergarten

5.2 years difference

(Hirsch, 1996)

An accurate, fluent reader

will read more.

The Failure Cycle

The Reading Gap

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Pre-K

K 1 2 3 4 5

Per

cen

tag

e o

f yo

un

gst

ers

in

the

sch

oo

l w

ho

can

rea

d

gra

de

leve

l m

ater

ial

The Reading Gap

Target: 85-90% of students can handle grade level material.Actual: Where schools say they are.

The difference between the Target and Actual levels is the Reading Gap that can only be closed by comprehensive literacy strategies at the school level.

Target

Actual

Reading rate is strongly

correlated with comprehension.

The role of vocabulary

becomes increasingly

important as students progress

in school.

Magic Number = 1,000,000 words read per year

For a child who reads 15-200 words per minute, reading 20 minutes per day will yield 1,000,000 words read in a year.

Anticipated vocabulary growth: 1,000 – 4,000 new words learned

Tier One:

Examples: happy, bed, school

Rarely require instruction in

school

The most basic words

Tier Two:

Examples: coincidence, absurd, industrious

Instruction adds productivity to an individual’s language ability

High-frequency words for mature language users

Tier Three:

Examples: isotope, lathe, peninsula

Best learned when needed in a content area

Words whose frequency of use is quite low, often limited to specific domains

Proficient comprehension of text is influenced by:

Accurate and fluent word reading skills

Oral language skills

Extent of conceptual and factual knowledge

Knowledge and skill in use of cognitive strategies to improve comprehension or repair it when it breaks down.

Reasoning and inferential skills

Motivation to understand and interest in task and materials

The effectiveness of

instruction in comprehension

strategies depends critically on

how they are taught,

supported, and practiced.

Meaningful conceptual content in reading instruction increases motivation for reading and text comprehension.

Giving students choices of texts, responses, or partners during instruction.

Have an abundance of interesting texts available at the right reading level for every student. Allow students the opportunity to work collaboratively with ample opportunities for discussion, questioning, and sharing.

Engaged Readers

Reading ComprehensionRequires Knowledge—of Words and the World

Most vocabulary growth results incidentally, from massive immersion in the world of language and knowledge.

Thank you for your valuable time!