Friday, November 14, 2008
What is Reading?
What is reading? What are the different pieces of reading that we need to teach to our students? If you had to break it down, how would you do that and how much importance would you put on each individual piece? How do those pieces add up to make a "full" reading/learning experience for our students?Take some time on this one and really think it through. Where do we want to emphasize our instruction and how do we do that?
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I have to say, this question seemed very overwhelming the first time I read the post. I spend the week thinking about how I would label the various "pieces" of reading that I teach and what I put the most emphasis on. I came up with 4 basic, and broad "pieces," or maybe I'd call them goals, that I strive to teach first graders when it comes to reading.
Most important, after much debate I decided was PHONICS and SIGHT WORD RECOGNITION (lumped together) since this actually gets the children decoding and reading the words on the page. I debated for a while whether or not this was more important and should require more time than my second piece, which is COMPREHENSION. Basically, I decided students need to be able to read the words before they can understand what they are reading. The third most important piece (or goal) of reading instruction is to hopefully help students to ENJOY reading as well as to understand the IMPORTANCE of having this skill(I am cheating, I know, by lumping those together too). I feel like students need to be explicitly taught WHY we learn to read. I want them to understand that learning to read will help them accomplish many things throughout their lives. Introducing them to books they will enjoy and will feel comfortable to foster an understanding that reading can be enjoyed is also important. The last "piece" or goal that I emphasize would be reading FLUENCY. I would place this last in the amount of instructional time that I spend, because usually reading fluency will tend to follow naturally if the first three pieces of the reading puzzle are in place.
So, since I feel like I reambled here, I will list my reading pieces in their order of importance/instructional time:
1. Phonics/Sight Word Recognition
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Importance/Enjoyment of Reading
4. Reading Fluency
I believe that reading is very different in lower primary grades from upper grades because this is where reading does need to be broken into pieces/parts. Very young learners need to be able to process sound, understand the concept of word, and how many words come together to make meaning. Without these beginning steps there can be no meaning and isn't that why we read, for meaning? As learners grasp some of these basics they are able to put them into practice and more automatically read words (generalizing and crossing all subject areas).
Practicing comprehension is a second piece to reading although it can (and should) be practiced at the same itme. (Although students who struggle with decoding may have difficulty dong both at the same time.) Again, being able to just read words without having any meaning is worthless. We do read for many different reasons; to learn and gather information, to enjoy a good story, to find instructions directions, etc. If we can't use what we read, why read at all?
When I taught first grade, I believed that teaching the "pieces" of Reading (the phonics, grammar, sight words etc) were very important in order for the student to learn how to read. Then I moved to fourth grade, and for some reason I thought teaching reading would look different. I have discovered that teaching reading really isn't any different in grade four than it is in grade one.
The pieces are still there. Vocabulary takes the place of sight words and Spelling takes the place of phonics.
I like to focus on the vocabulary because I feel that this will give real meaning to whatever the students read. I have found that a child can read quite fluently and have no idea what has been read if that child has a very low vocabulary. Words in context usually goes hand in hand with the teaching of vocabulary. Students in all grades need to learn and practice context clues, otherwise they are unable to make the connections necessary for true reading comprehension to take place.
I have always been taught that writing and reading are very much connected. This was always evident when the great readers in my room were always the great writers. Therefore another piece, in teaching fourth grade reading, is writing. This year I have found that students who have been writing about their reading, really enjoy reading. They can't wait to make their connections and share their comprehension of the story.
Although I tend to place more emphasis on vocabulary, my focus could shift depending on the needs of my class.
Perhaps it is like the book The Three Questions: What is the most important piece?
When is the best time to teach that piece?
What is the right thing to do?
Janet
I agree with Erina that it is important for us to model the pleasure & joy you can receive from reading. We need to build the motivation to want to read! I try to do this from day #1 forward. I'd say this is my first goal each year---to get them excited about books & wanting to read.
I teach first grade and feel passionate about my students needing daily, explicit intruction in recognizing patterns within words (phonemic awareness) to assist them with both reading & writing and phonics lessons that enable them to practice blending sounds to decode/read and breaking words apart (encoding) to spell them. I have a daily block of time set aside for these skills but I also intertwine these skills into the other components of literacy as well---looking for those teachable moments so it is meaningful to them.
I think I probably spend more time on phonemic awareness/phonics at the beginning of the year but I incorporate much of the comprehension strategies through read alouds right from the start. I know that comprehension is what reading is all about...but in order for them to be independent thinkers they need to learn how to decode & encode so...it probably takes second place to phonics/phonemic awareness at the beginning of the year...I do always read aloud though for both enjoyment & also for mini-lessons.
I put fluency and vocabulary together. Reading accurately, smoothly, and with expression & good pacing develops when they can read more by sight and building the vocabulary/word knowledge will assist with this. These skills develop gradually--over time.
Reading is meaning derived from print. The five components of reading instruction are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Balanced literacy to me means that all five of these components should be present equally in our reading instruction. But I also believe that we should look at "equally" as meaning over the course of the elementary years where children are learning to read. For instance, I have read that phonemic awareness and phonics instruction should be complete by the end of second grade. There will always be students who are exceptions, but this is a guideline. Assessment becomes key in determining where students are in their reading, and what they need to move forward. I teach first grade Title 1, so most of my instruction is in phonemic awareness and phonics. But I also work with them on vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. At any given time, the focus of your reading instruction should be based on what your students needs are. We need to give them the tools they need to become independent readers and not lose sight of the fact that we want them to love reading and learning. We need to show them how pleasureable and powerful reading can be.
After 10 years in 3rd grade I have discovered the more pre reading skills I do the better the students understand what they have read(The story has to be authentic literature or all meaning is lost).I discuss vocab and complete picture walks and allow the students to talk to me about what they might be thinking before we even read the story. Making predictions and asking questions has always been a part of my reading instruction. Teaching them context clues is important so they can read between the lines and gain meaning that isn't literal. while reading taking the time to discuss and make connections is important so students can share schema and learn form each other. I use to believe that I had the path to the end and I was in control of my what my students learn from the story. These days I am discovering that the student is in control of what he or she takes away from a story. I am the guide to help them through it. I'm here to instruct when needed, ask questions to get them thinking, and listen to what they are discovering along the way. It has been eye opening to discover how much enjoyment my students get from reading when they are allowed to share their thinking and demonstrate what they have learned from their reading.
When I started thinking about the different parts of reading the first thing that came to my mind was how important it is for all of us to create an environment where students see the enjoyment in reading. If children feel like reading can be "fun" then the deeper learning can take place.
The second most important skill we must each our students is how to think while they are reading. This is a skill that can be very challenging for some of my students because they have never realized they need to be thinking while they read something.
I feel I am lucky to teach 4th grade where most of my students come in at the beginning of the school year with basic comprehension, phonics, and vocabulary skills. I can build on the skills they already know right away. I work a lot with my students on setting a purpose when they read (deciding if they need to pay special attention to details, sit back and just enjoy something, or try to learn something new).
Another important part of reading is learning new vocabulary by paying attention to the words in different texts we read. By reading a variety of different types of text students learn new words they might not understand if they were just given in isolation.
DoReading is a vehicle for communication and learning. We read to receive someone's ideas and to learn. We learn something from everything we read, so long as we comprehend it.
Comprehension depends on our ability to decode the words and understand the language as it is presented. Because our written system is phonetic rather than pictoral, reading comprehension in closely linked with language comprehension. I am able to read beautifully in Spanish, but I will only catch a few words here and there, and I will miss the entire message. Children with strong language skills often make the best readers for comprehension.
As a former special ed teacher, I used to emphasize decoding and sight words. I feel a certain amount of fluency is needed for good comprehension. As a 5th grade teacher, I emphasize decoding far less, encouraging the use of context to decipher words.
Vocabulary is important and taught in all subject areas, but it can also be learned naturally through many opportunities to see the same word in context many times. Even when I teach vocab. meanings, the students still have difficulty using those words themselves until they have had lots of exposure.
Most of my reading emphasis in 5th grade is on comprehension by interacting with the text. They are interacting with many complex ideas that they may never have thought about before. It's no longer just about reading funny stories about kids like themselves. Now they learn about history and science and social issues, and injustice, and relationships......Reading will be the way they learn about things they have never experienced and perhaps will never experience themselves directly. This is where the connection and excitement of reading will spur them to read more, thirst to learn more.
This is what reading is for me, and perhaps for many readers. For those who do not share that thirst for sharing ideas, reading may be less motivating. So do we push for more reading, any reading? Or do we encourage a thirst for ideas and learning, in order to promote reading???
I hate blogging because I can never remember my user name or password and then I can't publish after doing all this work!!
lly Said...
This entry above was written by Dolly...
Reading is a vehicle for communication and learning. We read to receive someone's ideas and to learn. We learn something from everything we read, so long as we comprehend it.
Comprehension depends on our ability to decode the words and understand the language as it is presented. Because our written system is phonetic rather than pictoral, reading comprehension in closely linked with language comprehension. I am able to read beautifully in Spanish, but I will only catch a few words here and there, and I will miss the entire message. Children with strong language skills often make the best readers for comprehension.
As a former special ed teacher, I used to emphasize decoding and sight words. I feel a certain amount of fluency is needed for good comprehension. As a 5th grade teacher, I emphasize decoding far less, encouraging the use of context to decipher words.
Vocabulary is important and taught in all subject areas, but it can also be learned naturally through many opportunities to see the same word in context many times. Even when I teach vocab. meanings, the students still have difficulty using those words themselves until they have had lots of exposure.
Most of my reading emphasis in 5th grade is on comprehension by interacting with the text. They are interacting with many complex ideas that they may never have thought about before. It's no longer just about reading funny stories about kids like themselves. Now they learn about history and science and social issues, and injustice, and relationships......Reading will be the way they learn about things they have never experienced and perhaps will never experience themselves directly. This is where the connection and excitement of reading will spur them to read more, thirst to learn more.
This is what reading is for me, and perhaps for many readers. For those who do not share that thirst for sharing ideas, reading may be less motivating. So do we push for more reading, any reading? Or do we encourage a thirst for ideas and learning, in order to promote reading???
I hate blogging because I can never remember my user name or password and then I can't publish after doing all this work!!
The love of reading, including listening to a book, is an important starting place for any reader. This begins at a very young age, long before he comes to school. Hearing the words, becoming caught up in the story, is a wonderful beginning for any child.
I have taught Kdg, first, and second grades for all of my career (too many years to think about)! Besides continuing to provide wonderful stories for the children to hear, students then become aware of phonics. Phonics is essential at these levels, along with meaning, questioning, and enjoyment. As readers mature, their brains continue to decode words, but have become automatic at doing so.
At different levels, the "piece" that is very important will change depending on the development of the reader. As we often said, referring to developmental education...Take the child from where he is to where he needs to be." So for each child, we will give him what he needs: phonics, fluency,questioning, strategies, comprehension. But at all times and at every level, try to instill a love of reading.
I have been sitting here for a long time trying to figure out the best way to respond to this post. This is a frustrating one for me because the "pieces" of reading that I place the most emphasis on vary depending on the students I am teaching. The overall emphasis is on comprehension. We are reading to learn and whether I am teaching science, social studies or math, I am always teaching reading. There are still students in my 4th grade classroom who need a larger focus on word study and phonics so that is what I give them. Other students are automatic, fluent readers who could use more vocabulary instruction. In order to give my students a "full" reading and learning experience I have placed less focus on teaching "reading" and more focus on teaching the "reader".
It is interesting to think about this question. I agree with others about instilling a love for reading. You can't be a reader without the desire. That starts at a very young age (I am working with my 15 month old daughter!) So I feel that comes first.
Phonics is where I start off the year. Students need to be able to read words before they do much else.
Next I would say comprehension is important. Students need to be questioning and thinking about what they are reading. Making connections and using their background knowledge will help make them true readers.
Then I would put vocab and fluency together. I think of this as the polishing stage. Reading smoothly and understanding what you are reading makes it enjoyable.
I've been struggling with how to respond to this question. This year especially has been a big year of growth for me. I sort of feel like I lept off a cliff a few weeks ago without really knowing how or where I'd land. While I understand the process and reasons for using comprehension strategies, I wasn't sure how it'd turn out in my classroom. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to correctly relay the importance of each strategy to 6 year olds. Because of what I've been doing I am seeing my students get more excited about reading and spend more time really choosing a book that interests them. First grade (and prior) is the base of many years of reading to come, so creating this love of and 'passion' for reading is extremely important at this age.
In first grade we start with phonics and phonemic awareness so they are able to read words, sentences and eventually paragraphs. But I also have to agree with Tara, everything depends on the students I have. One student in particuluar spends much more time thinking about what she's read than the rest of my class. She is able to read lengthy passages and spend time on the actual comprehension. I can't expect that independance from the majority of my class.
While I continue to spend time on phonics and phonemic awareness with everyone in my class, I know that particular student is also working on fluency and comprehension because she's ready.
For me personally, reading is escaping into the pages of a book. Reading is learning. For some, reading is work, hard work.
One of the joys of teaching first grade is being able to witness when the pieces fit together for students as they become readers. For my students, the process begins with phonemic awareness skills, letter recognition, blending sounds, recognizing sight words and flows into reading text first word by word then with increasing fluency. It flows into the process of comprehending written text and hopefully for most the joy of reading for "escape" and learning. For younger primary, depending on the skill level of the student upon entering first grade a great deal of time is spent on the mechanics of working the skills necessary to develop independent readers while simultaneously developing comprehension and reading for enjoyment and learning auditorily. Upon reflection, it seems an enormous task one which happily takes place each year for most students.
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