Skilled Reading for New Teachers

Focus Questions What general principles seem to hold true regardless of the subject matter we are teaching? What general principles seem to hold true regardless of the subject matter we are teaching? How do students’ reading skills change across the school years, and how can we encourage students at various grade levels to read more effectively? How do students’ reading skills change across the school years, and how can we encourage students at various grade levels to read more effectively? What specific processes are involved in writing, and how can we help students develop these processes? What specific processes are involved in writing, and how can we help students develop these processes? How can we promote a true understanding and application of mathematics, rather than meaningless memorization of mathematical facts and procedures? How can we promote a true understanding and application of mathematics, rather than meaningless memorization of mathematical facts and procedures?

General Principles Constructive Processes – students use the information they receive from various sources to build their own, unique understandings of the world Constructive Processes – students use the information they receive from various sources to build their own, unique understandings of the world Influence of Prior Knowledge – students’ interpretations of new information and events are influenced by what they already know and believe about the world Influence of Prior Knowledge – students’ interpretations of new information and events are influenced by what they already know and believe about the world Role of Metacognition – over time, students develop cognitive strategies and epistemological beliefs that influence their thinking and performance within a particular content domain Role of Metacognition – over time, students develop cognitive strategies and epistemological beliefs that influence their thinking and performance within a particular content domain Qualitative Changes with Development – the ways in which students think about and understand academic subject matter are qualitatively different at different points in their cognitive development Qualitative Changes with Development – the ways in which students think about and understand academic subject matter are qualitatively different at different points in their cognitive development

Reading Emergent Literacy Emergent Literacy The Nature of Skilled Reading The Nature of Skilled Reading Developmental Changes in Reading Developmental Changes in Reading General Strategies for Teaching Reading General Strategies for Teaching Reading

Emergent Literacy Emergent literacy is the knowledge and skills that lay a foundation for reading and writing. Emergent literacy is the knowledge and skills that lay a foundation for reading and writing. Children who are read to frequently learn to read more easily. Children who are read to frequently learn to read more easily.

Emergent Literacy (Continued)

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Sound and Letter Recognition Phonological awareness is hearing distinct sounds, or phonemes, within a spoken word. This is essential to successful reading. Phonological awareness is hearing distinct sounds, or phonemes, within a spoken word. This is essential to successful reading. There are many methods to enhance students’ phonological awareness. There are many methods to enhance students’ phonological awareness. Learning to distinguish individual letters is also essential to reading. Learning to distinguish individual letters is also essential to reading. There are also many methods to improve letter recognition. There are also many methods to improve letter recognition.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Word Decoding Skills Word decoding is identifying the sounds associated with a word’s letters and then determining what the word probably is. Students must know how particular letters and letter combinations are typically pronounced.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Automatic Word Recognition When students have to decode and interpret individual words, they have trouble understanding the overall meaning of what they are reading. When students have to decode and interpret individual words, they have trouble understanding the overall meaning of what they are reading. Automaticity with word recognition is important. Two ways to help with automaticity are to make sure that: 1. Students are able to sight read words and 2. Are able to retrieve the meaning of the word immediately.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Context Clues Syntax and the meaning of the sentence are context clues. Syntax and the meaning of the sentence are context clues. Words are recognized faster and easier when they are used in context. Words are recognized faster and easier when they are used in context. Because young readers have not fully developed automaticity in word recognition, context clues are especially important for reading success. Because young readers have not fully developed automaticity in word recognition, context clues are especially important for reading success.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Meaning Construction When people read, they usually go beyond the words themselves: they identify main ideas, draw inferences, and make predictions about what the author is likely to say next. When people read, they usually go beyond the words themselves: they identify main ideas, draw inferences, and make predictions about what the author is likely to say next. Meaning construction in reading is enhanced by the amount of knowledge the reader already had about the topic in question. Meaning construction in reading is enhanced by the amount of knowledge the reader already had about the topic in question. How to construct meaning: Remind students of the things they already know about the topic Give students specific training in drawing inferences from reading material Relate events in story to students’ own lives Ask students to form mental images of the people or events depicted in a reading passage Ask students to retell or summarize what they have read

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Metacognitive Processes Strategies such as elaborating, summarizing, and comprehension monitoring help construct meaning. Strategies such as elaborating, summarizing, and comprehension monitoring help construct meaning. Good readers also spend more time on parts of the passage that are likely to be critical to their overall understanding. Good readers also spend more time on parts of the passage that are likely to be critical to their overall understanding. A good reader typically sets goals for their reading. A good reader typically sets goals for their reading. We can encourage metacognitive processing by teaching students strategies for good reading: We can encourage metacognitive processing by teaching students strategies for good reading: * Delete trivial information * Delete trivial information * Delete redundant information * Delete redundant information * Identify general ideas that incorporate several more specific ideas * Identify general ideas that incorporate several more specific ideas

Developmental Changes: Early Elementary Word recognition and basic comprehension skills: Kindergarten and 1 st grade – practicing phonological awareness and letter recognition Kindergarten and 1 st grade – practicing phonological awareness and letter recognition 2 nd grade – able divide words into syllables and specific phonemes that make up each syllable 2 nd grade – able divide words into syllables and specific phonemes that make up each syllable

Developmental Changes: Upper Elementary Focus almost exclusively on comprehension Focus almost exclusively on comprehension Draw inferences from what they read Draw inferences from what they read Learn new information from what they read but only take it at face value Learn new information from what they read but only take it at face value No critical evaluation of content No critical evaluation of content

Developmental Changes: Secondary Identify main ideas Summarize passages Monitor comprehension Backtrack when they don’t understand Recognize contradicting views and don’t accept things they read as absolute truth

General Strategies for Teaching Reading Make frequent use of authentic reading materials and give students some choices about what they read Make frequent use of authentic reading materials and give students some choices about what they read - whole language instruction vs. the basic skills approach - whole language instruction vs. the basic skills approach Use meaningful context to teach basic reading skills Use meaningful context to teach basic reading skills Engage students in group discussions about the things they read Engage students in group discussions about the things they read