A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

II.    Conceptualizing Reading and Reading Instruction

Workshop 5
Reading Instruction in K-3: The Mechanics

Speaker:
Barbara Foorman, Director, Center for Academic and Reading Skills, University of Texas--Houston, Houston, Texas

Moderator:
Joseph Conaty, Director, Student Achievement Institute, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education

Abstract:
Converging research supports the proposition that getting started in reading depends critically on mapping the letters and the spellings of words onto the sounds and speech units that they represent. Failure to master word recognition impedes text comprehension. There is evidence that explicit instruction that directs children’s attention to the phonological structure of oral language and to the connections between phonemes and spelling helps children who have not grasped the alphabetic principle or who do not apply it productively when they encounter unfamiliar printed words.

Participants will learn that the intensity of instruction should be matched to children’s needs. Moreover, participants will learn that children who lack these understandings should be helped to acquire them; those who have grasped the alphabetic principle and can apply it productively should move on to more advanced learning opportunities. Finally, participants will learn that in order to prevent reading difficulties, formal instruction in reading needs to focus on the development of mastery in recognition skills (mechanics), among others (i.e., comprehension).

Notes

Participants in this workshop learned that the intensity of instruction should be matched to children?s needs. In addition, participants learned that children who lack these understandings should be helped to acquire them; that children who have grasped the alphabetic principle and can apply it productivity should move on to more advanced learning opportunities. Participants also learned that in order to prevent reading difficulties, formal instruction in reading needs to focus on development of mastery recognition skills (mechanics), among others (i.e. comprehension).

Barbara Foorman presented the ?Reading Pillars? which is made up of the following construction:

the base of the pillar consists of :	--Print awareness and Letter Knowledge --Appreciation of Literature Forms --Motivation to Read --Oral Language including Knowledge Awareness
the pillar consists of:	--Identifying that the Printed Word Leads to Meaning --Sound Spelling Correspondence Leads to Conceptual Knowledge/Vocabulary --Sight Word Repertoire Leads to Comprehension Strategies
the top of the pillar consists of:	--Skilled Reading and Fluency (Achieving Speed in Recognizing Words and Comprehension and Coordinating the two)

In addition, the following points were made:

• Schools and parents should attempt to have children take on the perspective of the books they are reading.
• Impress upon parents the importance that reading to their children at home is an extremely important factor in preparing children to learn read once they enter school.
• It is important that teachers are building up the conceptual side of reading at the same time as they are building up the sound spelling correspondence.
• There is a need to have more research about decodable text to determine some good definitions of what is decodable text. Currently, decodable text is text which represents accumulation of text, spelling, sound and high fluency words that have been taught.
• Students need lots of opportunities to practice what is being taught in the classroom. More opportunities to practice will improve the reading skills of students. However, the reading instruction must be effective.
• Students should be given reading text below their frustration level to enable them to have success at reading. Teachers need to know how to match students and the appropriate level of text.
• Students need to grasp and master the alphabetic principle in reading and writing.
• Teachers need to help student to develop and to enhance their language and metacognitive skills.
• Schools should promote enthusiasm and success in learning to read and write for their students.
• Schools need an early identification of reading difficulties and provide for participation in effective intervention programs such as ?Success for All? for their students.
• There is a need to link assessment to curriculum and think more about what evidence is needed to show student progress in reading.
• Student assessment in reading should be done over time and not on a one snapshot basis in order to show a more accurate assessment of how students are progressing.