Skilled Skilled Reading Reading

for for

New New TeachersTeachers

Focus Questions What general principles seem to hold true regardless What general principles seem to hold true regardless

of the subject matter we are teaching?of the subject matter we are teaching? How do students’ reading skills change across the How do students’ reading skills change across the

school years, and how can we encourage students at school years, and how can we encourage students at various grade levels to read more effectively?various grade levels to read more effectively?

What specific processes are involved in writing, and What specific processes are involved in writing, and how can we help students develop these processes?how can we help students develop these processes?

How can we promote a true understanding and How can we promote a true understanding and application of mathematics, rather than meaningless application of mathematics, rather than meaningless memorization of mathematical facts and procedures?memorization of mathematical facts and procedures?

General Principles Constructive Processes – students use the information they Constructive Processes – students use the information they

receive from various sources to build their own, unique receive from various sources to build their own, unique understandings of the worldunderstandings of the world

Influence of Prior Knowledge – students’ interpretations of new Influence of Prior Knowledge – students’ interpretations of new information and events are influenced by what they already information and events are influenced by what they already know and believe about the worldknow and believe about the world

Role of Metacognition – over time, students develop cognitive Role of Metacognition – over time, students develop cognitive strategies and epistemological beliefs that influence their strategies and epistemological beliefs that influence their thinking and performance within a particular content domainthinking and performance within a particular content domain

Qualitative Changes with Development – the ways in which Qualitative Changes with Development – the ways in which students think about and understand academic subject matter are students think about and understand academic subject matter are qualitatively different at different points in their cognitive qualitatively different at different points in their cognitive developmentdevelopment

Reading

Emergent LiteracyEmergent Literacy The Nature of Skilled The Nature of Skilled

ReadingReading Developmental Developmental

Changes in ReadingChanges in Reading General Strategies for General Strategies for

Teaching ReadingTeaching Reading

Emergent Literacy

Emergent literacy is the knowledge and skills that Emergent literacy is the knowledge and skills that lay a foundation for reading and writing.lay a foundation for reading and writing.

Children who are read to frequently learn to read Children who are read to frequently learn to read more easily.more easily.

Emergent Literacy (Continued)

I t teach es th a tread in g p roceed s from le ft to rig h t

an d top to b o ttom

It teach es th a tsp oken lan g u ag e is

rep resen ted in a con s is ten tfash ion in w ritten lan g u ag e.

It teach es th a teach le tte r o f th e a lp h ab e tis assoc ia ted w ith on e o r

m ore sou n d s in sp oken lan g u ag e.

R ead in g to ch ild ren b e fo re k in d erg arten is im p ortan t.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Sound and Letter Recognition Phonological awareness is hearing distinct sounds, Phonological awareness is hearing distinct sounds,

or phonemes, within a spoken word. This is or phonemes, within a spoken word. This is essential to successful reading.essential to successful reading.

There are many methods to enhance students’ There are many methods to enhance students’ phonological awareness. phonological awareness.

Learning to distinguish individual letters is also Learning to distinguish individual letters is also essential to reading. essential to reading.

There are also many methods to improve letter There are also many methods to improve letter recognition. recognition.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Word Decoding Skills

Word decoding is Word decoding is identifying the sounds identifying the sounds associated with a word’s associated with a word’s letters and then letters and then determining what the determining what the word probably is.word probably is.

Students must know how Students must know how particular letters and letter particular letters and letter combinations are typically combinations are typically pronounced.pronounced.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Automatic Word Recognition When students have to When students have to

decode and interpret decode and interpret individual words, they individual words, they have trouble have trouble understanding the understanding the overall meaning of overall meaning of what they are reading.what they are reading.

Automaticity with word Automaticity with word recognition is important. recognition is important. Two ways to help with Two ways to help with automaticity are to make automaticity are to make sure that:sure that:

1. Students are able to sight 1. Students are able to sight read words andread words and

2. Are able to retrieve the 2. Are able to retrieve the meaning of the word meaning of the word immediately.immediately.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Context Clues Syntax and the meaning of the sentence are Syntax and the meaning of the sentence are

context clues.context clues. Words are recognized faster and easier Words are recognized faster and easier

when they are used in context.when they are used in context. Because young readers have not fully Because young readers have not fully

developed automaticity in word recognition, developed automaticity in word recognition, context clues are especially important for context clues are especially important for reading success.reading success.

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Meaning Construction When people read, they When people read, they

usually go beyond the usually go beyond the words themselves: they words themselves: they identify main ideas, draw identify main ideas, draw inferences, and make inferences, and make predictions about what the predictions about what the author is likely to say next.author is likely to say next.

Meaning construction in Meaning construction in reading is enhanced by the reading is enhanced by the amount of knowledge the amount of knowledge the reader already had about reader already had about the topic in question.the topic in question.

How to construct meaning:How to construct meaning: Remind students of the things Remind students of the things

they already know about the they already know about the topictopic

Give students specific training Give students specific training in drawing inferences from in drawing inferences from reading materialreading material

Relate events in story to Relate events in story to students’ own livesstudents’ own lives

Ask students to form mental Ask students to form mental images of the people or events images of the people or events depicted in a reading passagedepicted in a reading passage

Ask students to retell or Ask students to retell or summarize what they have readsummarize what they have read

The Nature of Skilled Reading: Metacognitive Processes Strategies such as elaborating, summarizing, and Strategies such as elaborating, summarizing, and

comprehension monitoring help construct meaning.comprehension monitoring help construct meaning. Good readers also spend more time on parts of the Good readers also spend more time on parts of the

passage that are likely to be critical to their overall passage that are likely to be critical to their overall understanding.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 We can encourage metacognitive processing by teaching

students strategies for good reading: 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 ElementaryWord recognition and basic comprehension Word recognition and basic comprehension

skills:skills: Kindergarten and 1Kindergarten and 1stst grade – practicing grade – practicing

phonological awareness and letter phonological awareness and letter recognitionrecognition

22ndnd grade – able divide words into syllables grade – able divide words into syllables and specific phonemes that make up each and specific phonemes that make up each syllablesyllable

Developmental Changes: Upper Elementary Focus almost exclusively Focus almost exclusively

on comprehensionon comprehension Draw inferences from Draw inferences from

what they readwhat they read Learn new information Learn new information

from what they read but from what they read but only take it at face valueonly take it at face value

No critical evaluation of No critical evaluation of contentcontent

Developmental Changes:Secondary

Identify main ideasIdentify main ideas Summarize passagesSummarize passages Monitor comprehensionMonitor comprehension Backtrack when they Backtrack when they

don’t understanddon’t understand Recognize contradicting Recognize contradicting

views and don’t accept views and don’t accept things they read as things they read as absolute truthabsolute truth

General Strategies for Teaching Reading Make frequent use of authentic reading Make frequent use of authentic reading

materials and give students some choices materials and give students some choices about what they readabout 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 Use meaningful context to teach basic reading skillsreading skills

Engage students in group discussions about Engage students in group discussions about the things they readthe things they read