Principles of Effective Practice in the Teaching and Assessment of Reading - Essay Example

Principles of Effective Practice in the Teaching and Assessment of Reading Stages of Reading Studies have demonstrated that reading is a complex skill that requires several phases and stages. At the basic level, the individual will seek to obtain understanding and awareness with the basic structures of language. A number of similarities can be deduced through a proper and accurate manner. The basic stage helps to create a powerful foundation for young children. At the next stage, the learner begins to understand the basic sounds and letters of words. Alphabets are introduced to the learner in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. Fluency involves the ability of students to develop their skills in a logical and practical manner (Alderson, 2003: Pg 23). The instructors should seek to motivate and stimulate the learners to work at optimum levels. Information should be processed and developed inside the brains of students. Vocabulary is slowly built up in order to ensure that they have obtained exposure to the various language patterns and structures. The final stages of reading involve the ability of students to form complex words and phrases. They are able to decipher the meaning of the text. They can apply outside knowledge in order to obtain an outline of the text. Empirical studies have demonstrated that a staged approach towards reading can produce benefits for young children. It helps to generate interest and passion in the young children. It leads to a commitment and devotion for reading acquisition skills. Further reading helps to enhance the cognitive and intellectual capacity of young students. Finally it exposes them to vast literature that can help them achieve educational objectives. Reading Comprehension The level of understanding of various styles of writing is defined as the reading comprehension. The proficiency of reading deeply related to the ability to identify words quickly and store the information in the memory. When the identification process is difficult for the students then they use much of their energy of processing memory to read and recognize the individual words and as a result their ability to understand is greatly effected. Researchers believe that it is very important for the children to learn to recognize the printed text and analyze it, regardless of whether they can read it on their own or not. The process of comprehension begins at nursery stage. On the other hand some researchers believe that this approach is not useful particularly for young children because they think that kids should learn to decode different words in form of phonics before developing analytical thinking. Teachers often use the technique of round robin reading. It’s a process in which teacher call upon students individually turn by turn to read a piece of a given particular text. It was evidence that this method of reading test focus more on comprehension rather than teaching it. Researchers believe that there are many other efficient ways of teaching comprehension. There is still a lot of work left to be done in the field of teaching how to analyze and interpret any given text to the students. Teachers don’t have any fixed definitive set of strategies. There are some common strategies which include monitoring to check that whether the reading of student makes any sense or not. Some of the teachers have created a program to assist students in self monitoring of whether they understand or not. This program also equips students with ability and tools for resolving and tackling comprehension issues. Another process involves comprehension strategy and it slowly releases the stress from the student. At the start students are given with more and more responsibility for analyzing and using the strategies until the time when they completely learn to use them independently. This technique is linked with the social cognitive theory. A massive literature search was launched on the subject of teaching of reading. They came to a conclusion that practice, vocabulary and reading comprehension based on instructions are all important. Vocabulary Instructions Today there are many different theories related to vocabulary instructions. It is based on the idea of focusing intensely a set of limited words. Andrew Biemiller developed a method of focusing on many words broad instructions. He believed that more words will be more useful and beneficial for students no matter if the vocabulary instruction is directed by teacher and is short. He supported the idea that the teachers should teach a great number of words before starting reading in front of the students with the help of shorter direct instructions like synonyms, after that a teacher point out a particular word for comprehending its meaning through reading a book in front of the students. The main purpose of this technique was to prefer quantity over quality. Another technique of learning and developing vocabulary strategy is by using meaningful units or morphemes and contextual instructions. The use of morphemic instruction in the vocabulary strategy has been proven to produce some positive outcomes related to students’ vocabulary knowledge and ability of reading, but on the other hand contextual approach have become unreliable to continue as a strategy and teachers no longer use this approach to teach reading to students. That does not mean that this strategy is not important because it gives morphemic analysis such as suffixes and prefixes and the rood of a particular word. Reading Workshops An innovative and creative method to enhance the reading levels of children is through the use of reading workshops. This is an informal teaching method that seeks to stir up the passions and interests of students. It advocates a systematic and methodical approach towards the development of reading skills. Teachers tend to provide different books to children. Vast literature is drawn from old and new books in order to create a diversified interest for children. Various authors and genres are introduced in a simple and straightforward manner. The goal is to ensure that superior outcomes are established in a smart and prudent manner (Allwright, 2005: Pg 123). Narrative voice and tone are recognized and identified by the teachers. The style and pace of the reader is systematically enhanced through various strategies. Workshops are an informal method to develop autonomy and independence in children. It helps to modify their reading habits in a powerful and vibrant manner. It gives children the opportunity to utilize their own interests and passions in developing reading habits. Reading workshops have gained recognition due to their ability to motivate and stimulate children. They provide an alternative and supplementary teaching method along with standardized textbooks and tests. They provide a robust framework for the development of reading skills. They try to eradicate the boredom which is encountered by children during reading. Learning Through the Technique of Phonics Phonics is one of the best teaching techniques particularly for English language speakers used to guide children in writing and reading of English. It makes the children learn how to connect different spoken sounds with other letters of that language. The most useful thing that the children learn is that they can use different sounds to blend the letters all together and produce approximate pronunciations of the words which are not know to the child. The main purpose of using phonics is that it helps in teaching the methods to read and then decode those words. This method of teaching is also controversial. Critics say that almost all the children begin to learn to read at the age of four to seven years using the technique of phonics. The main requirement of learning through the method of phonics is that all the students are asked to learn the connection between different sounds and different letters. It gives the students the required core information about all the rules and regulation related to this teaching method. The Use of Alphabetic Principle From the language point of view the spelling of English language is based on the principle called alphabetic principle. In the writing system of English language different letters are used to create different sounds. The alphabetic writing system of English language is more complex as compared to other languages. For example, the alphabetic system of Spanish language is very simple because it is based on one to one correspondence between the different sounds linked with different words. On the other hand English language uses more than forty phonemes of the spoken language where the composition of the alphabet is just twenty six letters. Due to this reason many letters of English language are often fused with other groups that represent entirely a different sound. Phonics Instruction and Phonemic awareness Phonics instruction is a method that seeks to impart reading skills inside children. It is based upon the extensive use of letter sounds. It interlinks sounds with letters. This helps students to develop spelling and grammatical structures. Phonics elements are divided into different segments (Barnett, 2003: Pg 151). Children must be engaged in pre reading activities will give them confidence and a good start to begin the systematic phonic by the time when they are just six year old. Some children make a good start but other cant. This learning varies from child to child but the basics remains the same. The foundation for phonic work must be based on professional judgment, farther more it should be based on assessment of different children and structured observations. The fact is that phonics instruction improves a child’s ability to recognize and remember words to a great extent. Phonics instructions should always be in form of conjunction with the instructions to identify different words quickly. Apart from that children should be taught new techniques to improve their reading skills. Different exercises are used for this purpose. These memory sharpening exercises gives a child the ability to remember more and more words. The child is taught at the beginner level in order to accomplish teaching objectives. A sequence of phonics elements is utilized in order to augment the reading skills of the children. Such an approach is systematic and methodical since it accomplishes academic objectives. A number of phonics methods have been designed and devised by academic policy makers. Analogy phonics utilizes the concept of linking new words with general words. This helps in the identification and recognition of new reading skills. Analytic phonics seeks to use letter sound relations to produce superior outcomes. Another approach is that of embedded phonics in text reading is used to develop efficiency and effectiveness. Incidental learning skills are utilized as a means of assessing reading skills. Another approach is that of phonics through spelling. Words are divided and segmented on the basis of phonemes. This approach helps to create a smart and robust reading environment for children. Finally synthetic phonics is used as a method of teaching and assessing reading skills. Letters are transformed into sounds that help in the generation of common words. Another crucial tool which is helpful for development of reading acquisition skills is phonemic awareness. This uses phonemes that are the minute particles related to sound. Studies have demonstrated that such an approach helps to produce superior outcomes for children (Fletcher, 2004: Pg 618). Onsets, rimes, and syllables are an integral element of this strategy. This helps in the development of enhanced reading acquisition skills. It displays superior outcomes that can be used for advanced courses in reading. Phoneme isolation is a skill that allows students to identify the sounds that are present in sound. It can be used for basic reading acquisition skills and competencies. Another approach is the use of phoneme identity that tries to find the universal sounds present in the external environment (Fletcher, 2004: Pg 618). More advanced forms of phoneme awareness are phoneme substitution and oral segmenting. Phoneme substitution involves the use of rhymes that help students to develop complex words and phrases. Oral segmenting breaks the different letters of common words. The student begins to learn to read by studying and analyzing the sounds of these letters. Repeated and frequent exposure helps the students to demonstrate superior reading acquisition skills. Phonemic awareness however has recently been criticized for a number of reasons. Some students are unable to make accurate sounds about the letters that combine to form words. Also it is considered to be a cumbersome and time consuming process. Despite these limitations, phonemic awareness is used at basic levels for lower grades. It provides a simple and straightforward method to introduce students to the process of reading. Synthetic Phonics Synthetic phonics is one of the different approaches of the method of phonics. This technique is employed when the children are learning to read. This method involves the examination of the spelling within the different words of the English language used as an individual sound. After that it blends the different sounds together. The main purpose of the approach is to teach students identify the sound symbol correspondence and enables them to blend the phonemes of different sounds and symbols automatically. Analytical Phonics This approach helps children to analyze the relationship between sounds and symbols clearly. It brings more clarity in the minds of the students when they learn how to blend phonemes automatically. In this approach consonant blends and consonant phonemes are taught to the young student as separate units through different lessons. Analogy Phonics It is a different type of analytical phonics in which the teacher teach the children how to analyze sound and symbol relationship with the help of phonograms in a particular word or set of words. In linguistics a phonogram is called a rime which is normally composed of all the different sounds that follow a vowel. Embedded phonics It is a kind of phonics instruction which is generally used in English language program. Some teacher use the technique of mini lessons related to context of literature to groom the phonics skills of the students. Reading Fluency Empirical and theoretical studies demonstrate that the process of language acquisition is incomplete without fluency. This is because it is a term that describes the proficiency levels of students to grasp the various concepts of language. It is also a powerful and versatile tool that can allow students to develop advanced learning and reading skills. The purpose and objective of fluency is to ensure that students are able to rapidly and reliably demonstrate reading skills. A number of strategies are used to enhance and augment the process of fluency (McCandliss, 2003: Pg 79). This can be done through a systematic and methodical manner. It is done through the use of smart and prudent strategies. It seeks to ensure that high levels of proficiency and accuracy are accomplished. Students need to demonstrate the ability to analyze and assess text in a smart manner. They should be able to decode the intricate elements of the text. They should develop superior comprehension skills that can enable individuals to maintain a high level of skill. Brilliant students can demonstrate fluency if proper educational strategies are applied. Studies have demonstrated that instructors should provide simple reading tasks. They should have monitoring and evaluation mechanisms that can assist in the development of superior outcomes (Catts, 2002: Pg 510). Further the individuals should seek to develop further skills in a competent and reliable manner. The use of multiple strategies in the educational setting helps to accomplish academic and learning tasks. Interactive Approach Empirical and theoretical studies have demonstrated that reading is a multifaceted and multidirectional activity. It comprises of knowledge about the external environment amalgamated with basic language structures and patterns. An interactive approach towards reading seeks to utilize a top down approach. This is because the student is interacting with the literature. Based upon this interaction, the student develops a unique understanding and awareness about the entire process. Previous knowledge is also utilized in order to develop comprehension (Wolf, 1991: Pg 102). The interactive approach towards reading helps to augment the cognitive and psychological abilities of the student. It provides a structural framework that enhances learning and reading skills. Studies recommend that a task based approach should be utilized in the educational environment. Dividing reading into specific tasks helps to produce superior outcomes. Sentences for instance should be integrated with real situations. The entire context of the literature should focus on academic and practical knowledge. Fluency and proficiency should be encouraged in a slow and logical manner. The learners should be integrated into the classroom setting in order to achieve objectives. An interactive environment helps to increase the levels of confidence for students. An open atmosphere of communication and association demonstrates commitment towards developing reading skills. It helps to increase the morale of students. Further it can significantly reduce boredom associated with conventional reading materials and techniques. Task Oriented Approach Another unique and innovative approach towards the development of reading skills is the use of task oriented strategies. The teacher and student have a direct relationship in this setting. It helps to transform the process of language acquisition skills decisive and consequential. Various skills like skimming and scanning are utilized in the task oriented approach. The students should be able to deduce the central idea of the literature. Inferences should be derived by investigating signs in the text. Further each paragraph should be understood by linking it with the preceding one. Students should have the ability to make smart presumptions about the text (Wolf, 2007: Pg 145). The interactive function of the text should be evaluated in a systematic and logical manner. Vocabulary is enhanced through this process. Task oriented approach boosts the ability of students to learn new words and phrases. They develop grammatical and sentence structures in order to achieve efficiency and effectiveness. The use of optimized strategies helps to produce flawless strategies in reading. The teacher also divides students into specific groups. Each group is assigned specific tasks through this approach. Group discussion helps to identify the deductions made by each group. Student queries can be answered by the educational instructor. Thus the overall aim of task oriented approach is to enable the students to create their own reading skills and abilities. Such an approach helps to increase the confidence, willpower, and determination of students. It enables them to enhance reading skills in a smart and proficient manner. Development of Integrated Skills Some researchers have identified the requirement of additional skills beyond reading and comprehension. They suggest the use of integrated skills in order to arrive at appropriate conclusions. Reading and listening should be simultaneously pursued in order to ensure that integrated skills are developed. Students should be tasked with the responsibility of identifying the main features of specified task. They should listen to their colleagues in order to enhance their reading abilities. Recitation of the literature by different students helps to create a collaborative educational environment (Howlett, 2000: Pg 98). The early readers should be given the knowledge of how letters of an alphabet are in combination or arranged singly. It represents the sounds of a particular language, which is called the letter sound correspondence. In the school based reading children must taught to process different words and read them in and out of the text. The success of later reading involves the literacy particularly the positive literacy from the early beginning. The important thing is that the predicators or later reading success are not the clear explanation of reading difficulties. The presence of positive predictors confirms the reading achievement. Therefore the positive predictors can help both the parents and teachers to the obstacles which the beginners can face. It also helps teachers to successfully plan experiences which are effective for students. Parents and other family members who are already engaged in the home based experiences particularly the literacy experiences involved with children in order to provide them vital support when they begin to learn reading in the early years of school. In the early years of school majority of the children learn about different concepts about phonemic awareness and printing. They also start to learn to recognize particular words and letters, and they also start to develop the ability to recognize sound and symbol relationship. The teachers frequently use print material during the early literacy experiences of children. Researchers support the concept of phonemic awareness to be the best predictor of successful early reading. At the age of four to six years of age the strong phonemic awareness is the indication of the superior reading in the future throughout the early stage of life. There are some cases in which the children appear to be in need of direct instructions in order to develop a strong phonemic awareness. Sometimes the children naturally acquire the phonemic awareness whether or not it is taught to them in the past provided if they had frequent experiences with the print media. The instructions that are required by the children are related with all the experiences with writing and reading. Almost all the readers in the beginning need direct instruction It leads to the development of integrated skills that can be used to enhance the reading experience. Another valuable skill is to abridge the specified text. This method seeks to utilize smart and quick reading strategies. The student seeks to develop an outline inside their brains. Knowledge acquisition skills can also be useful at this stage. Other integrated skills can include the use of diverse literature to enhance reading skills. Teachers for instance could integrate modern literature with classic literature. Such an approach helps to stimulate the mental activities of students. It helps them to gain an appreciation of the diverse nature of English language (Howlett, 2002: Pg 111). Reading becomes a passion for many students through the application of integrated skills. Personal ideas and opinions can be integrated into the standard textbooks. Teachers can encourage the students to express their views and opinions on particular subjects. Such an approach helps to enhance the reading skills of students. It can lead to the development of integrated skills. References: Rose, J. 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Sound reading responsiveness assessment. Ithaca, NY: Sound Reading Solutions, Inc. McCandliss, B., Beck, I. L., Sandak, R., & Perfetti, C. (2003). Focusing attention on decoding for children with poor reading skills: Design and preliminary tests of the word building intervention. Scientific Studies of Reading, 7, 75–104. Wolf, M. (1991). Naming speed and reading: The contribution of the cognitive neurosciences. Reading Research Quarterly, 26, 123–247. Wolf, M (2007). Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. Harper Read More