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Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 11:43:10 -0500 (EST)
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From: "Renee Clark" <ReneeC@freedomscientific.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-LD:3912] RE: How should reading be taught? - FYI
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Interesting.
Renee
-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of John Nissen
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 3:38 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-LD:3911] How should reading be taught?
Hello,
"How should reading be taught?"
This is the title of an article in the March issue of Scientific
American. Research indicates the inadequacy of a "highly popular
method" on its own. The authors are referring to the whole-language
method, as compared to the "traditional" phonics method of reading
instruction.
I was prompted to draw your attention to this article because of Lucille
Cuttler's message on an existing thread:
[NIFL-LD:3908] RE: Assessment Software for LDs/ foreign lang.
I've appended Lucille's message below.
Her message shows that basic phonics works for her, in teaching ESL.
But there may be some of you who have abandoned phonics in favour of the
whole-language method. You must read the Scientific American article!
The article is particularly relevant to the NIFL-LD because of the
association of the 'LD' tag with children who have difficulty learning
to read. Let me give you some quotes:
[Headline]
"Although many parents might think that innate INTELLIGENCE WILL GOVERN
how well their kids learn to read, the EVIDENCE SUGGESTS OTHERWISE."
"Two separate studies from the 1960s and 1970s have shown that, in
general, IQ has very little bearing on early reading ability. More
recently, researchers have found that children who have difficulty
learning to read often have above-average IQs."
Nor will these children generally catch up. "Children's facility with
reading in the first grade usually provides a good indication of what
their 11th-grade reading proficiency will turn out to be. Why? Because
reading requires practice, and those who excel end up practising the
most." Thus there is a virtuous circle for the above average readers,
and correspondingly a vicious circle for the below average readers.
Let me quote the box giving an overview of the whole article:
* Learning to read is a crucial step in children's education.. [poor
readers] are unlikely to catch up..
* During the 90s many educators in America abandoned the traditional
"phonics" method of reading instruction.. Instead elementary school
teachers turned to various "whole language" methods, by which students
learn the connections between letters and sounds incidentally in the
course of literature-based activities.
* Evaluations of the effectiveness of the two methods have shown that
children become skilled readers much more readily when their instruction
includes phonics. Modern research in psychology and linguistics helps
to explain why this is so.
The vicious circle is critical to the whole education of the child,
because every subject requires reading. But I think the vicious circle
can be broken by means of a combination of phonics instruction and
computer-based reading assistance. We have developed WordAloud with the
latter in mind, see www.wordaloud.co.uk and the article I wrote which
you can read on the web site.
As for "assessing" students for their LD and literacy skills, you sit by
a student reading with WordAloud (speech off), and quickly identify
their problems. Later, you can leave the student to read material of
graded difficulty by themselves, and WordAloud collects a list of
problems words, from which you may be able to assess the reading level.
Cheers,
John
-----
In message <LOBBICLOAFKBEPDBHIAJAEBCDIAA.lu@projectliteracy.org>,
Lucille Cuttler <lu@projectliteracy.org> writes
>Hi Susan! I'm teaching ESL. My experience is to teach the structure of
>English. I use an Orton-Gillingham methodology that emphasizes the 44
>phonemes and rules governing the structure of the language. Scientific
>research tells us that this is essential for all learners and particularly
>critical for people with a learning difference. My approach integrates
>reading, writing, spelling, oral skills. In the space of five months
>students are mastering those skills - including cursive writing. Some
>students had no idea of the alphabet.
>
>I love technology and all the techie help we can get. I'd like to learn
>about software for assessment too. So far, I have no trouble identifying
>those who need of more time, or direct explicit instruction.
>
>Please visit our website, www.projectliteracy.org. Lucille Cuttler,
>Director
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Susan Jones
>Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 10:24 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list
>Subject: [NIFL-LD:3906] Assessment Software for LDs/ foreign lang.
>
>
>I just got a phone call from an administrator who's looking at grant
>possibilities. He is investigating the use of software for assessing the
>needs & nature of students with learning disabilities at the adult level
>(we're a community college). Is there such an animal? (I told him my
>experience with assessing students was all on a face-to-face basis.) If so,
>what companies make such software?
>
>Second question ¯
>
>A teacher came to me to ask for ideas and suggestions for a student she has
>who is struggling; she suspects this student, a recent immigrant from a
>country in Africa, has learning disabilities. She often mispronounces
words
>in English, moving consonants around and confusing vowels when either
>reading or speaking. Teacher suspects same thing happens in native language
>but, of course, wouldn't know. At any rate, this is making learning to
write
>(and spell) tough on the lady ¯ ideas? suggestions?
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>
>Susan Jones
>Academic Development Specialist
>Academic Development Center
>Parkland College
>Champaign, IL 61821
>sujones@parkland.cc.il.us
>
Try our WordAloud software! Visit http://www.wordaloud.co.uk
John Nissen, Cloudworld Ltd
Tel: +44 20 8987 8326 (or 0845 458 3944 in the UK)
Fax: +44 20 8742 8715
Email: jn@cloudworld.co.uk
Site: http://www.cloudworld.co.uk
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