After 35 plus years teaching in primary and secondary schools, I have given a lot of thought to the teaching of reading and writing. I am fascinated how children use their spoken speech and make the step towards the written word. This is by no means an easy step and many children fall by the wayside.
It is those children who I want to support. For most children can learn to read and write if given the right support.
read more…
Australia lags behind helping children with dyslexia.
The following article from the Age newspaper explains.
AUSTRALIA is 20 years behind Britain when it comes to diagnosing and treating dyslexia. That’s the claim of the head of a UK company that supplies dyslexia screening software to about 25 per cent — or more than 8000 — British schools.
read more…
Parents who shun fairytales ‘miss chance to teach children morality’
Politically correct parents who shun traditional fairy tales are missing the chance to teach their children
right from wrong, an education expert claims. To learn more click –> HERE <–
One of the goals of learning to read is fluency. It is important a reader reaches speeds that prevent sub-vocalizing. Sub-vocalizing is hearing each word in the head and often saying them softly as well while reading. Sub vocalization can be controlled once a reader has a thorough knowledge of phonics (letter/sound relationships). For a more in depth explanation visit
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=134554821997&topic=16302
1997 Harry Potter Series: J K Rowling 450 million +
1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C S Lewis 85 million
1926 Winnie the Pooh A A Milne 70 million
1908 Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maud Montgomery 50 million
1877 Black Beauty Anna Sewell 50 million
1952 Charlotte’s Web E B White 45 million
1902 The Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter 45 million
2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows JK Rowling 44 million
1969 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle 44 million
1958 Paddington Bear Michael Bond 35 million
1881 The Adventures of Pinocchio Carlo Collodi 35 million
1908 The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame 25 million
1963 Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak 19 million
1942 Poky Little Puppy Janette Sibring Lowrey 15 million
1964 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl 13 million
1957 The Cat in the Hat Dr Seuss 10 million copies
SOURCE: Wikipedia Sales are estimated as it is not possible to be exact. They are still impressive!
THE GOOD NEWS IS ALL THESE BOOKS ARE IN PRINT AND AVAILABLE.
A successful reader understands that writing is printed speech.
Reading involves mastering a code that is used by one’s culture to translate speech sounds into written symbols.
- The word s-u-n is three letters spelling the sounds in the word sun. Hundreds of thousands of words are formed using a blend of some of the 44 sounds of the language. These words can be written down using a combination of letters.
- Reading involves looking at language, sounds, letters, words, sentences, stories and ideas.
Many children on entering their first year of school do not have the familiarity with the sounds of English. They may come from a home where English is their second language. They do not hear it spoken on a day to day basis.
The sounds that many children hear in their early environment do not match the sounds of the language they are learning to read. Standard English is what children will hear in the English language classroom.
When teachers begin to teach reading they have to assume that their students have an adequate understanding of English. Many do not.
Therefore one fundamental basis for early reading failure rarely gets a mention. That is lack of adequate English language competence at the point of school entry.
Reading to your young child on a daily basis will expand their word knowledge, general knowledge and language competence.
For ideas about the best books for children visit: http://cbca.org.au/
Parents who shun fairytales ‘miss chance to teach
children morality’
Politically correct parents who shun traditional fairy tales are missing the chance to teach their children right from wrong, an education expert claims.
Growing numbers of parents no longer read classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to their children, because of concerns that they stereotype minority groups.
But Sally Goddard Blythe, a child development expert, argues that stories including Rapunzel and Cinderella are crucial to children’s development.
FIND OUT MORE: CLICK BELOW
One of the most inspiring, informative and outstanding books on reading I have read recently is:
Why Our Children Can’t Read and What We Can Do About It
The publisher’s blurb follows
“In America today, 43 percent of our children fall below grade level in reading. In her meticulously researched and groundbreaking work, Diane McGuinness faults outmoded reading systems for this crisis — and provides the answers we need to give our children the reading skills they need. Drawing on twenty-five years of cutting-edge research, Dr. McGuinness presents bold new “phoneme awareness” programs that overcome the tremendous shortcomings of other systems by focusing on the crucial need to understand and hear reliably the sounds of a language before learning to read. Maintaining that any child can be taught to read fluently if given proper instruction, she dramatically reveals how dyslexia and behavior problems such as ADD stem not from neurological disorders but from flawed methods of reading instruction. With invaluable information on remedial reading programs that can correct various ineffective reading strategies, this book is a must for concerned parents, teachers, and others who want to make a difference.”
For anyone interested in how children learn to read this is a must read book from a passionate reading researcher.
Why Read Nursery Rhymes to Your Child?
Nursery Rhymes, which by the way have been around for centuries, are a great way to introduce a child to reading. Most children have been read Nursery Rhymes or have picked up some of them so the stories in this reader are probably familiar to them. This makes reading easier.
Nursery Rhymes are a great way to introduce children to the joys of reading. As these are often a child’s first experience with written language, their first impressions of reading will be built on the relationships they observe. Spending quality time in a positive atmosphere can help your children develop a love of reading early in their lives.
