Reading Skills

The purpose of reading is to comprehend and use written information efficiently and effectively. Reading is a form of communication essential in today's society. Reading skills CAN and MUST be learned.

Basic reading skills must be successfully developed in the primary grades. Unfortunately, many children experience reading failure in the early grades, thus limiting their school success, negatively impacting their self- esteem, and delaying skill development in all academic subjects. Older students who appear to have study skills and motivational issues often have not developed the reading skills necessary to succeed in content area courses.

Recent research findings indicate reading disability/dyslexia, the most common neurobehavioral disorder that affects 1 in 5 children, is related to an underactivated area of the brain (left thalamus). Findings further indicate code instruction, or phonics, stimulates this area of the brain, significantly improving reading performance when measured 1 to 5 years later and also produces stronger outcomes in math. Phonological awareness (an awareness that words are composed of sounds) must be taught to 20-30% of the population and is the most important predictor of reading success in children and young adults. (Dr. Shaywitz of Yale Research Center, published in LDANews Briefs,july/Aug 1996)

Just as students differ, student learning styles differ. While some learn to read with a phonetics approach, others find a meaning-based approach more successful. Many students enjoy success with a combination of approaches. No single method is effective for everyone.

Building a good reading program requires careful consideration of the components of the program, the materials to be used, and the strategies to be implemented. All good reading programs include instruction in phonetic skills (encoding and decoding), vocabulary development, reading for fluency and comprehension, and writing. As a student's skill level increases, so does the complexity of each component of his/her program. A beginning reading student will work heavily with sight vocabulary, whereas a high school student reading at grade level will develop a more complex vocabulary.

The materials used to teach the four components of a reading program must all be at the student's instructional level. For reading, an instructional level is the level at which a student can read the material with 80% accuracy. For students with a reading level lower than their grade level, it is important to use materials with an interest level higher than the reading level.

Using a direct instruction, multi-sensory approach to reading instruction has proven effective. This approach is effective whether the student is a visual, tactile, or auditory learner. The instructor should constantly monitor and adjust the instruction based upon the needs of the student.

It is neither necessary nor desirable to wait until a student faces failure before providing help. Rather, it is critical to identify students with reading weaknesses early, before lack of school success affects self-esteem and behavior. With early intervention, the effects of failure are usually minimized. If students with marginal drops in performance seek appropriate help, they can quickly gain the skills needed to perform at grade level.