| Q |
How do children learn to read? Isn't learning to read like learning
to talk? Doesn't reading emerge naturally out of interaction with
adults in a print-rich environment? |
| A |
No.
There are important differences. Children grow up learning to talk
without someone trying to teach them. Reading, on the other hand,
requires explicit instruction. That's why there are cultures with
spoken, but no written languages.
|
| Q |
So what needs to be explicitly taught? |
| A |
Children must become aware of the sounds of language--of words within
sentences, of the syllables within words, and of the units within
syllables called phonemes.
|
| Q |
Why are phonemes important? |
| A |
Because they are the segments of sounds that the letters of the alphabet
represent. For example, cat has three phonemes - /c/, /a/, and /t/
- these three phonemes are represented by the letters c, a, and t.
|
| Q |
Is it important to teach the ABC's? |
| A |
Yes. Knowing the names and sounds of the letters, along with awareness
of phonemes in spoken language, are the skills most predictive of
reading success.
|
| Q |
Can children in kindergarten and first grade be taught phonemic awareness
and alphabetic skills, and consequently become successful readers? |
| A |
For the majority of children this is the case. Above all, children
need the opportunity to apply these skills to the reading of connected
text.
|
| Q |
But doesn't English contain many irregular words that must be memorized? |
| A |
Approximately 13 percent of English words are highly unpredictable
in their letter-sound relations, such as the au in the word laugh.
In contrast, 50 percent of words are very predictable. The remaining
37 percent consist of complex spelling that can be taught (as the
au in taught).
|
| Q |
So is this where phonics comes in--with the 50 percent of words that
are predictable and the 37 percent of words with complex spelling
patterns? |
| A |
Yes. Phonics rules are letter-sound correspondence rules.
|
| Q |
I've heard that it would take more than 2,000 phonics rules to program
a computer to read English. Wouldn't memorizing all these phonics
rules stifle the joy of reading? |
| A |
Research indicates that programs focusing on the most frequent spelling
patterns for the approximately 44 phonemes of English can bring children
at risk for reading failure to the national average in decoding words.
|
| Q |
Won't phonics programs simply create good decoders, but not good comprehension? |
| A |
Good reading programs allow children to practice the letter-sound
correspondences taught in decodable text and in good literature. Good
programs and teachers enable children to develop efficient word recognition
strategies so that attention and memory resources are more available
for comprehension. Good reading programs always provide access to
good literature.
|
| Q |
What about comprehension? |
| A |
The goal of learning to read is understanding printed material. Efficient
word recognition skills is a necessary but not sufficient component
of comprehension. As children get older, comprehension strategies
should be taught. From an early age, children need to enjoy reading,
which can be facilitated by shared and guided reading, discussions
of literature, and other practices that help children appreciate reading.
|
| Q |
Can all children learn to read? |
| A |
All but a very small percentage of children can become successful
readers and writers if we deliver effective reading instruction right
from the start.
|
