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Want to know how to teach reading to your baby or toddler? The secret is revealed in the acronym READ-Repetition-Enthusiasm-Attention-Drawing. It works for any parent, grandparent, or preschool caregiver. And it's supported by history, science, and literature. Read More
Thanks
Hi Dr. Gentry, an excellent post!
As a long-time admirer of the Montessori method, I'm glad
that you mention it's rather novel, but effective, method of
teaching reading.
Slightly off topic, I have a question for you regarding
helping children (and adults) go from being able to read
to being excellent readers.
The method that seems to me to be the most effective is
(under various names): "reading-for-pleasure",
"free voluntary reading", "Sustained Silent Reading"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/2494637.stm
A big advantage with this method is that it can be
encouraged in both the home, the classroom and even
the schoolbus:
http://www.bradenton.com/2010/04/29/2243933/ms-kookyis-book-club-makes-n...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/29/rosemary-peterson-bus-dri_n_557...
So my question to you is, is this a method that you support?
And why do you think this method is not more widespread and
encouraged among teachers and parents and the general public?
Thanks!
Terry
Sustained Silent Reading
Thanks Terry. I do support sustained silent reading and so do hundreds of studies. Children are more likely to become better readers the more they read, especially if they are matched with texts that are at the appropriate level and if the reading is monitored. Sustained silent reading was not supported by the National Reading Panel, which created a lot of controversy. That’s one reason it may not receive more support in school. Here’s the NRP comment:
The Report for the National Reading Panel “was unable to determine from the research whether reading silently to oneself helped to improve reading fluency. Although it makes sense that silent reading would lead to improvements in fluency, and the panel members did not discourage the practice, sufficient research to conclusively prove this assumption has not been conducted. Literally hundreds of studies have shown that the best readers read silently to themselves more frequently than do poor readers, the panel members wrote. However, these studies cannot distinguish whether independent silent reading improves reading skills or that good readers simply prefer to read silently to themselves more than do poor readers. The panel recommended that if silent reading is used as a classroom technique, intended to develop reading skills and fluency, it should be done in combination with other types of reading instruction, such as guided oral reading.” (For more go to http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/press/press_rel_4_13_00_1.htm )
Reading Panel
Hi Dr. Gentry, very glad that you support "Sustained Silent Reading".
I think that you are right that the 2001 National Reading Panel has
had a very negative effect on the spreading the idea that
"reading for pleasure" is very beneficial for becoming an excellent reader.
But I do agree more with Dr. Stephen Krashen that matching kids with
a particular book is less effective than giving them a choice of
matched books, that the opportunity to choose is essential. And that
monitoring might be ok in the classroom, but that at home the whole
point is to make "reading for pleasure" a pleasurable choice.
(Although a parent putting time-limits on TV would probably
help a lot in encouraging "reading for pleasure".)
Here's Dr. Krashen on the 2001 National Reading Panel:
http://www.extensivereading.net/er/krashen2001.html
And here is Jim Trelease on the 2001 National Reading Panel:
http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/whatsnu_nrp-ssr.html
It's pretty shocking that a panel of just 15 people have
been able to have such a huge negative effect on teaching
in America. But what is equally shocking is how little
push-back there has been from academia.
Terry
READ
My mom read to every night. As a child, one of my earliest memories is sitting in my toddler bed "reading" my favorite book to a bunch of my parents' friends on New Year's eve. I was three years old - many moons ago. The book's title has long escaped me, but the feeling hasn't.
I still read voraciously for pleasure and have passed the joy of reading on to my son as well. My daughter-in-law began the reading routine when my first granddaughter was born. My youngest granddaughters still cannot fall asleep unless they are read a book. The wonderful part of the story is that the eight year old now reads the stories to her sister and parents. The six year old takes her turns as well.
Thank you for providing a tool for new parents, grandparents and any other care givers of children to instill the love of reading for future generations.
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