Empowering Children with Reading: A Comprehensive Method for Teaching Reading
Reading is a fundamental skill that is essential for children's academic and personal development. It is the foundation for learning and understanding the world around them. However, many children struggle to learn to read and may fall behind in their academic progress. In order to empower children with reading, it is important to understand the best methods for teaching reading and to provide children with a comprehensive approach to learning.
One of the most effective methods for teaching reading is the use of phonics and phonemic awareness instruction. Phonics is the study of the sounds of letters and words, and phonemic awareness is the understanding of the sounds that make up words. Studies have shown that teaching children to manipulate phonemes in words is highly effective for a variety of learners across a range of grade and age levels. In addition, research has indicated that teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to phonemic awareness.
Phonemic awareness instruction was selected for review by the National Reading Panel (NRP) in their report titled "Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction." The NRP determined that phonemic awareness is one of the best predictors of how well children will learn to read in their first 2 years of entering school. Furthermore, the NRP report showed that the beneficial effects of phonemic awareness on reading lasts well beyond the period of training.
Another important aspect of empowering children with reading is providing them with a systematic and explicit phonics instruction. Phonics instruction is a method of teaching children to read by breaking down words into their individual sounds and teaching them how to blend those sounds together to form words. It is a proven method for helping children learn to read and spell. The NRP report also determined that phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students from kindergarten through grade 6, and is also helpful for children with learning to read difficulties.
In addition to phonics and phonemic awareness instruction, it is also important to provide children with a comprehensive approach to reading instruction. This includes providing them with a balance of reading instruction that includes phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, fluency, and comprehension. This balance of instruction will help children develop a strong foundation in reading and will prepare them for future academic success.
It is also important to note that while phonics and phonemic awareness instruction are proven to significantly help children learn reading, it is not a complete reading program. However, it provides children with a foundational knowledge base of the alphabet language.
In conclusion, empowering children with reading is a vital step in ensuring their academic and personal success. By providing them with a comprehensive approach to reading instruction that includes phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, fluency, and comprehension, children will develop a strong foundation in reading and will be well-prepared for their future academic careers. Additionally, it should be noted that children as young as two years old can learn to read through phonics and phonemic awareness instructions. If a young child can speak, then they should be able to learn to read, even if they are as young as two years old.
Discover more about the easy, incremental phonics and phonemic awareness method we utilized to instruct her in reading.
