Take a few minutes to watch these short clips displaying the sharp contrast between science and theory when teaching reading.
⚓️Science
⚓️Theory
Definitions
▪️Science of Reading: The methods that follow the findings of the National Reading Panel and Knowledge and Practice Standards 🔗 https://effectivereading.org/knowledge-and-practice-standards/
▪️Theories: Ideas based on someone’s opinion.
Examples: Whole-language, balanced-literacy, guided reading, leveled reading groups etc. Names of individuals who experimented on generations of children with their flawed and failed theories (and continue to promote theories for the almighty dollar and ego): Calkins, Allington, and Richardson, and Fountas and Pinnell to name a few.
“Children do not learn to read with "support". They learn to read with direct instruction.” - Pete Wright
These days, it does not take much effort to find countless, reliable sources that provides educational leaders with how reading must be taught in order for all children to learn. Too many schools are so engrained in an antiquated mindset, they do not look even for solutions; rather they look for something to blame for the dismal numbers of students who are proficient in reading.
Reading specialists and teachers do not want to admit they spent their career teaching children “strategies” and NOT teaching them how to read. I get it. It is hard! I was there but I choose NOT to stay there. I live my Maya Angelou’s quote that applies to all aspects of life, Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, you do better.
If we are honest, there are (often) egos involved especially when parents know more about how reading must be taught than the district’s reading coordinator.
We (educators) must remember that a degree or experience does not always make one an expert. Please stay humble. Listen to others, but research for yourself.
All reading specialists have heard about the National Reading Panel’s (NRP) Report, but few have ever read the actual report. Teachers of reading need to know the events that led to the formation of the NRP and their purpose.
“In 1997, Congress asked the Director of the NICHD, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to convene a national panel to assess the effectiveness of different approaches used to teach children to read. For over two years, this National Reading Panel (NRP) reviewed (over 100,000 studies and programs) research-based knowledge on reading instruction. The panel concluded that the most effective way to teach children to read is through instruction that includes a combination of methods.” 🔗 The five (5) pillars of reading must be explicitly taught in a systematic, structured approach, beginning with phonemic awareness. The Knowledge and Practice Standards (KPS) took the findings of NRP‘s Report and wrote them in a structure to easily implement the skills and knowledge (of the Five Pillars) required in the teaching of reading. https://www.wrightslaw.com/nclb/rbi.htm
Why?
There are more than 40 years of scientific studies that clearly define how schools are to teach reading. Congress understood the importance for schools to use the science of reading and included it in statutes and policies. So I (along with many others) ask why?
Why do schools continue to use antiquated theories to teach reading when the evidence is clear that they do not work?
Why are schools‘ mantras to be lifelong learners; but tney fail to practice what they preach?
Why do schools have mission statements and guiding beliefs, which often include phrases like: “students are our driving force” or “all students can learn” yet schools never seem to use them?
Why do schools remind parents about the importance of reading; yet fail to teach students to read?
Why don’t school change how they teach reading when they know the devastating consequences of illiteracy?🔗 https://anchoreducation.wixsite.com/anchored/home/let-s-call-it-what-it-is-educational-malpractice
Reading is a civil right. Every child deserves to learn to read.
Parents, teacher, legislators, and advocates, we must united our efforts and our voices to fight until ALL school provide an appropriate education and teach ALL children to read. #UniteAndFight4Literacy #UntilAllCanRead #AndhorEd
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, you do better.“ -Maya Angelou
RESOURCES
The National Reading Panels Report (2000) made their findings clear.
NRP Executive Summary Organized by Topic
⬆️This is an excellent document. Here is one small segment
“Phonemic Awareness (PA) The findings showed that teaching children to manipulate phonemes in words was highly effective under a variety of teaching conditions with a variety of learners across a range of grade and age levels and that teaching phonemic awareness to children significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to PA.
Programs in all of the studies provided explicit instruction in phonemic awareness. Specifically, the characteristics of PA training found to be most effective in enhancing PA, reading, and spelling skills included explicitly and systematically teaching children to manipulate phonemes with letters, focusing the instruction on one or two types of phoneme manipulations rather than multiple types, and teaching children in small groups.”
Put Reading First Teacher’s Guide
Put Reading First Parents Guide
How to prevent reading failures
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