Return-Path: <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.0.Beta5/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id OAA10690; Thu, 23 Sep 1999 14:22:35 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 14:22:35 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <37EA6EB4.7EAA2BE0@herald.infi.net> Errors-To: lmann@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Jeffrey B. Reiter" <jefcar@herald.infi.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:138] Tailored Reading X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 [en] (Win95; I) Status: OR Hi, I thought I'd throw in something into the discussion of how to teach beginning reading with something I've been developing for a long time, called Tailored Reading. I recently started a web site to share the information and I just wrote the following to generate interest. I'd be delighted to receive comments. Thanks. Tailored Reading An exciting breakthrough in literacy education is now on the Internet! Jeffrey B. Reiter September 23, 1999 The innovative techniques of Tailored Reading, which represent a genuine breakthrough in reading instruction for at-risk readers, are now available to be learned via the internet by prospective tutors at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Cyprus/8493/Homepage.htm. Since the ideas and materials can be downloaded directly from the web pages for free, and they can enable almost anyone to help at-risk readers of any age, this extremely cost-effective system brings literacy within the reach of everyone! While the method was primarily developed for pupils who have difficulty just "getting off the ground," parents, volunteers, and teachers can also use the ideas with preschoolers, with pupils learning English as a second language, adult illiterates, as well as other categories of beginning readers. The "breakthrough" concept of the system sounds almost too simple, but it works. It holds that the continuous mastery of words is the most consequential goal of instruction for beginning readers (as compared to, for example, comprehension ac-tivities), and this is where instructional time is spent most efficiently. The system involves the constant upgrading of the pu-pil’s mastery of the most frequently used words (preprimer, primer, first grade, etc.), while simultaneously increasing his abil-ity to decode (sound out) "new" ones. Tailored Reading represents a highly personalized integration of the whole word (look-say) and phonics methods. It also complements the "top-down" whole language approach (in which instruction is based on children’s literature, from which new words and phonic elements are extracted and taught). The pupil’s knowledge of the fundamental building blocks of reading (sightwords, phonics, and vocabulary) are elevated by using "bottom up" techniques, such as learning new words through motivational manipulation activities rather than from a particular story. Almost by definition, at-risk readers, for various reasons, develop ever-increasing gaps in their reading vocabularies as soon as they are involved in formal instruction. Typically, teachers have little or no mechanism to systematically find and fill these gaps, and as a result, such pupils slip increasingly further behind. It is the specific emphasis of Tailored Reading that enables the tutor to supplement instruction for an at-risk reader in a highly efficient manner, regardless of what curriculum the class-room teacher is using. This is accomplished by nurturing the development of the pupil’s mastery of sightwords, phonics, and vocabulary, to the degree that he can succeed with each, based on his specific gaps, which the tutor continuously finds and fills. Tailored Reading techniques enable tutors (who may be parents, volunteers, and even peers) to bring the joy of reading to pupils for whom school failure has caused high frustration, low self-esteem, and perhaps even a range of destructive and anti-social behaviors. What may be impossible for overworked teachers is done quite easily by means of this one-on-one, highly individualized approach. The Tailored Reading tutor provides the conditions that enable the pupil to realize that she does, in fact, possess knowledge, and that she is able to use this knowledge to further her learning. This is done by uncovering what the pupil already knows and then specifically relating new material to that, rather than using a more arbitrary, fixed curricu-lum, so typical of classroom and tutoring programs. As the pupil’s reading vocabulary improves, she is progressively able and motivated to utilize materials consisting of her newly learned words. One of the chief reasons for the current pressing need for school reform involves the myriad problems we face as we try to promote a literate population. If all youngsters would truly be able to read on grade level by third grade there would probably be no debate concerning vouchers, and we would be looking towards improvement in other subject areas to expand the po-tentials of our children. Hopefully these efforts would greatly advance the arts and humanities, laying the groundwork for the involvement of our future leaders and citizens in a more humane society. On the web site, aside from the descriptive material, interested individuals will find very usable advice that actually enables them to help beginning readers as soon as some of the major ideas are assimilated. Pretesting a learner usually takes less than 30 minutes, the knowledge from which immediately enables the tutor to provide highly motivational reading experiences. The flexibility of Tailored Reading makes many scenarios possible The system can be used almost anywhere, whenever a tutoring team can meet. Tutors might be parents, for example, working alone (with our without the teacher’s cooperation), or volun-teers, as part of a tutoring network in an after school center. The latter can be a wonderfully supportive environment for shar-ing creative ideas, running motivational contests, and in general, providing community spirit. Tailored Reading empowers people to become part of the solution by empowering kids!
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