Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j16FAkC22702; Sun, 6 Feb 2005 10:10:46 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 10:10:46 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <LOBBICLOAFKBEPDBHIAJEECGFMAA.l.cuttler@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Lucille Cuttler" <l.cuttler@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4635] RE: I hope my reading program will help others X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 8257 Lines: 146 I hope you're not trying to reinvent the wheel. Methods based on scientific research abound. Consider Orton-Gillingham methodology, calling for structured explicit direct instruction. Other programs are derived from that basic research and development. Lucille Cuttler -----Original Message----- From: nifl-health@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-health@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of rick lynn Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2005 10:44 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:4634] I hope my reading program will help others rick lynn 5012 Seaboard Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32210 mayfieldga@netzero.net http://learningtheory.homestead.com/Theory.html Teaching the skill of Reading When teaching reading, I think the first thing would be to not make the teaching of reading of long duration but shorter times of instruction by you. I would start with perhaps 5 to 7 minutes teaching the sounds and multiple sounds of letters to young students and longer for older students. But even before this, I think many parents and some teachers fail to change gears and learn to go very slowly with new readers. They need to keep it light and easy. I like teaching the sounds of the letters and then helping the student learn to combine the sounds in the letters to discover, with perhaps some little cues from you along the way, words they already know from their very large, social vocabulary. I teach the first skill very slowly and help the student become sensitive to, and aware of the sounds of the letters. Speed, pace, and immediate achievement are not important; we are looking to instill long-term motivation and reading for enjoyment. Speed and achievement will come in time. I would go through on your own first and discover the sounds and also the multiple sounds of the letters. You want the child to hear and be sensitive to the sounds. They should learn to say them softly and never hard or fast. It is the slow, soft teaching of these sounds that give the student tools to then use these sounds constructively to discover new words. Another skill is learning to differentially insert different sounds of the same letter independently to arrive at the correct pronunciation. Note this occurs after you have gone through many if not all the sounds. An example would be "a" as in ate; "a" as in at; "a" as in all. The student is then given the word apple to read. They may try first sounds "a as in ate" and then try to pronounce it. The word doesn't make sense. This is good for it is a necessary part of learning how to find the correct sound. You may have to give him the multiple sounds again and have him choose another sound to use. He uses the A as in at and then reads the word. It comes out correctly as apple. When he hears the correct pronunciation, he is delighted and is slowly developing the skill of independent reading by learning to differentially insert the different sounds. This builds their confidence over time. He is now learning the skill of inserting different sounds. You may continue down your list of new words. He continues very slowly bringing the individual sounds together and inserting the different sounds to arrive at the correct pronunciation. Help him to do this on his own but provide (cues) of support when he forgets. As the student progresses, I begin adding suffixes and prefixes to his words so he becomes acquainted with both the roots of the words and the variations of those words. I might use the word "care", and then begin adding such suffixes as "fully", "less", and "ful". I will use more root words to help develop this area of reading. Notice again, the object is not to teach words so much as it is to teach the skill of independent reading. I present him with words, one at a time, during a warm-up period (usually words they will be using in their reading from a book afterwards), which I am aware he does not know how to immediately pronounce but is definitely in his social vocabulary. I tell him that he has heard these words before. This also is an important skill in learning new words. In this way, the student hears the sounds of a word he is reading and compares these sounds to words in his social vocabulary. When he is older, he will begin to learn completely new words based in a more complex skill or developed recognition of how words should sound. Other multiple sounds are "e" as in eat and "e" as in pet. Then "i" as in pie; "i" as in it; and "i" as in ring. Then "o" as in go; "o" as in tot; "o" as in too. Then "u" as in use; "u" as in put; "u" as in cut; "u" as in blue. There are also the beginning and ending sounds for "l" as in like and "l" as in tell. Then there is "m" as in make and "m" as in gum. Then there is "n" as in nice and "n" as in fun. There is also the crisp (but never said hard) "c" as in cool and "c" as in city. I think you can get the rest of the consonants on your own. Just remember to say them softly to yourself so you can hear the sounds you are saying. You want the student to also be able to hear the sounds and learn to use those sounds to bring words independently from their social vocabulary and learn to see them in print. Reading should be fun so try to also be aware of and patient of: reflection time - the time the student is thinking (never rush); frustration tolerance - time when the student is not able to think on and needs a cue or is trying too hard; and fatigue factors - working perhaps longer than you should given the mood of the student, time of the instruction, and other conditions that may affect their motivation. This may require adjusting time of study in minutes and breaks in between, depending on the age and present motivation of the student(s). Again I teach the sounds very slowly so the student hears and is sensitive to the individual sounds of the letters. I ask him slowly, "Can you hear it?" I go over many if not all of the sounds as a warm-up to help the student hear and read slowly as he develops the skill of independently inserting different sounds to new words as he reads on his own. Next, I go over a list of blends, teaching him how to combine two and three letter combinations. I then find a book or story that is along his present level but still has some difficult words for him. I get him to begin reading very slowly and visualizing or seeing pictures with the words he is reading (an extremely important skill for reading comprehension and in later years, for higher math and science skills). When he comes to a word he does not know, I get him to slow down and remember the technique he learned earlier of slowly beginning from the first letter and connecting the individual sounds. I may have to help him slow his pace and help cue him either with sounds or remembering blends or syllables. I try not to give him the whole word but rather pieces of the word and allow him to independently discover the word on his own. As the student progresses, he develops the wonderful skill of locating and pronouncing new words on his own. By teaching him how to slow down on his own and use the skill of inserting the different sounds, you will create confidence and greater motivation to read. He will begin to learn these new words and will move on to other more complex reading. Remember, long-term motivation to read is more important than any short-term results. Also remember that the average stress in the child from things in their environment outside that reading session also plays a large role in enjoying reading and instruction. The more at ease the child is the more the child will be able to think, learn, and picture the words they are reading. Oh, visualization skills are also important for motivation to read. When a child is able to read and see the words as pictures, the child can then learn to see the text they are reading as more of a movie they are seeing their mind. This little noticed or taught skill is extremely important for long-term motivation, reading comprehension, and the ability to add and combine knowledge onto other learned material. This is vital for learning to understand and develop many if not all higher learning from middle school onward. This reading approach for teaching individuals is on my home site or is free on request by e-mail.
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