PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY

TOPIC 4

READING SKILLS

2HRS

SYNOPSIS Students are exposed to the definition and concept of reading here. Apart from that students will find out about factors affecting reading readiness, basic reading skills , how to assess reading ability as weil as techniques for teaching reading and remedial reading problems. LEARNING OUTCOME At the end of this topic, you will be able to : 1. Understand the definition and concept of reading 2. Explain the factors which affect reading readiness 3. Describe the basic reading skills 4. Assess reading ability for classroom reading instruction 5. Describe and use techniques for teaching reading and remediating reading problems TOPIC FRAMEWORK 4.2 Factors affecting reading readiness
4.1 Definition and concept of reading

Reading Skills

4.3 Basic Reading Skills

4.4 Assessing Reading Ability for Classroom Reading

Instruction

4.5 Techniques for teaching reading and 1 remediating reading problems

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY

READING SKILLS 4.0 Introduction Before you go through this topic, bare in mind that teaching reading to pupils with learning difficulties requires the application of specialised instructional approaches. As such you have to be well informed about the approaches given in the module and from other sources. Reading should be regarded as one aspect of an integrated programme of language development which includes speaking, writing and spelling. Therefore, reading should not be thought of as an isolated skill. 4.1 Definition and concept of reading

Reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information (Anderson et al., 1985). Reading is also the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among: (1) the reader's existing knowledge; (2) the information suggested by the text being read; and (3) the context of the reading situation (Wixson, Peters, Weber, & Roeber, 1987, citing the new definition of reading for Michigan). Older, mechanistic definitions of reading as the translation of printed symbols into oral language equivalents are incomplete, given the progress made in understanding the nature of the reading process. There is widespread agreement that without the activation of relevant prior knowledge by a cognitively active reader and the melting of that prior 2

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY knowledge with the text information, there can be no reading of text. Even definitions of reading that emphasize meaning indicate that reading is activated by print. The reader must be able to translate the written words into meaningful language. Virtually all four- and five-year-old children can communicate with and learn from oral language, but very few can read, because they lack the ability to identify printed words. While simply being able to recognize or "say" the printed words of text without constructing the meaning of that text is not reading, constructing meaning from written text is impossible without being able to identify the words. The terms word identification, word recognition, and decoding are frequently used interchangeably. The new Literacy Dictionary (Harris & Hodges, 1995) defines both word recognition and word identification as "the process of determining the pronunciation and some degree of meaning of an unknown word" (pp. 282-283). For words that are in a reader's meaning vocabulary, unlocking the pronunciation leads to the word's meaning. If a printed word is not in a reader's meaning vocabulary, word-identification skills may allow access to the pronunciation of the word, but not its meaning. Being able to arrive at the pronunciation of a printed word constitutes word identification in the most minimal sense; however, if the reader is unable to attach meaning to the word, then he or she has not read the word, since reading must end in meaning construction.

4.2

Factors affecting reading readiness

Before carrying out formal reading instruction,always make sure that your pupils are ready to learn because the development of reading skills begins at the readiness stage and continues until reading competency has been achieved. According to Savage and Mooney, (1979) reading readiness has been defined as a state of maturity and development that will 3

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY allow a person to begin to learn to read. Some of the factors contributing to reading readiness are: 1. Physical factors children should have acquired vision, hearing, speech and coordination at a level that allows them to adequately see, hear, speak, manipulate print, and deal with the type of instruction that they will encounter. Most commonly associated with reading readiness are visual and auditory acuity, eye-hand coordination, large and small muscle development and generally sound health. 2. Emotional factors the children should also have attained a certain measure of personal confidence and security, and the ability to maintain attention, to stick with a task until completion, to work independently, to accept responsibility, and to adjust well to a learning situation. These factors also include social readiness, that is, a willingness to participate in social activities, the ability to work well with others, to cooperate, and to share responsibility in a learning task. 3. Intellectual factors the abilities of perception and thinking play a role as a readiness factor. Perception involves an awareness of similarities and differences in the size, shape, orientation, color and other relationships in objects and visual symbols. It also involves an awareness of auditory stimuli, the ability to recognize similarities, differences, and relationships in sounds, and the recognition of separate sounds in spoken words. At the readiness stage, children are trained in the ability to interpret pictures and experiences to recall ideas and details to see relationships and predict outcomes, to think logically and reasonably and to grasp ideas. Since language and thinking are so closely tied together, cognition also includes the ability to know the meaning of words, to understand and interpret verbal messages, to express thoughts and to otherwise manipulate verbal concepts. 4. Linguistics factors these are factors related to language power and language thinking. Language power deals with the language codes learning letter names and sounds. Language thinking factors are developed through oral language activities such as show and tell, discussion, listening exercises, poetry and story telling, creative 4

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY dramatics, conscious vocabulary development, conversation, and all the other formal and informal encounters with language that are typically a regular part of a childs early educational experience. 5. Experience background experience is highly important in providing interests and knowledge upon which the teaching of reading can be based. A child who has been to many places and seen many things, listened to stories and retold them to others, witnessed reading as an important part of the lives of those around him will likely be more pbysically, emotionally, intellectually and linguistically ready to read.

4.3

Basic reading skills

Now that you know what reading readiness is, make sure that your pupils are ready before you proceed with the teaching of basic reading skills which are described below: 4.3.1 Word recognition skills allows the reader to instantaneously identify words upon visual contact. The child learns to recognise a word by sight and to attach meaning to that word by seeing it over and over. 4.3.2 Word analysis is an essential part of the act of reading and an important component in reading instruction. We usually analyze words that we dont recognise to get the pronunciation and meaning. These word analysis or word attack skills are phonetic analysis and structural analysis. 4.3.3 Phonetic analysis is the process of analyzing unknown words on the basis of letter sound relationships in the words. Phonics begins at the readiness stage with an awareness of separate sounds in spoken words and a knowledge of the written symbols that represent these sounds. 5

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY 4.3.4 Structural analysis is a natural process of expanding knowledge of words both identification and meaning. Structural analysis usually begins with the identification of independent word parts in compound words. It extends to the recognition of other meaningful units from which words are built roots and affixes (word endings, prefixes, and suffixes). 4.3.5 Comprehension the ability to derive meaning and understanding from printed language is the consummation of the act of reading. Since language is a tool of communication, and communication involves the reception as well as the expression of ideas,then the act of reading is not complete until comprehension has taken place

4.4

Assessing reading ability for classroom reading instruction

In order to assess your pupils achievement level, you must know the different types of assessment measures for reading ability. An assessment of the pupils current reading ability can point to specific strengths and weaknesses and aid the teacher in planning instructional objectives. To obtain a valid assessment of the pupils reading abilities, the teacher should use a variety of assessment procedures. For discussion purposes, assessment can be either formal or informal. Do not worry if in some books the classification appears to be contradictory or confusing. The most important thing is that you know how to assess your pupils reading ability correctly 4.4.1 Formal assessment 6

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY Examples of formal assessment are: Standardized Achievement and Reading Survey Tests Diagnostic Tests Criterion-Referenced Tests Normed-referenced Tests 4.4.2 Informal assessment Examples of informal assessment are: Teacher Observations Graded word Lists Cloze Procedure Teacher-made Tests Informal reading Inventory

4.5

Techniques for teaching reading and remediating reading problems

When teaching pupils with reading problems, it is often necessary to adapt developmental programs to meet their needs, such as changing the sequence, providing additional practice activities, and modifying the input-output arrangements of selected tasks. Developmental reading approaches emphasize sequential instruction on a daily basis. We are discussing the following approaches in this module: 4.5.1 Basal reading approach

A basal reading program is a core reading program that is used to teach children to read. The term "basal" comes from the word "base," as the program acts as the basis for the lessons that teach children reading skills. Many teachers use a basal reading series as the core reading program. The content is based upon common experiences and interests of the children. A basal series systematically presents 7

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY reading skills in word recognition, comprehension, and word attack, and it controls the vocabulary from level to level. 4.5.2 Phonics approach

A phonic approach to reading is an approach that teaches the relation of the letters (graphemes) to the sounds (phonemes) they represent to teach reading. (Halvorson 1992) This approach emphasizes word recognition through learning graphemephoneme associations. Phonics should be taught directly, through demonstration of how the strategy is used to decode a word. After learning the sounds of vowels, consonants, and blends the child learns to sound out words by combining sounds and blending them into words. Thus the child learns to recognize unfamiliar words by associating speech sounds with letters or groups of letters. The learning of phonics should be a realistic experience. The phonics approach can be added to a basal reading approach as well as the language experience approach as soon as learners have mastered a basic sight vocabulary of about 50-100 words. There are two phonics methods; the synthetic and the analytic methods. Using the synthetic method the sounds are taught in isolation, they learn that the letter represents a certain sound, for example b = buh, and must then learn to blend the sounds to form words or, in other words, synthesize. The analytical method, on the other hand, teafhes the sound as part of a word, for example, b as in bat. The learners learn the new words as the phonic elements are introduced to them. Although the two phonic approaches differ, the end result is the same, as they teach the learner word-attack skills based on a grapheme-phoneme approach. Using this approach a learner will soon be able to read independently. There are a few disadvantages to the phonics approach. Some learners may struggle to combine and blend the sounds into words. 8

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY Learners may focus so much on the pronunciation of words that comprehension of the sentence or paragraph is lost. The exceptions to the basic phonic rules may also confuse learners. However, beginning readers may find the use of phonics in their reading very helpful. It can also be used as a support technique if a learner has sufficient sight vocabulary, but finds it difficult to analyze. It will be helpful if you can do some research for the connection between the words and the sounds. 4.5.3 Linguistic approach

This approach emphasizes decoding changing the printed words into verbal communication. Words are taught in word families and only as wholes and does not use exercises in sounding and blending. The linguistic approach differs from the phonics approach in that linguistic readers focus on words instead of isolated sounds. It differs from the basal reading approach in that linguistic instruction places emphasis first on breaking the written language code before meaning and comprehension are considered. 4.5.4 Language Experience approach

This approach integrates the development of reading skills with the development of listening, speaking and writing skills. In this approach, the language patterns of the reading materials are determined by the childs speech, and the content is determined by his experiences. The teacher tries to broaden and enrich the childs base of experiences from which he can think, speak, and read. Eventually, with help, the child can write his own stories. 4.5.5 Individualized Reading approach 9

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY Each child selects his own reading material according to his interests and ability and progresses at his own rate. The teachers role is to diagnose and prescribe. The success of the program depends on the teachers resourcefulness and competence. Individual work may be supplemented with group activities using basal readers and workbooks in order to provide practice on specific reading skills. 4.5.6 Multi-sensory approach

This approach is also known as VAKT (visual-audio-kinestatictactile) method. In learning a word the child sees the word, hears the word, says the word, hears himself saying the word and feels the muscle movement and tactile surface under his finger as he traces the word. 4.5.7 Rebus approach

A rebus can be a method of helping involve young children in the act of reading, as well as two types of puzzle in which letters, words, and pictures are combined to convey a phrase or sentence. A rebus is a variation on a pun. In a pun, the sound and/or meaning of two words is made into a play on words. In a rebus, the pun is created by using pictures to evoke a sound that is identical or similar to a word or word part. The rebus offers a way to enable children to help read a story before they can decipher print. In this type of story, a picture of, say, an apple, a cat, or a bird some simple object that the child can identify and name is substituted for the word, so the child can read that part of the story. The Rebus equations are often found in childrens pastime and puzzle books, one form of a rebus appears in an equation form. In 10

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY this kind of rebus, you will find examples like: F + [picture of an ear] =. You add the sound characteristically made by the letter F to the sound of the word ear to make the word fear. Notice that this kind of rebus focuses on the sound of the word, rather than the spelling. So if you saw F + [picture of an eye] =, you would be intended to gather fie, not feye which is not an English word. Benjamin Franklin used this kind of writing, without the plus and minus signs, in his brief article, The Art of Making Money Plenty in Every Mans Pocket. In rebus puzzles, it is common to find

8 for ate or a syllable with that sound 4 for for, and 2 for to or too.

So, you can have:

gr + 8 = great 4 + T = fort 2 + L = tool

To this extent, the rebus has some common ground with texting language, also known as txt or txtspk, but while texting language employs these devices to save space when communicating on, for example, mobile phones, rebuses use them for entertainment. Other popular rebus pictures include:

a honey bee for the sound /be/ a hand saw for the sound /saw/ a knot in a rope for the sound /not/ a sheep for the sound /ewe/ 11

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY

an open food can for the sound /can/ R for the sound /are/

Besides the puzzles, there are rebuses that convey meanings by the way words are arranged on the page. HEAD HEELS shows the phrase head over heels. SAILING CCCCCCC means sailing on the seven seas. This is a way that rebuses are enjoyed after childhood is past. A picture or a symbol of the printed word is used in the reading material instead of certain printed words.

4.6

Remediating Reading Problems

Before we plan any remedial reading programme, it would help for us to know what are the contributing factors to reading problems. 4.6.1 Contributing factors to reading problems a. Physical factors Visual defects ...a child with poor sight will have difficulty identifying details of the printed word.. Goldberg et al(1983) in Kerk & Chalfant (1985) Hearing defects major factors here are auditory discrimination, blending. 12 auditory closure and auditory sound

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY b. Developmental psychological factors Language if a child does not acquire language he will have difficulty in learning to interpret the printed page Attention if a child is unable to concentrate on the printed page he will have difficulty learning to read Auditory functions Visualization or visual memory the ability to reproduce visual materials from memory will affect reading ability. Closure the term is used to indicate the response to familiar items from which a part has been omitted. Closure can be either visual or auditory. c. Relationship of contributing factors Reading, writing and spelling disabilities cannot be consistently explained by any one of the contributing factors or developmental learning disabilities alone. Studies have contradictory results because physical, environmental, and psychological characteristics of children with difficulties cannot be isolated from the method used in teaching them to read. Children with difficulties in reading, writing and spelling can often be helped when a method is found that matches the childs abilities, ameliorates the deficit in the task of reading or compensates for the particular deficit. Remediating reading problems should involve: The development of reading readiness The acquisition of a sight vocabulary of meaningful useful words The development of independent reading aided by the use of phonic analysis and other word recognition techniques 13

PKB 3105 ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY The development of speedy, relaxed, silent reading for content and ideas Reference: Halvorson, Marian A. 1992.Literacy and lifelong learning for women. Part of UNESCO series on literacy in development. New York: Intermedia. 124 pages. Exercise 1: ... no single approach to teaching beginning reading is successful with all children... a. Discuss and list down the possible advantages and disadvantages of each approach. b. Discuss other possible approaches to teach pupils to read. Exercise 2: Discuss the different types of assessemnt for reading skills. Describe one way of testing in detail. Administer the test and write a report of the results.

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