Structured Literacy with Caroline 29/01/2021

 The Science of Reading: using research to teach reading

Check the Better Start to Literacy MoE work with UC (and their new texts which are going to become available soon).

How do ch'n LEARN to read vs how do we best TEACH ch'n to read?

This is based on 'old' science.

Check the Year 5 results in PIRLS: 10% of our children came through as illiterate (not even able to be qualified as 'low').

Reading isn't 'natural': speech is natural; reading is an invention. We 'hijack' different parts of our brain to teach reading and writing. We can wire and rewire teach neural pathways.

N.B. the ladder of reading.

ALL ch'n benefit from a structured literacy approach. Up to 65% absolutely need it/ it's absolutely essential, but all will benefit.

N.B. The Simple View of Reading, Gough and Tumnor, 1986

- reading = decoding x language comprehension (if either decoding or language comprehension = 0 the result is 0).

Also see Scarborough's Rope model (2001) relating to comprehension and word recognition.

See Caroline's handout:

• think about MR - decoding + comprehension
• RR - oral language and emotional challenges perhaps masked his potential
• MaQ - ? perhaps like MR

The Brain and FMRI (functional MRI scanning): the Shewitzers' did this research.

Also see Ehri's phases (1994):

• pre-alphabetic phase or logographic phase
• partial alphabetic phase
• full alphabetic phase
• consolidated alphabetic phase - orthographic mapping
• automatic alphabetic phase (automatic recognition of almost every word you see, and at that point you can have comprehension); that automaticity is crucial.

We have to start with the SOUND!! Don't rush into print.

Reading = decode + blend

Writing = segment + encode

"Orthographic mapping is the process we use to permanently store words into long term memory." (David A. Kilpatrick)

When filling any gap for a child, always start with phonemic (understanding that words consist of individual sounds) and phonological awareness (which includes recognising rhyme, syllables, that a sentence might consist of, say, 3 words, etc.).

Skills we Need to Teach to Develop Orthographic Mapping:

Orthographic Mapping = advanced phonemic awareness + letter/sound knowledge and word study (including the meaning of morphemes, e.g., the meaning of 'uni' and the meaning of 's' at the end of a word, etc.) + reading connected text (you need read more in order to become a better reader).

We are slowing down to speed up. Once the foundations are firm, children can read and spell anything.