One of the most challenging writing assignments you can get is to describe how to tie your shoelaces.
Obviously, you tie your shoelaces thoughtlessly.
When teaching others, you will show the process step by step instead of offering a written guidebook.
Charles Perfetti has achieved the difficult task of explaining how both beginner and advanced readers develop word recognition skills.
His research offers valuable insights into the cognitive processes behind word recognition and reading development.
While he did not produce a guidebook, his article provides insight into how to introduce beginners to reading.
Understanding the Cognitive Process of Word Recognition in Reading
Researchers and teachers often distinguish between technical reading and reading comprehension.
However, Perfetti finds this dull. These reading processes flow seamlessly into one another.
The most significant question is: how does a beginner become an experienced reader, someone who can read material effortlessly?
To accomplish this, readers must have quick word recognition skills.
How does this work? How precisely do our minds translate letters into words?
Perfetti developed a cognitive model that explains how readers process and recognize words, based on extensive reading research.
This model explains how words are stored in the brain, how readers access their mental lexicon, and how beginners become proficient readers.
Key Insights on How Beginners Become Proficient Readers
Reading entails recognising words.
Traditionally, it was believed that written words were pre-programmed in human brains.
The reader could recognise whole words at a look. But this is not true.
Storing an unlimited amount of words would be incredibly inefficient. Storing fewer sounds and letter symbols is more convenient.
As an expert reader, you may believe you recognise entire words until you encounter an unfamiliar term, such as xenoglossophobia (fear of foreign languages).
Then you are almost the novice who reads letter by letter.
Experienced readers recognise words independently, without relying on context or prior knowledge.
Word recognition is limited in its ability to incorporate external information.
Understanding our mental vocabulary, such as phonemes, graphemes, and word meanings, can aid recognition.
Perfetti refers to his word recognition model as restrictive-interactive.
For those unfamiliar with written language, letters and words may appear as nonsensical scribbles at first.
Just like we can't read Chinese characters. Learning to read involves discovering the meaning behind the weird scribbles.
Reading plays a crucial role in helping beginner readers expand and solidify their mental lexicon for better word recognition.
Regularities in phoneme-grapheme combinations are learnt, such as the requirement for at least one vowel in a word.
Word representations get more exact.
Beginner readers excel in hearing initial letters and consonants, but struggle with vowels and intermediate letters.
More practice leads to more predictable letter sequences. This consistency facilitates reading unfamiliar words and instantly recognising familiar ones.
Word recognition eventually becomes automatic, requiring little cognitive effort.
According to Perfetti, the mental lexicon has evolved into an exclusive club rather than an open bar.
Using the correct sound-letter combination as a key opens up the dictionary, revealing the actual word. This is proficient reading.
Beginning and weak readers struggle with those keys. They make assumptions rather than read thoroughly. This takes more time and raises the possibility of reading errors.
Reading and spelling share the same lexical representations. To determine if word recognition is automated, a spelling test can be used.
If a pupil consistently spells words properly, this indicates that that part of the lexicon is automated.
We say 'that part' because our language is constantly evolving. Even as adults, we can constantly learn new words. Or even learn a new language (assuming you do not suffer from xenoglossophobia).
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Critical Concepts for Early Readers
Phonological and phonemic awareness are common terms when learning to read. Phonology is the study of the sounds, or phonemes, that make up a language.
In education, phonological awareness refers to spoken language, while phonemic awareness focusses on sound-letter combinations.
Encourage sound awareness in nursery classes by focussing on rhymes and particular sounds in words (e.g., who hears the 's'?).
It is a significant predictor of pupils’ ability to read.
Recognising spoken language sounds makes it easier to connect with their corresponding symbols (letters). However, pupils in group 3 do not need to be familiar with all phonemes before beginning formal reading training.
Perfetti demonstrates that they acquire knowledge by reading. Reading improves phonemic awareness, which enhances reading.
Educational Implications: How Perfetti’s Model Enhances Reading Instruction
Reading is a basic subject in primary education. Perfetti explains the process and necessary requirements.
Technical reading requires understanding of sound-letter pairings, which is not surprising.
Perfetti's concept has two significant implications for the design of reading instruction.
First, while phonemic awareness is useful for beginner readers, it is not required. It is not necessary for pupils to be aware of all phonemes before learning to read.
Systematic education in phoneme identification is not required in preschool.
However, preparatory work can still be done in preschool, as demonstrated by activities like rhyme play.
This applies to both technical and comprehension reading as well. This is the second outcome of Perfetti's model.
Technical reading and phonemic awareness are a continuous practice that enhances vocabulary and reading comprehension. This is not completed in year 2, but requires ongoing attention throughout the years.
It's also not advisable to only start focussing on reading comprehension when pupils are already fluent readers.
Text comprehension should always get attention.
Implementing Effective Reading Strategies in Your Classroom
Preschool focusses on letter knowledge and sound awareness, including rhyme.
Systematic instruction for phoneme recognition is not yet required. This applies from year 1 onwards. This type of instruction typically relies on a certain teaching approach.
Perfetti's concept clarifies the essential aspects of reading instruction.
For example, it explains the faults beginner readers make and why. As long as they are only phases, you may be confident that pupils are working hard to master the sound-letter links.
If the mistakes continue, for example, if a pupil repeatedly confuses the letters 'p' and 'b', you must stay alert.
This also applies to guesswork in reading. This is common for novices; they still need to expand their vocabulary with words and regulations. If this continues in the higher years, additional training is required.
As previously noted, you can utilise a spelling exam to determine whether children have automated their reading. The test must then include familiar words.
The Three-Minute Test can also be used to assess word recognition speed.
Be careful not to make reading swiftly a goal in and of itself; instead, view the test as a signal: does this pupil read smoothly, or is he or she still suffering with technical reading?
Focussing solely on fluent reading might lead to frustration and a loss of self-confidence.
Poor test scores may not necessarily indicate that a pupil is not yet ready for reading comprehension.
Technical reading and text understanding should complement each other.
So, chat to your pupils about what they are reading or what you are reading aloud. This approach emphasises the importance of reading for pupils’ knowledge and enjoyment of stories.
Key points
- The initial reading involves discovering the meaning behind weird scribbles.
- Beginning readers develop knowledge of sound-symbol pairings and can recognise words. • Reading and phonemic awareness support one another
Reference
Perfetti, C. A. (1992). The representation problem in reading acquisition.
