Is it better to teach beginning readers individual letters or full words? That question has been argued for decades. In countries where English is the primary language, a reading war is waging. In English, letters and sounds do not always correspond exactly (e.g., bread versus meat, wash versus pay).
Proponents of the whole-language approach argue that you cannot teach kids such a volatile system. Proponents of phonics argue that teaching pupils sound-letter combinations provides a foundation for decoding all words, while teaching them all words is impossible.
In the United States, the government even established a National Reading Panel to explore what actually works. Phonics instruction has proven to be the most effective method for teaching beginning readers.
However, numerous schools continued to use the worldwide system. Ssome people still believe that this is a good strategy; it would benefit 'visual thinkers', for example.
The researchers Anne Castles, Kathleen Rastle, and Kate Nation aim to end the reading conflict once and for all by dispelling myths about reading didactics.
Phonics vs. Whole-Language: Key Research Insights
Despite research demonstrating the effective strategies of reading didactics, pupils continue to struggle with reading comprehension. Castles and colleagues' article uses research insights to launch a reading offensive.
The researchers carefully define what has and has not been demonstrated to be successful, as well as the implications for instructional practice.
They provide more than just training in sounds and letters. Learning to decipher is just the beginning. Reading teaching ultimately aims to improve text comprehension.
To teach pupils to read, it's important to provide direct instruction, ample practice, and engaging books.
How Decoding and Word Recognition Drive Reading Success
The first step in learning to read is to become acquainted with written language. Children in kindergarten learn to identify specific sounds and letters in spoken language.
The next step is to recognise that scribbles on paper are not random, but rather letter signals (graphemes) representing phonemes. There are more than 26 letters in the alphabet, including complex letters like 'ie' and 'ea'.
Students need direct instruction to master phonics and sound-letter combinations, a key to early literacy. Direct instruction is the most effective technique to teach them this. Opponents argue that this is boring and demotivating for children.
Castles and his colleagues call this nonsense. This is the only and best option. Furthermore, the term 'boring' may be excessively adult-oriented. Teachers in year 1 understand the excitement and pride pupils feel when they read their first words.
While decoding can become repetitive, it is essential for early reading development and long-term literacy success. Not only is it dull, but it's also ineffective. So give pupils the opportunity to apply what they've learnt as quickly as possible.
Initially, teachers use method texts and reading books, focussing on phonically pure words and graphemes that pupils have mastered. These are useful for the first several weeks, but lack content and reinforce pupils’ existing knowledge of language.
Castles and colleagues recommend moving to actual books with authentic narrative and language as soon as possible. This promotes learning and reading motivation.
Once pupils have mastered decoding, they can approach texts individually. However, for fluent reading, more is required. According to David Share's self-teaching theory, beginning readers improve their reading comprehension by reading more.
Reading increases knowledge of word spelling (orthography). The brain generates an orthographic lexicon of frequently encountered words, promoting automatic recognition. Frequent reading enhances the lexical quality of our brain.
Morphological awareness, or understanding of word structure, can also benefit kids. Early exposure to prefixes and suffixes like 'on-', '-ity’, and '-ty’ leads to faster word recognition.
Decoding and word recognition work simultaneously. The process of recognising unknown words begins with decoding each one.
Decoding and recognising words from spoken language is easier for pupils than learning new words. That is why a broad vocabulary is essential. Improved word recognition increases working memory capacity for text comprehension.
Learning to read begins with decoding, but ultimately aims at text comprehension. Reading comprehension requires intense brain activity. The reader uses multiple cognitive resources, including working memory, to decode, recognise, interpret, and monitor understanding. Failure of a single cog can affect text comprehension.
Castles and colleagues refute the idea that working memory training can improve reading skills. This makes no sense at all. Embedding abilities is the most effective way to automate them and free up working memory to attach meaning to texts.
Castles and colleagues advocate emphasising the importance of understanding the reading process and effective reading instruction in teacher preparation.
Implications for Education
In our country, the reading war appears to have been settled decades ago, and schools prioritise learning to decode. The global technique has not totally disappeared. For instance, it can help pupils with significant intellectual or learning disabilities who struggle to decode basic words.
Unfortunately, some still believe that teaching full words is the most effective technique. This might be useful for visual thinkers, for example.
The concept of visual thinkers is a myth that has been linked to another myth. The rationale behind this is faulty, as visual thinkers can easily absorb 34 letter images rather than an unlimited number of words.
It cannot be overstated how ineffective working memory training is. Pupils learn to read through direct instruction, extensive practice, a diverse language offering in the classroom, and meaningful language and reading education.
These are the same principles that reading researchers repeatedly express. To successfully implement the reading offensive in response to decreased reading performance, instructors must be equipped with research-based knowledge.
According to Castles and colleagues, teacher training colleges should prioritise teaching this expertise.
Applying Phonics and Word Recognition in Your Classroom
Many of the researchers' suggestions will most likely be familiar to you and applicable. Almost every school starts with year 3, which focuses on teaching sound-letter combinations and word recognition.
And, perhaps, you will allow your pupils to practise reading extensively, looking beyond the reading texts provided by the method. For example, you can begin by working on reading texts together, with you reading the words that are still too difficult and pupils reading what they can (just) handle.
Before allowing your pupils to read a document independently, mark any problematic terms. Real texts are important because they challenge pupils and show them that they are more than just practice material; they have something to offer, such as a good tale or interesting facts.
Talking about words is an effective way to increase morphological awareness. From year 2, when texts contain increasingly longer words, you can concentrate on new terms: look at the parts of the word; do you recognise any? Use difficult phrases yourself and talk about them with pupils. Allow them to explore and play with linguistic concepts.
Key takeaways
- Direct instruction is necessary for students to master decoding skills, as they do not do so naturally.
- Reading genuine literature promotes learning and motivation.
- Focussing solely on working memory is ineffective; kids can learn to automate reading skills through extensive reading.
- Encourage kids to discuss terms frequently to increase language awareness.
Reference
Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert.