Welcome to The Reading Instruction Show. I am
your host, as always, Dr. Andy Johnson. Topic
of today's podcast is this, eight essential literacy
terms. Now, I want to just talk about eight commonly
misunderstood terms related to reading instruction.
The first one, reading. As I've described in
previous podcasts and books and stuff, reading
is not sounding out words. Reading is creating
meaning with print. Misunderstanding this basic
concept has led to the design of many ineffective
reading interventions and programs and instruction.
Word recognition. Word recognition and word identification
are not synonymous. Word recognition refers to
instant and automatic identification of a word.
You see the word and you know what it is without
having to use any word identification strategies.
This is the desired end state of word work. Automatic
recognition of words. Third, word identification.
Word identification refers to the conscious employment
of a strategy to figure out words in print that
are known, meaning in a student's lexicon, but
unrecognized. Strategies to identify words include
morphemic analysis, context clues, analogy or
large unit phonics, and yes, of course, phonics.
And of these four strategies, using phonics is
the least efficient in terms of efficiency and
the amount of space required in short -term memory.
Decoding. Decoding refers to using the code,
letter or symbol code, to identify unrecognized
words in print. In other words, using phonics
to sound out letters and identify words. Strategy.
A strategy is a cognitive process that one consciously
applies to a task. Students should be taught
to consciously apply all four word identification
strategies that I just described, as well as
comprehension and study skill strategies. Skill.
A skill is a cognitive process that has become
automated. That's what a skill is in the context
of reading instruction. Here, you don't have
to think about it. In reading, we teach the strategy
to develop the skill. This means we teach a variety
of word identification and comprehension strategies
so that students use them automatically and effortlessly
while reading. Systematic Phonics instruction.
Almost all teachers and researchers, 99 .98 %
of them, believe that systematic phonics instruction
is an important part of any reading curriculum
or intervention. However, systematic phonics
does not mean that you start at one end of a
scope and sequence chart and work your way through
it in a standardized fashion and in a prescribed
order without consideration of your students'
needs. This would be educational malpractice.
Systematic phonics instruction also does not
mean that phonics skills should not be taught
in isolation apart from meaningful context. There
are places for that. Instead, systematic phonics
instruction means that there is some system or
arrangement in place to make sure that essential
skills are taught and to document when they are
taught and to document when students have learned
them or mastered them. Also, teacher knowledge
and expertise should be utilized to make instructional
decisions about what is taught, in what order,
and in what context, not a scope and sequence
chart. And the last thing, a balanced approach,
a balanced approach to classroom literacy instruction
simply means that there are appropriate amounts
of essential skills instruction and word work,
reading practice using real texts, writing for
authentic purposes, and social interaction around
books and writing. And you ask, what are the
appropriate amounts? Since students are not standardized
product, this varies depending on students' needs.
However, as mentioned in my books and in earlier
chapters, no more than 20 to 30 % of literacy
instruction occurring in a general education
setting should be used for skills instruction.
Now, if this seems like too little skills instruction,
keep in mind that students learn literacy skills
best in the context of authentic literacy activities
and not in isolated drill and practice. This
has been the Reading Instruction Show. I am your
host, Dr. Andy Johnson.