Coaching literacy in schools

A number of US schools have recently introduced specialist instructional coaches, who work together with class teachers to help young students with early reading and literacy skills, according to an article on the website Reading Rockets.

There is clear evidence that improving teachers’ classroom practices can be of great benefit to the development of young learners, and a clear correlation between better reading instruction and improved results in so-called ‘struggling schools’ has been found recently.

The research points to three specific characteristics shared by successful coaches, which are pedagogical knowledge, content expertise and interpersonal capabilities. A wealth of experience in teaching methods and an in-depth knowledge of how children learn are without doubt of enormous value, but it is only through the ability to relate to and elicit positive responses from a child that marks the true success of a coach.

There has generally been a clear improvement in early child literacy and reading skills in schools where specialist coaches have been introduced, and it remains to be seen when similar initiatatives will be introduced to other English-speaking countries. It is certainly something to be praised.

Does television delay reading development?

An interesting article on the UK’s BBC website last week reported on new research arguing that watching large amounts of television can have a negative impact on childhood literacy development.

Apparently the research found that when children were able to hear a television – either in the background or while they were watching – the ‘number of words spoken and sounds made by either adult or child reduced considerably’.

This research certainly backs up the opinions of a number of literacy experts, such as the Australian Mem Fox, who criticise some teachers and parents who actively promote television watching as a means of teaching language and literacy. They feel that, since television watching doesn’t allow for a two-way conversation, it can inhibit the growth of an emerging reader’s vocabulary.

However, a balanced approach is usually the best, and this instance is no exception. Television watching in small doses can be beneficial to reading development, and so-called educational programmes can be a good source of learning. What’s important is that they are used in moderation, and not as a substitute for reading aloud with a child.

Whole language v Phonics – the debate re-ignited in Australia

The Australian newspaper published an interesting article in the week which has ignited the age-old ‘phonics versus whole language approach’ debate in relation to the teaching of reading to young children.

The article outlines how remedial reading experts have criticised the ‘National Curriculum Board’ – the group responsible for devising the national teaching guidelines from kindergarten to Year 12 – for giving in to the demands of a number of university academics and teachers, who advocate ‘the whole language’ approach to reading rather than the letter-sound relationship, or ‘phonics’, approach.

Reading experts sent a letter to the Australian Education Minister, Julia Gillard, complaining that the board had ignored “key players in drafting its latest advice on the shape of the proposed new English curriculum”.

The general concensus among child literacy experts is that a balance of phonics teaching and whole language instruction is the key to a solid grounding in critical literacy. It stands to reason that children need to know how words are constructed, and how the compound elements of those words sound, before they can understand the full context of what they are reading. That’s not to say that a holistic approach to reading instruction is wrong, nor that it shouldn’t be embraced as part of the K-12 reading syllabus; it’s just probably more appropriate for it to be introduced after the basics of ‘word decoding’ have been taught.

The most surprising aspect of all this is that the university academics and teachers, who allegedly have little or no experience in teaching reading, do not advocate the ‘balanced’ approach held by the majority reading experts.

Using poetry to help a child’s reading development – part 3

To wrap up, here are two more ways you can use poetry to help your child’s reading skills:

Learn poems together and read them out loud

Your local library will have anthologies of children’s poetry that you’ll be able to take out on loan. You could even put on recital evenings when you invite friends around to join in with reading poems out loud.

Go to a kids poetry reading

These are great fun, and they often have animated or acted-out shows that allow the poems to come to life and capture the imagination of small children. Again ask at your local library for information about readings in your local area.

Using poetry to help a child’s reading development – part 2

A couple more ways you can use poetry to help your child’s reading skills:

Write a poem with your child

This can be great fun, and an invaluable exercise as it gets your child to examine and explore words that rhyme and allows them to evaluate word choices. Keep it simple and don’t be too rigid!

Buy a book of limericks

Limericks are great fun and are sure to have your little one giggling. It’s also a fun means of getting a child familiar with structures like meter, rhyme, rhythm and sound. Ideal for kids aged from about 4-10, although it’s true that everyone loves a good limerick!

Using poetry to help a child’s reading development – part 1

Poetry is a medium that is full of humour, emotion, rhyme and rhythm, and these elements are what make it so engaging medium for young children. Because poems can conjur up such vivid images, they can transport children’s imaginations to places that normal prose isn’t able to. Here is the first of a number of ways you can use poetry to help your child. Watch this space for the rest of them!

1. Read nursery rhymes

Nursery rhymes are a form of poetry. Young children respond well to the rhythms, rhymes and humour of nursery rhymes, so they can be considered a rich resource for language development. The musical nature of many nursery rhymes makes them easily memorable too. If you have a very young child, get hold of a book of nursery rhymes and read or sing them to her while looking at the illustrations together. Don’t miss out on what could be a defining moment in your little one’s education.

The benefits of a home library – part 5

Ending the day – reading together with your child is a great way for both of you to unwind after a hectic day. Find a cosy corner of the sofa or your little one’s bed, and let the cares of the day dissolve as you read his favourite story together.

The benefits of a home library – part 4

Maintaining a routine for reading is highly beneficial. Why? Because repeated exposure to books enables the nuances of language to be ingrained in children’s brains, as well as providing invaluable bonding time between parent and child. It is crucial that a regular reading routine is the norm, as this provides the best environment for learning to read well.

The benefits of a home library – part 3

Rather than limiting your reading sessions with your child to a routine, indoor activity, why not be spontaneous, and try other locations and unorthodox times. Keep books in the car, in your handbag, on the washing machine, even in the garden in summer (weather permitting!) Often it is these reading sessions that a child remembers over the others. Spontaneous reading can also help introduce them to words and language that they might not otherwise be exposed to at home.

The benefits of a home library – part2

Book baskets are a fantastic way to store books in a tidy but accessible way in the house, and they provide mini-libraries in themselves. Having them in different rooms opens up regular opportunities to read in new locations, and this keeps things fresh. To make things fun and exciting, try keeping book baskets of different shapes and sizes, and mix up the types of books you keep in each one.

They make tidying up easy, but they also help make reading easier too.