Reading takes work and since the work goes “underground” the concept becomes daunting for students who need to work harder than others because it is not a visual process. How do we impress upon all students that reading at any age takes practice and work?
A good way to help students understand that reading takes practice and work is by comparing it to something that they can more easily relate through using real world examples like riding a bike or learning complex math problems. It is important to help them understand that no one gets these things on the first try, but continuous practice and applying new strategies is key to building the necessary skills. Also, it is important to emphasize that everyone learns at their own pace and to not compare themselves to their classmates/peers that may be reading at a higher level.
-What stood out to you in these chapters?
Something that stood out to me from these chapters was the “Simple View of Reading”. This was discussed on page 17, with the focus on decoding and oral language comprehension being critical to reading comprehension. I was in awe looking at the different algorithm that was being used to show the outcome of the product of the two reading skills for comprehension. It was very interesting to see it explained in that perspective and really hammers in the importance of a reader being able to master those two crucial skills. This is also a really good example of how different foundational skills go hand in hand with one another along an individual's journey of learning to become a successful reader.
-How does the Science of Reading impact your instruction? (regardless of content area)
The Science of Reading impacts instruction heavily, from being able to read an assigned book in reading class, to reading the directions on a math test. A lack of foundational reading skills can be severely detrimental to a student's learning. As teachers, we need to make sure that we are aware of any challenges that our students are facing and make sure we are creating our instructions in ways that help our students through any barriers that they face with reading.
-What skills are important to be able to read?
Although there are many different skills that are valuable to being able to read, pages 19 and 20 list very crucial and foundational skills. Some skills referred to in the text include phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.