#teaching reading

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At this point tumblr user @/ms-hells-bells reblogged with this link:

This reblog included this link:

This reblog included this link:

I just personally listened to episodes 1 through 8 of this podcast and believe it to be key in understanding what has happened and why as far as this switch in reading instruction and how things are coming back to phonics (though now they're referring to 'the science of reading' for reasons that are explained in the podcast).

In searching for resources for myself, being a parent, I have found this book with accompanying book for the child, which can be bundled when you select to purchase:

https://smartactivitylab.gumroad.com/l/kbitib

If your child can read the words on a page but struggles to tell you what the story was about — you are not alone.

This is one of the most common early reading challenges, and it has a name: decoding without comprehension.

Your child has learned the sounds. They can sound out the words. But the meaning? That part isn't sticking yet.

The good news is that this is completely normal at ages 6–8 — and it is very fixable.

What is reading comprehension and why does it matter?

Reading comprehension is the ability to read a text and understand its meaning. It is the bridge between learning to read and actually using reading as a tool for learning.

My first kneejerk instict was to reply that evil doesn’t have to be necessary, but instead I asked her to expand on that. (“Would you tell me a little more about that?”)

She proceeded to explain that if there isn’t evil, then books would be boring. The hero would have nothing to do. Aha! She doesn’t really mean evil is necessary for the world, but that an antagonist —which we broke down even further to mean “conflict”—is necessary in literature. She wants books to have real stakes!

This opened up a great discussion on different types of conflict, on whether antagonists must be evil/“bad guys” at all, and my favorite topic, “no such thing as an evil baby” (aka is evil inherently there from birth, modeled, as result of trauma, something latent that can be triggered [physical or mental], or something else?). Opinions varied, but they unanimously agreed that “born evil” was the most boring option.

The Schwa sound – PHONICS lesson - How to teach SCHWA for learning to read?  The schwa sound is the most common sound in the English language. It is estimated that one in every five words have the schwa sound!

However, most people don't know about (or even notice!) this /uh/ sound, that is so incredibly frequent in English!

But... Why do we even have this sound in English? (YES, there is a reason!)

Where EXACTLY can we find it?

What impact does the schwa sound have for children learning to read? And for children learning to spell?

How should we go about teaching this sound to our children or students? How to introduce the schwa sound in our phonics lessons? 

All of this (and much more!) covered in this video! 

Are you looking for a phonics-based literacy curriculum for your child?

One option that has been around since 1976 is Explode the Code. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at what this program offers, its approach to teaching reading, and what you can expect from it.

This learn-to-read program is a “classic,” but still well-regarded, widely-used and relevant these days.

Why? What can you expect? What sort of approach to teaching reading does it use? Is it good? Is it the right choice for your specific needs?