Tue, Nov 20, 2012,
Irish Times
All parents want
their children to realise their potential at school. A weakness in one area,
such as handwriting, reading or numeracy, can lock bright children out of other
areas of the curriculum. When a child falls behind it can undermine confidence
and self-belief.
As parents we want to help but feel
overwhelmed or underqualified. We don’t know whether our input is effective,
and it’s easy to lose heart (and patience). It’s also hard to find time.
The Irish Times
has consulted experts in the primary learning and support, and identified key
areas that cause problems for primary-school children. The result is a
10-minute-a-day plan that helps parents support the work of teachers and helps
children progress in stubborn areas.
In the coming
weeks we will hear from a range of learning experts in literacy and numeracy.
This week we look
at reading fluency: the ability to decode letters and words with enough
confidence to understand and enjoy reading.
Many children
struggle with reading, and a supportive parent can make a big difference. The
10-minute-a-day routine is simple, requires no training or expensive equipment
and gives parents a chance to enjoy quiet interaction with their children that
will stand to them in all aspects of learning.
Here’s the first
part of our expert advice. LOUISE
HOLDEN
Little and often
A fluent reader
reads smoothly and with expression. Limited fluency, or “dysfluent reading”,
demands so much energy to work out what the words are that there is little
opportunity to think about what they mean. The child can read, but without
getting the gist of what it was all about.
It is easy to
become frustrated when your child’s reading is dysfluent, but there are simple
ways we can help our children.
All children learn
differently, so it is worth asking your child’s teacher for guidance. But the
following tips are generally applicable to a wide range of children.
Do not
underestimate the value of investing a little time each day in your child’s
reading. The adage of little and often is the best way to avoid frustration and
build confidence.
Some elements of
the process, such as learning high-frequency words, will be tedious, but if
sessions are brief and regular it will keep your child motivated. Establish his
or her current level of reading and work from there. Material that is too
difficult is frustrating, but easier material can be too babyish. There is a
range of reading material that interests older children but is less challenging
to read.
While working with
your child you may sometimes feel impatient or disappointed. Even the faintest
sigh or roll of the eyes will be picked up. Remember, it is not about where the
child should be but where he is and how you can help him move forward, step by
step.
Remember, if you
know that your child’s reading level is not on a par with his peers’, he knows
it too. An important part of your role is to make him feel better about where
he is and the progress he is making.
Have patience and
try different approaches. Remember to enjoy success.
When your child
finds a level at which he is reading fluently, let him stay a while and
consolidate it.
When it comes to
literacy, overlearning is a good thing. They will use these skills forever. ANNE ENGLISH
Finding meaning
If you think of
fluency as the ability to read with expression, then the reader needs to be
able to understand the author’s meaning. Learning to read is an integrated
process and is not easy for most children. It has to be developed through years
of purposeful activity, and parents can play a very important role.
If your child is
struggling with reading, the first thing to remember is that you are not alone.
If you are frustrated with the situation, you can be certain that your child is
too. Don’t create anxiety with unreasonable expectations. Seek help and a more
rounded solution.
The first step
starts with the school. Schedule a meeting and ask the teacher what they have
observed in relation to your child’s skills and what they might recommend.
When a child
experiences difficulties with fluency, parents sometimes try to address them
with long, intense sessions of reading at home. Short spells of 10 minutes each
day are far more productive.
Find a quiet
reading corner in the house and furnish it with reading material of interest to
your child. Make your sessions in the reading corner calm, inviting and
enjoyable, and don’t overdo it. Leave them wanting more. Your child will be
more motivated to read a book they have chosen themselves in the library or
bookshop.
Don’t make older
children read books for younger children. There are books that are pitched at
older readers with younger reading-age profiles. They are known as “high
interest, low readability” books, and you can get them from educational
publishers, at school or from libraries.
As a final tip on
fluency, I often recommend a speech and drama club. Reading and acting out
lines is a great way to build fluency and helps children engage with text in a
more meaningful, purposeful and expressive way. BARRY MORRISSEY
The series is
compiled by Louise Holden and Gráinne Faller
Seven steps to more fluent
reading
1 In a busy home, finding time and space for quiet reading is
perhaps the most difficult challenge, but the results are well worth it. Create
a spot where reading sessions always happen – a corner of your child’s room for
example. Find a time that works, maybe just after dinner or just before
bedtime. Even try getting up 10 minutes earlier in the morning.
2 Choose the right reading material. It has to be interesting
but not frustrating. Don’t give a child reading material with content that is
too babyish for them. There are books for children whose reading level is
behind their interest level. If you can’t get your hands on such material, try
compiling material from the internet or newspapers in the form of a project
that interests the child.
3 Start with a conversation. What is this book going to be
about? What does the title suggest? What do the pictures suggest? These help
children to read with purpose.
4 Paired reading is when a teacher or parent reads with a child
to help model good reading and to support the child’s own efforts. There are
several kinds of paired reading – try them all to see what works.
* Assisted reading
Read a part of the
text and let the child take over at an agreed point. You read every second
page, for example, or, if the going is very slow, every second paragraph. This
can alleviate frustration.
* Chorus reading
Parent and child
read together out loud. This way the child gets a sense of your tone and
cadences, where you stop and pause and how you add expression. Listen closely
to ensure that your child is able to read with you most of the time. If she is
dropping out too frequently the material is too advanced.
* Echo reading
This is very
effective for children experiencing significant difficulties with fluency.
First you read the sentence. Then you and the child read the sentence together.
Finally the child reads the sentence alone.
You are modelling
the right way to read, scaffolding the child’s attempt, and then giving the
child an independent run at it.
Shadow reading
uses a similar approach, but you use longer blocks of text.
5 If you look at any reading passage you will find that certain
words occur again and again. These are known as high-frequency words (an
internet search will find them).
Various studies
have compiled lists of these; for example, the Dolch list contains 100 words
that can constitute up to half the words in the material we read. If a child
can recognise these words fluently it makes the job of reading much easier.
Pay particular
attention to these words as they crop up in the text and reinforce them with
your child.
6 If a child is reading without expression or apparent comprehension,
but getting the words right, try asking them to read the same paragraph a
number of times, but with feeling. You can model this for them. This can even
be fun if you really exaggerate, use accents and hand gestures.
7 Finish the session with discussion and praise. Even if you
have only succeeded in reading a few lines in your session, talk to your child
about the meaning of what you have just read. This conversation extends
vocabulary, aids comprehension and whets their appetite for the next session.
Are you worried about your
child's progress?
“How was school
today?”
“Fine.”
Does that sound
familiar – and infuriating? Maybe your timing is off. Are you always ready to
talk about your day right at the end of it?
Spot opportunities
(when cleaning the car at the weekend or at the shops) when you can chat about
school indirectly.
Also try a
different opening line: “What was the best thing you did at school last week?”
for instance. If there seems to be a problem at school, get in contact. If
there is good communication between child, home and school, then any problems
are far more likely to be spotted and fixed.
If you’re having
trouble with school communication, you might want to speak to someone a little
removed from the situation, to get some support or maybe even another point of
view. Go to one or two trusted sources of information, and trust your own
instincts.
Are your worries
well founded? If not, then focus on dealing with your anxiety and trying to
reduce it. If the answer is yes, then act.
Remember, you may
not be able to help your child as much as you’d like. Do your best. You do not
need to get every decision spot on. Perfect parents don’t exist. “Good enough”
parenting is enough.
Meet our experts: Trio of
literacy consultants
Anne English is the principal of Scoil San Treasa, a primary school in
south Co Dublin. She has worked for a number of years with primary children
experiencing difficulties and has a keen interest in the challenges children
face as they develop literacy skills.
Barry Morrissey is literacy co-ordinator and learning-support teacher at Scoil
Na Naomh Uilig, in Newbridge, Co Kildare. He has a special interest in literacy
and has worked with readers of all abilities.
Donald Ewing is the head of psychological and educational services with the
Dyslexia Association of Ireland. He has held posts as both a senior and
principal educational psychologist and has worked as a professional adviser
within the education division of the Scottish government.
Next week
Reading
comprehension
Week 3
Spelling
Week 4
Maths
© 2012 The Irish
Times
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