Reading for Life: High Quality Literacy Instruction for All

Description

Why is it that more people can’t read and write? Why are there still so many vastly different methods of teaching literacy? Why do people still argue about it? Reading for Life examines these three questions, addressing the less evidence supported ideas about teaching reading and writing which are still alive and well in schools all over the world. This accessible guide bridges the gap between research and practice, translating academic findings into practical suggestions and ready-to-use techniques. Written in an approachable style and with informative graphics, vignettes and interviews woven throughout, this book covers: the components of literacy, including phonics, vocabulary and fluency the history of approaches to literacy teaching and an overview of the key figures government-level inquiries into the provision of reading and writing teaching the mindset which leads to acceptance of poor practice the essential components of an effective literacy program with practical advice on selecting resources to get the job done well Reading for Life helps educational practitioners make informed decisions about which teaching methods to reject and select, and empowers parents to ask the right questions of professionals and policy makers. This book is a timely exploration of poor teaching methods and is an innovative, fresh assessment of how high quality literacy teaching can be provided for all. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Table of Contents Notation guide Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1 A simple view The Simple View and dual coding The Big Six Whole language: A linguistic profile Whole word: A cognitive load too far Why don’t we all teach structured literacy? References Chapter 2 Oral language development Why early intervention is important References Chapter 3 Phonological awareness Syllables (syl-la-bles) Onsets (on-Sets) Rimes (rIMES) Phonemic awareness /fə ˈ nimɪ k ə ˈ wɛ rnə s/1 Note Chapter 4 Phonics Synthetic phonics Analytic phonics Embedded phonics Even synthetic phonics has variation Decodable vs. predictable readers The biggest phonics fallacy Reference Chapter 5 Fluency Accuracy in word decoding Automatic processing: Practice, persistence and patience Prosodic reading Reference Chapter 6 Vocabulary Does reading improve vocabulary? Word families Sight word vocabulary (SWV) References Chapter 7 Comprehension What is comprehension? A few things to remember about comprehension Reference Chapter 8 Underlying processes for reading Rapid automatized naming (RAN) Working memory Processing speed What can be done References Chapter 9 The consequences of low literacy The school-to-prison pipeline Shame fatigue Mental health and literacy References Chapter 10 The major players Who’s who of reading Chapter 11 Children left behind The Snow Report (Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children) The National Reading Panel The Reading Excellence Act The No Child Left Behind bill The National Right to Read Foundation References Chapter 12 Rose to the occasion The Plowden Report 1967: It’s not broken, so let’s fix it The Education Reform Act 1988 The Office for Standards of Education (Ofsted) 1992 The National Literacy Strategy Framework for Teaching 1998 The Rose Report 2006 Letters and Sounds Program released 2009 Match-funded phonics 2011–13 The National Phonics Screening Check 2012 References Chapter 13 The Land of Oz Deeply entrenched whole language culture National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy The Dyslexia Working Party Reference Chapter 14 The current scene Non-profit organisations Commercial organisations that engage in activism Bloggers/tweeters/activists Reference Chapter 15 Why changing your mind is good for you Type 1: The Lifelong Learner Type 2: The Blissful Plodder Type 3: The Rigid Idealist The hard questions Chapter 16 Cults and catchphrases The oxbow lake effect Reference Chapter 17 Won’t get fooled again: Logical fallacy Logical fallacy Ad hominem Argumentum ad populum/bandwagon Straw man This …  therefore that Appeal to authority Anecdotal evidence Special pleading References Chapter 18 Fooling ourselves: Cognitive bias Confirmation bias The Dunning-Kruger effect The anchoring bias The halo effect Check your bias before buying: References Chapter 19 Snake oil: The disappointing truth The placebo effect: Every bite counts The Hawthorne effect Coloured lenses/vision therapy Listening therapy/auditory programs ‘Brain training’ Physical movement programs How to protect against snake oil References Chapter 20 Diagnosis: Dyslexia Dyslexia myths and facts The warning signs Who can help? References Chapter 21 Teaching reading and writing: Overview The setup The Survival List References Chapter 22 Teaching handwriting Left-handedness Chapter 23 Teaching the alphabet The steps: Transition to the next stage Alphabet teaching checklist Reference Chapter 24 Teaching phonological awareness Kinaesthetic feedback Specific uses in literacy instruction Syllables For reading For writing Manipulating sounds in words Reference Chapter 25 Teaching phonics The Snowman Game Vowels and vowel teams Additional vowel teams Phonics and sight words Giant steps, baby steps Writing lessons Teaching syllables with phonics References Chapter 26 Teaching fluency Should finger pointing be allowed? Correcting mistakes The performance piece Resources Writing aversion The 21 Day Writing Challenge Cursive handwriting References Chapter 27 Teaching vocabulary Morphology The –ed suffix The Yes/No Game Irregular past tenses The days of the week Chapter 28 Teaching comprehension Glossary Index