Previously we have discussed the steps to beginning to read and factors that lead to better readers. However in many cases I will hear parents or teachers complain that the child reads but does not know or cannot answer questions about what has been read. Understanding the text that was read is reading comprehension. Many feel that reading comprehension is something that must come natural to a child. However reading comprehension can also be taught and strengthened through instruction. Research has indentified six areas that can help improve reading comprehension. Monitoring comprehension: In this area students learn to monitor their … Continue reading →

Many beginning teachers and parents confuse phonemic awareness and phonics. They often feel that they are one in the same. However, while the two are closely connected, they are different. When teaching phonics there are many different programs and approaches that can be used. Several of the approaches overlap and intertwine with one another. During phonics instruction the teacher focuses more on the relationship between written letters and spoken sounds. Some different approaches include: Synthetic Phonics: In this approach the students are instructed how to change written terms into sounds to form words. Analytic Phonics: In this form of phonics … Continue reading →

A previous article discussed phonemic awareness and its importance. This article will take a closer look into how to effectively teach phonemic awareness to children. Phonemic awareness is a concept that can be learned and taught. During phonemic awareness instruction, children learn to recognize, manipulate, work with, and listen to spoken words. There are several activities that can be used to help teach phonemic awareness to children. Primary level teachers may use any or all of the following during their classroom instruction. Phoneme Isolation: During this activity children are instructed on how to find certain sounds in a word. For … Continue reading →

Over the past several weeks I have been placing much emphasis on reading. The series began by examining the various aspects of reading and reading instruction. I then began taking a closer look at reading in the primary grade levels. The most recent reading articles pertained to reading at the kindergarten and first grade levels. In this article I will wrap up the primary reading classroom instruction with discussion about second and third grade reading. By the time that a child reaches the second or third grade, reading has become much more complex. The children should be able to read … Continue reading →

I have been placing a major emphasis on reading in last several articles. Reading is a very important aspect of education, especially in the primary years. My last reading articles focused on reading and the kindergarten classroom. I will now turn my attention to the first grade level of reading. At the first grade level students are ready to take part in more intense reading instruction. At this level students and teachers will work with listening and speaking skills, books and print, alphabet, phonics, spelling, writing, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students in the first grade need many opportunities to speak and … Continue reading →

My huge focus thus far for education has been on reading. There is much more to reading and reading instruction than many parents and some teachers realize. Reading is an integral part of a child’s success and education. In previous articles I have described various areas of reading such as phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. I then began taking you for a look into reading at different grade levels. In one of my more recent articles I gave you some insight on how reading should be carried out in the kindergarten classroom. I also began listing some reading skills that … Continue reading →

My last several articles have focused on reading and aspects that go along with reading. I have focused some many articles on this topic because reading is so crucial to a child’s success in life. While many parents work with their child on reading aspects at home, the early years in school is vital to a child’s reading success. So how does a parent know when his or her child is or is not receiving adequate reading instruction at school? My next few articles will help parents determine what skills children should be learning at particular grade levels. The following … Continue reading →