To function in a literate society, it is vital to be able to read, but this skill takes effort. Children who see the value of reading in their personal activities will be more likely to work harder than those who fail to see its benefits.
At the onset of formal education, the teacher structures conditions for the child’s actions and also designs situations that elicit the learner’s thinking, reasoning and reading skills. Later on learners will change the conditions to suit the learning activity and seek new ways of interacting with the reading material.
To teach reading effectively, the teacher – especially in the lower grades of schooling – must consider the following aspects.
Phonics instruction
Phonics instruction teaches children that there is a relationship between the letters of written language (graphemes) and the individual sounds of spoken language (phonemes). Regardless of what some critics say, the goal of phonics instruction is to make children understand that there is a systematic and predictable relationship between written letters and spoken sounds. Knowing these relationships will help children recognise familiar words accurately and automatically, and to decode new words. A child must learn phonic information to the point of it becoming automatic. This contributes to children’s ability to read words in isolation and in connected text. But phonics instruction is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
Vocabulary instruction
If one accepts that comprehension is the goal of reading, then vocabulary is the foundation of reading comprehension. Vocabulary refers to the body of words one needs to communicate effectively. This includes knowing the meaning of the words and how to pronounce them correctly. If a learner has a limited understanding of vocabulary, he or she will have a limited understanding of the concepts which in turn will limit the understanding of the content. As beginning readers, children use words they have heard to make sense of words they see in print. Educational researchers have also found a strong correlation between reading and vocabulary knowledge, meaning learners who have a large vocabulary are usually good readers. Vocabulary can also be learned incidentally during storybook reading or when listening to others. If one reads extensively one is likely to be or become a good reader. Children also need to recognise the shape of words and the letters and syllables that make up words.
Text comprehension
Comprehension is the main reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand what they are reading, then they are not reading. Reading research has shown that instruction in comprehension can help learners understand what they are reading, remember what they are reading and communicate with others about what they have read. Comprehension can be improved by teaching children to use specific cognitive strategies or to reason strategically when they encounter barriers to understanding what they read. Comprehensive skills can be achieved through cooperative learning, question and answer sessions, generating questions around a text, and by using pictures, drawings and graphs.
Fluency instruction
Fluency is the ability to read orally with speed, accuracy and proper expression. Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension. This can be achieved through repeated oral reading with teachers, peers or parents. Feedback is essential as learners will want to know whether or not their reading is as expected. Children should be encouraged to read silently on their own at school and at home. The more children read, the more their reading skills will improve and the more their world view broadens.
Dr Molefe Ralenala is the director of children and youth literacy in the department of education. This series is in support of the department of education’s Foundations for Learning Campaign, aimed at improving learners’ literacy and numeracy skills.