Reading instruction is undergoing a revival and reformation. You may scratch your head at this statement and look 360 degrees in your world for evidence of its truth. It is a true statement and here is what you should know.
A generation of teachers who are 10 to 25 years in the profession are realizing that they do not possess the needed skills sets to teach reading. College-based teacher preparation programs in the 90s and first two decades of this century under-taught an understanding of reading and the technical instruction of reading. They taught about reading and literacy in general. Teachers today are reassessing what they know, or don’t know, about the teaching of reading and engaging in needed professional development.
Check it out. If you are a younger teacher, inspect your transcript for coursework in reading instruction. You will find few, if any courses, labeled “Instruction of Reading” and if there is one course there is not two or three. You will find units within the courses you completed that reference reading skill building and literacy, but a lack of strong preparation in the evidence-based teaching of reading.School districts analyze the reading achievements and annual growth of children in their classrooms, gasp at the poor results, and go through the throes of trying new reading programs. Educational leaders are understanding that changing an adopted reading series is not the answer. The answer is developing more powerful teachers of reading and this begins with each teacher’s understanding of the science of reading. Leaders on the bleeding edge of reading reform will see the statistical and real reading development their children need and later on other leaders will follow.
Reading gap analysis shows us today that reading skills for many children are obstructed by aspects of dyslexia. Their lesser reading skills are not caused by a disinterest in reading but by neurological impediments. This one word, dyslexia, is causing teacher preparation programs to completely rethink and reconstruct how they teach teachers to teach reading. And, that is the first major change – teachers need to be taught how to teach reading. Reading cannot be taught by someone who can read as their singular skill set. A reading teacher skillfully uses the science of reading development to cause children to learn to read.
Reading advocates are mobilized. A decade ago there were soccer moms who collectively harnessed their interests to gain our attention. Today, moms are organizing to cause political and educational decision makers to understand that reading is fundamental to our democracy and that we can cause every citizen to be an effective reader. They and we cannot accept the current status quo – some children graduate from school as non-readers.
This movement is differs from the work of state reading associations. Our state association is a proponent of reading, just as they stand for apple pie and the nation’s flag. But, their traditional platform is about reading not the assurance that every child can read effectively. Interestingly, the state association is large in the lobbying and influencing to state legislation which means that legislators are slow to turn from their annual receipt of the associations donation of apple pie to the real problem – apple pie does not teach children to read.
There is a science to reading. We accept the science within the technologies we use without thought. We just turn it on. Reading is not a skill we just turn on. There is a science to the teaching of reading. Causing all children to be effective readers requires every thought and resource we can bring to the challenge.
Since the 60s, I have been a fan of the late Harry Chapin, singer, song writer, and champion for feeding the world. His foundation continues long after his death living his credo to align with “important causes and never be afraid to do the right thing”. Harry would have carried a banner for “Every Child – A Reader”. It is an essential and righteous cause and we cannot be afraid of doing the right things today to make every child a reader.
Check out these sites to learn more.
https://www.decodingdyslexiawi.org/
Facebook – The Science of Reading – What I Should Have Learned in College
https://institute.aimpa.org/resources/pathways-to-practice
http://www.buzzsprout.com/612361/1866496-about-science-of-reading-the-podcast