Introduction
Every child takes a unique path in learning to read that
can rely on various factors. These
factors can be based on their social environment before they start school. It all starts when we are born being curious
about our surroundings. Babies want to
learn about their environment in which they live. As they develop, they want to learn new
things and how to communicate with their loved ones. How a baby develops really depends on their
social environment. The key ingredient
is that the family is active in introducing them to the world of books. Additionally, the young child learns language
development from listening to their family and peers. They enhance language by listening to the
stories their parents read to them. It
is the introduction to books with decodable pictures that helps a young child
interpret the world around them. The
important role of a parent is to build the excitement of exploring books for
their children. The more the child is
exposed to books, the more likely they will embrace reading. In the early years, it helps to introduce your
child to the library and read each day to them.
Children relate to book that have characters they recognize from
television shows such as Dora or a common experience. They learn to explore a book by decoding the
pictures. The amount of this exposure
will help a teacher take a student to the next level of reading. However, the challenge a teacher faces is
each child she gets has a different level of exposure to language and
books. It is up to the teacher to help
bridge the gap between his/her students in order to help them embrace learning
to read. A teacher needs to understand
the different stages of reading and know it is not easy for everyone to learn
to read. The children need to be given
the tools to be a successful reader.
Most importantly, a teacher needs to realize each student is different
and they need to be assessed to determine their reading level.
Learning
to Read Stages
Each
child begins the process with language development, so they can communicate
with their family and peers. The first
stage is the pre-alphabetic where a child is learning their letters. It is important
to focus on learning letters, letter sounds, and expanding their word
vocabulary. This stage is the most
important because if you do not grasp these concepts, then you will have
difficulties down the road learning to read independently. Usually picture books are used in this stage,
so they can develop picture literacy by learning to interpret the meaning in
the story. The pictures books play an
important role in attracting a student to read by the artistic design elements
and its relation to the text in the story.
This is where the artistic style of the pictures helps the early reader
relate to the mood and setting of the story.
This is enhanced by the student ability to draw pictures to help tell a
story.
The
next two stages early alphabetic and later alphabetic help develop the skills
of phonological awareness, phonics, word recognition, spelling, and repeated
exposure to reading materials. This is
where the students move from sounding out letters to being able to take more cues
on sounding out more complex words. The
best strategies is rhyming words, learning about word families, having spelling
tests, exposing them to new vocabulary, and having them write down their
thoughts. This is taking the student to
the next level and their progress really depends on how they have mastered their
previous skills. Again, having the
student incorporate a home reading program is the key to their success. This stage begins to introduce the students
to leveled readers and chapter books depending on their progress. The students first learn to read by reading
aloud and then move towards reading to them themselves. The teacher needs to have assessments to
understand where each student stands, so they do not get frustrated where they
do not want to read. At this stage, we
want to develop independent readers with minimal frustration. Another main component to reading is keeping
the student’s interest in reading by helping them find stories that interest
them. As a teacher, it is important to
know your student in order to make recommendations on what stories they can
read.
The
next stage is reading fluency where the student has expanding vocabulary and
phonics, and can decipher longer words.
At this level, the student has developed comprehension skills where they
can answer questions about the story they have read. They learn to ask questions to themselves as
the story unfolds. The independent
reader can reflect deeply about the story and write about it. They have a strong understanding of different
genres of books and want to be exposed to new stories that challenge their
minds. The further development of
vocabulary and reading comprehension is explored in depth in grades four and
beyond.
Reading
Development Levels
The
four stages of reading development are called the emergent, early, transition,
and fluent readers. The emergent readers
need books that are going to catch their attention. Primarily, they read picture books where they
can recognize letters, words, and language patterns. They usually want to review the book more
than once with an adult guiding them through the story. The early readers use several strategies or
cues on how the story will unfold by looking for language patterns, the message
in the story, and picture literacy. The
transitional readers like to read books in a series where they can relate to
the characters. They read at a good pace
with a better comprehension of the story.
Fluent readers are independent and can interpret more complex
language. They can gain an understanding
that stories project ideas and can influence one’s ideas. By the
time, the students get to grade four; they should have the skills in place
where they can comprehend what they are reading and be able to read any book in
their grade level or higher. A teacher
should be able to assess the student’s reading level in order to put them in
pace with all fourth graders. Assessment
is the key to understanding where each student stands, so they are not frustrated
and letting the parents know how they can help their child to strengthen their
reading skills.
Conclusion
As a teacher, I
know having a strong reading program in my classroom is important. I need to communicate with parents and stress
the importance of reading at home.
Additionally, I need to keep the interest heighten for my students where
they are excited to read. I want them to
be able to expand their minds and show them how books open new opportunities
for them. By giving them the tools to be
a successful reader, I am giving them the opportunity to excel in life. Reading is not easy for everyone, so it is
important for each student grasp the early stages of reading. Finally, the true success of a student’s
interest in reading is based on the enthusiasm they have been exposed to from
their environment at home, school, and in the community.
