Local teachers learn that reading is about more than words on a page
Teachers from around the cluster came together to learn the intricacies involved when a child learns to read.
Crossroads School recently hosted nearly one hundred visiting educators from the Independent Schools for an English cluster meeting on the topic “Literacy takes effort, it is not automatic”.
Learning support therapist, Noleen Allison, and Grade 7 English teacher, Carolyn West, presented a discussion on understanding what reading is and how in the South African context, it is known that this is an enormous problem facing children today.
Allison explained that reading, often taken for granted, is a magnificent mental workout, requiring the seamless blend of various cognitive processes.
If we take a look at what reading really is, it reveals the following processes all happening simultaneously in the brain:
• Phonemic Awareness: Reading begins with understanding how speech sounds come together to create words. It’s about decoding spoken language into its constituent sounds.
• Visual Engagement: Our eyes focus on printed marks – letters and words on the page – as we scan text, tracking symbols and characters.
• Sound-Symbol Connection: Reading involves connecting speech sounds with the letters we see. This skill enables us to decode written language.
• Smooth Blending: Proficient readers smoothly blend letter sounds into recognisable words, allowing for fluent comprehension.
• Eye Coordination: Our eyes dance across the page, ensuring we don’t skip lines, words, or letters, maintaining reading flow.
• Mental Imagery: Reading isn’t just about words; it’s about building mental images and ideas from the text.
• Comparative Thinking: We compare new ideas with existing knowledge, expanding our understanding.
• Memory Integration: Reading stores ideas in our memory, enriching our mental framework.
For individuals facing dyslexia, these reading processes may pose challenges. Understanding these complexities underscores the importance of support and early intervention. Reading isn’t just a skill; it’s a symphony of cognitive processes that needs to be taught.
“It was a very informative and detailed presentation and thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees,” said the school’s Tessa Turvey.
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