It’s a joy to hear children read but, it’s even greater to know that I helped them along the way. I have always loved to read. My father would purchase our school books early and I couldn't wait to read them. I liked the smell of the new books and the whole process of papering them and writing my name on it and then making sure that there were no “dog ears” as I used them in school. As a child, I thought that reading was natural but, some children did not like to read. As a teacher, I no longer assumed that reading was natural. I sometimes wish I could get into the minds of these children to see what they see on the paper in front of them. How can it be so hard to say C A T - CAT ?
Well, some children may be able to produce individual sounds but, they may not be able to blend the sounds together to produce words. While there may be other factors that impede their learning such as domestic problems, medical problems and also psychological issues, I have seen children with these problems improve in reading, but, it takes a lot of patience and a lot of work. Literacy is a global problem and by helping children in my country to read, I will become part of the solution to this problem. As a reading specialist, I will dedicate myself to helping all children learn to read so that they can enjoy a better life and I would feel at peace with myself and my God.
I have read somewhere that reading is the most complex task we can ever accomplish. At least that was the author’s perspective. The fact that so many people are struggling readers, he might be right. We as budding reading specialists know how complex the reading process is. I remember the graphical representation of the complexity of the various reading skills that are necessary to read given to us by one of our lecturers. The skills are numerous! As it is said, still waters run deep. Learning to read is no easy task. However, we as budding reading specialists are learning the nature of reading and all the issues involved so that we can be equipped to help struggling readers. Tools are important and I sometimes give the following analogy to emphasize the importance of using the right instruments. If we have to remove weeds from a large plot of land, which will do the job better, our bare hands or a cutting tool? Thus I believe that using the right tools such as tested reading strategies and approaches can make a big difference to struggling readers. Moreover, incorporating web 2.0 technology into exciting strategies is a winning combination.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean,as teachers we experience things that perhaps only other teachers can understand. I once had a struggling reader who brought the reality that reading really can be difficult home to me. She sounded out the letters "b"-"a"-"g" and said the word "purse" because of the picture prompt that she saw, after the initial shock we worked together to get her to some level of literacy. It is no easy task though and many a times there is very little or no support from the home. It is important to keep trying and I know this program will equip us to overcome some of these obstacles.
ReplyDeleteDenise
ReplyDeleteYour blog was as engaging as you are in person. Adesh in his blog mentioned four factors why it may be difficult for some students to read and understand CAT. Like you also said in your post on the FAB FIVE, phonemic awareness must be taught in our schools. Our challenge as reading specialists is to use all resources at our disposal to make it happen.