Seeing a child curled up with a book while he learns independently of reading the words and finding the meaning in a story is a comforting image. We have been taught that learning to read is like learning to speak – if children are exposed to images and words quite often, they will learn to read. But the results of thousands of research studies in the past two decades indicate that this magic transformation is not “magic”.
After several years of big titles celebrating the “end” of balanced literacy in favor of the phonemic approach based on evidence, we always try to navigate the way of teaching to read to our children. New phonetic reading programs have been implemented in districts across the country, as well as advocacy and new legislation. But this is only the first step to give our teachers the tools they need to build independent and confident readers.
The “reading wars” drew public attention what my special education colleagues have known for a long time and applied in our schools: that reading teaching must be structured, systematic, supported by science and pleasure.
About this series
In this column of bihebdomadaryDirectors and other authorities on school leadership – including researchers, education teachers, district administrators and assistant directors – offer timely and timeless advice to their peers.
As a school leader for children with learning differences, I know of the first hand how much the reading challenges can be. Many students come to our school at an age when they should be common readers but fight to read even at the basis. I also know that when teachers trust teaching methods, they are better equipped to meet the different needs of children.
In schools starting a new reading trip, school leaders must understand that selecting a program is only one aspect of teaching good reading. We ask teachers to make this change of titanic and learn new methodologies and skills on the go.
As a community of education, to really succeed with the transition to the science of reading, we must make sure that there is still room so that it is associated with the art of teaching. The art of teaching obliges the teacher to see the child at the center of the program.
It is not a shock that transitions to the science of reading sometimes come up against the frustration, anxiety and even the resistance of certain teachers and parents. Outdated teachers are likely to be another victim of reading wars. We must make sure not to lose the excitement that teachers create in their classrooms during reading lessons. They give life to teaching, engage our students and instill the joy of reading in our young learners.
Teachers need time outside the class for professional development as well as experienced supervision in class to learn and implement a different approach. School districts need resources to offer professional development sessions led by experts, and teachers need time to devote to the development of their new skills.
In my school, our reading instruction is imbued with the approach based on evidence of Orton-Gillingham, the founders of modern phonetics. The lessons are explicit, systematic and sequential, but they are also multisensory and engaging. Whether they sing with sound cards or press the individual sounds of a word, students are participants active in the lesson. Based on each previous competence, students are very proud to pass individual sounds to whole words when reading complete sentences.
The mastery of these skills builds confident readers who are able to find a meaning in the text and a love of literature. It takes well trained teachers to unlock these skills.
Last year, my school has teamed up with a New York public school to pilot a 15 -week reading development training for local teachers. This year, we have doubled the number of participants and added participants to graduate students. At the end of the program, 100% of teachers said they had already implemented strategies in their classrooms, 89% declaring an improvement in the understanding of phonetics by their students.
I believe that teachers can resolve our reading crisis, but we must give them grace, time and resources to make this transition to the science of reading. Teachers must be fully trained and qualified in this teaching method, so that they can have the confidence and the ability to continue to bring joy to their lessons.
When teachers are comfortable with the material, they emanate from joy and arouse student learning. One of the participants in our professional development program who has been a primary school teacher for decades has recently told us that she likes to teach phonetics now. Her students are engaged with the lessons and have fun – just like her.