There’s a new idea that’s being thrown around these days — the science of reading. I cringe at the phrase because it sounds like just another gimmick to fix things in schools, but the research actually seems to be pretty good.
There’s a great podcast series that explains what’s been going on over the last few decades and what research (“science”) has shown to work. It’s called Sold A Story. I highly recommend it.
The problem (as if there’s only one problem) is that most teachers are trained in college to use an approach to teaching reading called the cueing method. Not phonics. Emphatically not phonics.
The idea behind cueing theory is that it’s easier for children to learn to read if they start with whole stories and whole sentences and not try to read individual words. Teachers cover up words in a story and tell students to look at the picture and think of a word that makes sense, to look for clues about what the word is. The theory says that by practicing this approach, children can figure out how to read on their own. Research indicates that this isn’t how good readers learn to read but rather how poor readers try to compensate for not being able to read. It doesn’t work.
The science of reading says that while some kids can learn to read from cueing, the vast majority of students need direct instruction about the sounds letters make and how to sound out words. In other words, phonics. And when kids don’t learn to read in school, families with means hire tutors. (Some kids learn to read at home, of course.)
There’s a screening of a documentary called “The Right to Read” playing this Tuesday, August 8, at 11 am at Nashua High School South. They mention the science of reading in the trailer, and I am hopeful that it will be enlightening. There’s nothing more important than exposing schools’ failure to teach kids to read. Please tell all your friends about the screening. It’d be great to get a good turnout.
Keep in mind that they try new things every few years, and nothing seems to work. Will the science of reading bring new life to how schools teach reading? Maybe.
But there’s a deeper cultural problem, which is that most people have been raised to think it’s the responsibility of the schools, and not their own responsibility, to teach their kids to read. The idea that the government will solve your problems always reminds Ian of this humorous clip. The narrative has to change.
