Phonics or "Look-Say"?
Reading is the key to independent access of knowledge. Without the skill of
comprehending the written word, a child is severely limited in his ability to investigate
the world. Reading is the first step toward raising an independent learner.
During the past 40 years or so, there has been a raging debate in education circles
over the best method to teach reading to children: whole word (also called
"look-say") versus phonics.
Look-say is based on memorization of the shape of the word by focusing on the
letters that make it up—not on the individual sounds of those letters. For example, the
word "bat" in look-say would be taught by giving the child a picture of a bat
with the letters b-a-t written beneath the picture. Then, the teacher prints the word
again and hopes that the child remembers what the word "bat" looks like spelled
out.
Phonics, by contrast, encourages an association between the letters and the sounds they
represent. With "phonics-first" (the term coined by Rudolf Flesch in his book, Why
Johnny Can’t Read, 1955, Harper and Row: NY) the child is taught the sounds for b—a
(short a)—t first, and then is encouraged to blend the sounds from left to right
to make the word: bat. The phonics method of teaching reading makes explicit the
fact that letters are symbols for sounds.
With phonics the child is taught a method of decoding written sounds, which enables her
to use a mental tool for deciphering unfamiliar words. Although not all English words are
strictly phonetic, a great many of them are. Once the child can read simple books, words
that present exceptions to the rules of phonetics can be dealt with as they come up in
context.
I am an advocate of the phonics method for teaching reading. A mental tool that can be
used for figuring out new words is far superior to sheer memorization, for there's no way
a child can possibly memorize the vast number of words that she may encounter. It's much
better to teach her a method to decipher words on her own. She gains a sense of efficacy
due to her new ability to discover things independently.
Reading and Readiness
In 1969 Dr. Raymond Moore, a Ph.D. of Education, along with his wife, Dorothy Moore, a
reading specialist, headed a team of researchers to investigate the physical affects that
institutional schooling had on young children. They also sought to determine an ideal
school entrance age.
Their studies concluded that children are not physically ready for institutional
schooling until at least 8 or 10, or even as late as 12 years old. They warned that early
schooling led to developmental problems—hyperactivity, nearsightedness, and
dyslexia—and that these problems were often caused by prematurely taxing a child’s
nervous system and mind with continuous academic skills (i.e., reading and
writing). Thus, the Moores recommended that parents "home school" their children
until they were developmentally ready for institutional schooling. Their motto:
"Better late, than early."
While I believe that hyperactivity can be caused by keeping children constrained for
long periods, I find it hard to swallow the Moores’ findings about nearsightedness and
dyslexia being caused by environmental factors. I also question whether their findings
within an institutional setting are even applicable to the home environment, insofar as it
results in delaying reading and writing instruction at home.
Compared to institutional schools, home schooling is informal and children can move
about freely, they don’t have to squint at a chalkboard, and the tutoring parent can
offer immediate feedback to correct dyslexic tendencies. Thus, the environmental factors
that the Moores claim are responsible for these problems within schools are simply not
present within the home.
Better early, than late
Although I have heard success stories about children as old as 10 or 11 who learn to
read in a few months, and then easily achieve or surpass their standard reading level, in
my judgment there is no reason to delay reading and writing instruction at home.
While this delayed learning may "work" for some kids, I think it is
potentially damaging to a child’s self-esteem. Why run the risk of your child believing
herself to be "dumb" because she can’t read yet when younger kids are all
talking about their favorite books? Even though you might not make comparisons
between your child and others, she will make those comparisons herself.
Since normal children attain the conceptual ability necessary for reading skill by age
6 or 7, there is no reason that I can see for delaying the transition to formal
learning. The sooner a child attains the skill of reading, the more accessible the world
of knowledge becomes, and the more efficacious your child feels.
Tools for teaching reading
Teaching a child to read isn’t as difficult as you might expect. Uncertain
homes choolers can spend oodles on reading materials that are really unnecessary. All you
need are a few phonics resources, some good reading games, easy reader books from the
library, and a big dose of patience. If you sense frustration mounting during a
reading session, it’s time to stop. It’s better to stop on a good note than to
continue just to get through the lesson. Start out in short intervals and gradually
increase the lesson time.
New homes choolers are often uncertain about how to make the transition to formal
leaning, especially when it comes to teaching reading. Some kids pick it up in a snap,
others need to work harder. Although some phonics programs advise parents to complete the
entire reading program before moving on to easy books, I think that’s unwarranted. The
"right" books are ones that correspond with your child's reading level and
motivate her to learn more. She may struggle with an occasional unfamiliar word, but at
this level a little frustration may provide the incentive to sound it out—to test
the method.
I highly recommend Peggy Kaye’s book, Games for Reading, as a fun way to
supplement a phonics program. It’s full of good ideas about how to overcome specific
difficulties by designing games to target the problem in a fun, relaxed way. Ruth
Beechick’s 28-page pamphlet, A Home Start in Reading, is also worth having on
your shelf. Her 5 steps to reading will get you going in the right direction, as well as
give you suggestions for teaching writing and spelling. (See Reading List for a
description of both books.)
The last word of advice I have is to enjoy teaching your child to read.
It is a wonderful thing to share together.
I have fond memories of the first book Emily read aloud to me. It was Minarick’s, Little
Bear’s Friend. Emily was especially enamored with that book because she always
carried her little bear, "Brown Sugar" around wherever she went. The
"friend" in the story was aptly named "Emily". She felt that that
story was written just for her. I had read it aloud numerous times, but when Emily read it
to me on the couch with her Brown Sugar bear in her lap, I felt a tremendous closeness.
She wanted to share her values through the written word with me. It was a special moment
that I’ll always treasure.
http://www.hometaught.com/
Psychology of speed reading
Speed reading tips
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| > Remove 50% of letters
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| > Habitually returning to what is already read, that
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| > You become accustomed to grasping a whole word or a
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