You Keep Saying That Word…
I hear “science of reading” everywhere in education lately. It’s used to stop conversations about outcomes: “I’m using the science of reading in my classroom, so if they don’t learn to read it’s not my fault.” I see it in papers and professional development materials: “Buy and use only this curriculum because it’s based on the science of reading.” Frankly, I’m getting a little fed up with people claiming the “science of reading” without defining it or referencing any actual science.
Who are We Trying to Impress?
Having survived countless IEP meetings, I get suspicious when an educational professional looks over their glasses at a parent and intones, “We use the science of reading. Your child would be reading if she were paying attention.”
I don’t buy it. If all the kids in a class are learning to read and having fun doing it, then the method works. If some kids just can’t seem to get it, get frustrated and hit their quit point, or start acting out to distract from their failure, then, the method is not all that great, regardless of claims about the “science of reading.” Across schools in the US, about 12% of third graders’ parents are told they need to hire a reading tutor if they want their child to learn to read. This is beyond in-school tutoring. (https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010023.pdf)
I’m a reading tutor, and I certainly know the value of one-on-one tutoring — for those who can afford it. But I also know the toll it takes on time and money in a family. And I’m not impressed with “science of reading” which excludes 12% of the class.
Science of Reading Just Means Systematic Phonics
So, I went down the google rabbit hole, looking for research, blogs, and presentations on the science of reading. There’s surprisingly good consensus on what it is. It’s systematic phonics instruction in the early grades. So why isn’t it called systematic phonics instruction???? As far as I know, this has NEVER been questioned by serious reading teachers unless you count the unfortunate but short period of “whole language only.”
Phonics is NOT the only Reading Tool
The problem, as I see it, happens when phonics or anything else is the ONLY tool used. See Dr. Marion Blank’s Phonics + Five program — brilliant!) It’s really bad when phonics-only is used for years without any progress. This makes kids crazy! Would you keep going to a class where you made zero progress for 4 or 5 years?
Children are complex, reading is complex, and any method that uses only one tool is neither science nor good teaching. The research is abundantly clear that phonics is the place to start and that other tools are needed for comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, etc. The research does NOT say that kids should be restricted to only phonics until they can decode nonsense words!
Now Let’s Talk About Talking
A lot of people assume that to learn phonics, a child MUST read aloud — that phonemic awareness is impossible without verbalization. This is an assumption, NOT supported by reading research! I’ve had the privilege of teaching non-verbal children to read and I can assure you that phonics can be learned by people who can’t speak, or choose not to speak. Think of the kids with CP, autism, deafness, or anything that impairs verbal expression. Reading is done in the brain, not in the mouth. One more vote to use phonics; but don’t stop there. Use every tool you’ve got, and if you run out of tools, find some more.
Phonics Alone is Not the Science of Reading
So, companies looking to make big bucks off of schools while repackaging phonics in various colorful presentations are not selling the science of reading. They are selling phonics. It may be multi-sensory phonics (great!) and it may be a good place to start, but do schools really need to pay large corporations to tell elementary educators how to teach phonics? Every elementary teacher I know naturally does multi-sensory phonics instruction daily — with or without the help of money-hungry publishing companies. So why do 12% of the kids in the country need tutoring to learn to read? Because they need other tools beyond phonics. Give them tools, lots of tools, not more tests. Please.
by Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
www.dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna
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