SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Reading the tea leaves

Dear Aunt Malkin,

My son is struggling with reading in school. Yesterday, his teacher sent home a list of strategies for me to use in helping him at home. They are (reproduced exactly as in the original source):

• Word match by finger pointing
• Independently go back to re-read at the error. [Don’t be too quick to jump in and give the child the word.]
• “Reading the pictures”. Take a few seconds to look at the picture before attempting to read the words. Good readers do this.
• Pointing to the beginning sound. [cat] “No,” said the cat. If something tricks you, go back and think about the story. What makes sense? Re-read the sentence. Say the beginning sound - and the word will “pop” into your head.
• Enjoy the process!

What do you think?

Joanne, Toronto

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Dear Joanne,

These strategies violate the two most important principles of good reading.

1.  Good readers look at every single letter in every single word as their eyes move smoothly from left to right across the page. Any strategy that promotes a departure from this smooth progression is harmful to the development of fluent reading. Teachers should not be encouraging beginning readers to look at the pictures or go backwards in the sentence.

2.  Good readers do not guess at words. Every time they encounter an unknown word, good readers slow down and sound it out (after this process has been repeated enough times, the word becomes immediately recognizable and attains the status sight word). Teachers should not be encouraging beginning readers to guess words on the basis of their initial sound or in the context of the story.

I am not surprised to learn that your son is struggling with reading in school. If you leave him with this teacher, he is at risk of developing a learning disability or worse. Get him out of there!

Regards, Aunt Malkin