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Ideas for Teaching Reading
Step 1: Read the related research
Adult Basic Education Instructors
Review the articles.
"Learning to Love Reading." Donna Earl, Focus on Basics, Volume 1, Issue B, May 1997. (Opens in new browser window. Close it to return.)
Summary:
Based on research on children and adults that determined a correlation between time spent reading and reading achievement, the author investigated whether students in her ABE program would experience greater gains in reading fluency and comprehension as a result of reading more. Earl’s research revealed that students experienced improved reading ability and reported life changes due to increased time spent reading.
"Reading for Pleasure: Learners' Personal Reading Choices Can Provide Teachers with Ideas on How to Motivate and Support Them." Sondra Cuban, Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue A, August 2001. (Opens in new browser window. Close it to return.)
Summary:
The author explores reading practices outside of class in a qualitative study of women learners and determines that it is important for practitioners to consider students' literacy practices when developing curriculum. Cuban considers how Reader Response Theory highlights the ways in which readers gain meaning from texts as well as bring feelings to the text and argues that this theory supports an instructional approach that builds on students' interests.
"Techniques for Teaching Beginning-Level Reading to Adults." Ashley Hagar, Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue A, August 2001. (Opens in new browser window. Close it to return.)
Summary:
The author draws upon reading acquisition research on children that supports systematically organized and explicitly taught phonics to develop her approach with adults and argues for the importance of developing phonological awareness in students. The author describes a visual-auditory-kinesthetic-tactile method for introducing phonetically irregular words and suggests using spelling and reading to reinforce both skills. Hag er also advocates for the use of oral reading to promote accuracy and fluency and as a way to monitor of learner progress.
"Using a Multisensory Approach to Help Struggling Adult Learners." Gladys Geertz, Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue A, August 2001. (Opens in new browser window. Close it to return.)
Summary:
This article describes how one practitioner adapted the multi-sensory Slingerland approach to meet the needs of her adult, low-level reading class.
"The Neurobiology of Reading and Dyslexia." Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D. and Bennett A. Shaywitz, M.D., Focus on Basics , Volume 5, Issue A, August 2001. (Opens in new browser window. Close it to return.)
Summary:
The authors review the most recent advances in comprehending the neurobiology of dyslexia and outline the implications for teaching adults with dyslexia. They determine that a deficit in phonology correlates with reading disabilities and argue that practitioners need to consider these research findings in order to adopt the most successful, evidence-based interventions.
