Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Undoubtedly the most important application for The Science of Reading, is to reading instruction. If we understand how people read, and how this skill develops, this will certainly have important implications for how best to teach people to read. Though it is common to talk about reading development (cf. language development, motor development, or perceptual development), it is important to remember that reading is a skill that is culturally determined, and above all else, a skill that is directly taught at school. Indeed, in much of the English-speaking world, learning to read is seen as one of the most important attainments of the first several years of formal education. The two chapters in Part VII deal with the teaching of reading. Snow and Juel give an overview of current knowledge about how best to teach children to read. As they point out, historically the major methods for teaching reading have been around for at least a century, and disputes about how best to teach reading have focused on two issues. First, the size of unit that should be used to teach children the rules of reading (large units [words] or small units [letter-sound correspondences]). Second, the extent to which explicit instruction is needed (does reading have to be taught, or will it be caught given adequate exposure). Based on a thorough review of the evidence, Snow and Juel come down firmly in favour ... log in or subscribe to read full text