TEFL 1

Sillent readinng

            Reading is primarily a silent activity. The majority of reading that we do will be done silently. In Western cultures oral reading was the primary practice until the nineteenth century. In about 1880 a debate began on the advantages of silent reading versus oral reading (Allingto, 1984). Huey (1908) complied a summary of the early studies on oral versus silent reading and came out strongly in favor of silent reading. However, today many teachers still belive that oral reading is the best approach for teaching. Let me emphasize here that reading is primarily a silent activity. Classroom aaproach to teaching reading should emphasize the silent nature of this skill and avoid overemphasis on oral reading.

            Different strategies are used when reading orally than when reading silently. Silence comprehension is the goal reading, your primary focus in the classroom should be getting meaning from print. Make silent reading the goal in your classroom should be on getting meaning from print. Make silent reading the goal in your classroom instead of using oral reading.

Reading processes

Understanding the process of reading has been the focus of much research over the past 125 years. Models of how the printed word is undrestood have emerged from thid research (Goodman, 1976: Stanovich, 1980). Understanding what happens from the moment our eyes meet the page to the “click of comprehension” (Samuels & Kamil. 1984 p. 185) has only been researched for the past 50 years.the models can be devided into three categories: buttom up models, top down models, top-down  models, and interactive models.

            Buttom-up models typically consist of lower level  reading processes. Student start with the fundamental basics of the letter and the soun recognition  which in turnn allows for morpheme recognition  followed by word recognition , building up to the identification of gramatical structure, sentences, longer text, and finally meaning is the order in achieving comprehension.

A phonics approach to teaching reading supports a buttom-up model. This approach is used in many reading series. Many teachers and researchers suggest that for readers to be successful they must be able to break and word down into its smallest parts, the individual sounds. When a readers comes to an unknown word he or she can sound out the word because of the knwledge of the individual units the make up the word. The blending together of the various sounds allows the reader to then move toward comprehension. Teachers must remember that phonics is a method, not the goal of teaching reading.

            One element buttom-up approach to reading is that the pedagogy recommends a greaded reader approach. All reading material is so carefully reviewed so that students are not exposed to vocabulary that is too difficult or that contains sounds that they have not yet been introduced to.

            Whitin a buttom-up to reading, the most typical classroom focus is on what we call intensive reading. Intensive reading involves a short reading passage followed by textbook activities to develop comprehension and or a particular reading skill. Most text book used textbooks used to teach first and second language reading using in intensive reading approach.

            Top-down models, on the other hand, begin with the idea that comprehension resides in the reader. The reader uses background knowledge, makes predictions, and seaches the text to confirm or  reject the prediction that are made. A passage can thus be understood even if all of the individual wors are not understood. Within a top-down approach to reading the teacher should focus on meaning generating activities rather than mastery of word recognition.

            Goodman (1976), a strong advocate of top-down models of reading. Critici/es bottom-up models because the readers become “word callers” who can read word on the page but do not understand what they have read. Goodman (1976) believes that teachers make learning to read difficult “by breaking whole (natural) language into bite-sized, abstract little pieces” (p.7). i agree somowhat with him. For example, i can read Spanish and  pronounce all of the word that I’m reading and yet, depending on what I am reading. I may have no comprehension of what I have read.

A meaning-based aprroach or a whole language approach to reading is supportive of top-down models of reading. Four key  features hightlight a meaning-based or whole language approach to teaching reading. First, it is a literature-based approach. Books are used which contain authentic language. Readers are exposed to wide range of vocabulary. Next, whole language is student contered; the focus is on the ndividual reader choosing what he or she want to read. Third, reading is integrated with writing. Classes work on both skills simultaneosly. Finally, emphasis is on contrucsing meaning. The focus should be on meaning and keeping the language whole, as opposed to breaking it down it down into smaller units. Whole language is a method  not the goal.

            Extensive reading plays a key role in top-down approach to reading. Extensive reading can contrasted with intensive reading. Extensive reading means reading books for longer segments of text whithout a focus on classroom exercieses that may test comprehension skills.