What Happens When Children Who Do Not Respond to or Struggle Greatly with Phonics, More of the Same?

This issue of NASET’s Practical Teacher series was written by Matthew Glavach, Ph.D. The article discusses the results of a large study he conducted with children who were not responding to phonics despite exceptional teachers. Children can learn to read through repeated reading of books they love, a read-aloud intervention that led to dramatic reading successes. Also, when children have success with repeated reading, they can complete phonics activities more easily.

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What hppens when children who do not respond to or struggle greatly with phonics, More of the same?

In the article, the author, Matthew Glavach, Ph.D. discusses the results of a large study he conducted with children who were not responding to phonics despite exceptional teachers. Children can learn to read through repeated reading of books they love, a read-aloud intervention that led to dramatic reading successes. Also, when children have success with repeated reading, they can complete phonics activities more easily.

Something interesting happens when children have success with repeated reading.  Matthew Glavach, Ph,D.

Phonics and the whole language can complement each other. Something interesting happens when children have success with repeated reading.  Children can complete phonics activities more easily.

I am surprised that there is still a separation between phonics and whole language, reading instruction can benefit from both. There are brain imaging studies confirming the components for reading, where they reside in the brain, and responses to various instructional approaches. Based on the studies, the science of reading is trending in the direction of phonics which is focused on sound-symbol development important to decoding. This approach to reading includes studying consistent word patterns. Pattern recognition is compatible with current brain science related to reading. There is no denying that mapping symbols to sounds can benefit reading and spelling. 

However, for many children, this is what reading is as there is often a tight skill sequence and little time for reading popular children’s books that have joy, interest, and rich meaning, a focus of whole language instruction. Also, phonics lacks prosody, the music of language, the sounds that bring joy, mystery and meaning in the way words are spoken. The lack of prosody affects many children’s already short attention spans, and they can lose interest quickly.  Interest and prosody do not usually show on research imaging screens; teachers see it on children’s faces and hear it in their voices.

If your children are responding to phonics, great!  However, phonics instruction for most children will only benefit from reading popular children’s books.

What happens with children who do not respond to or struggle greatly with phonics, a linear approach to reading.  More of the same?

The most important thing I learned about reading instruction was in a large study I conducted with children who were not responding to phonics despite exceptional teachers. There is another way to learn to read and it is as close as your library or bookstore.  Children can learn to read through repeated reading of books they love, a read-aloud intervention that led to dramatic reading successes. 

 

The research included over six hundred children in grades one through five.  The children had a variety of severe reading difficulties, and most could not grasp the letter and sound relationships of phonics. The program shows that children can learn to read through fluent repeated reading of books they love.  

 

Something interesting happened during the study that we had not anticipated. When children have success with repeated reading, they can complete phonics activities more easily. The children were now able to complete phonics activities without struggling and they are learning to read; and enjoying the process of reading. 

 

Did the children get bored with their favorite books while learning to read with them?  Not at all, they would read the books, again and again, to anyone who would listen, especially their overjoyed parents!

 

The method presented here is outlined in my new book. Phonics and Whole Language Together for Reading Instruction.  The book is available on Amazon.