At a recent PTA meeting at Wadsworth School, the topic under discussion was beginning reading instruction. The early primary teachers made a presentation about how they teach reading. Some teachers favored a heavy emphasis on phonics instruction while others favored a more holistic approach. The principal noted that approximately the same number of children from both types of classrooms were referred to the special education staff for testing because they were not making expected progress in reading.
The special education staff indicated that they were overwhelmed with the number of referrals and that there was a long delay between referral and testing. Meanwhile the students who evidenced reading difficulty were falling further and further behind. The PTA decided to form a task force to look at the research on beginning reading instruction to see if they could find a way to predict which students might be likely to have difficulty, and to determine measures that the classroom teachers, parents, and intervention specialists might take to reduce the number of children who experience reading difficulty.
As a members of the task force appointed by the PTA, your task is to look at the research on beginning reading instruction and try to come to consensus on what type of program would best meet the needs of most students in the early primary grades. After studying the research articles and materials assigned to you, meet together as a group to share the findings of your investigation. Prepare a short PowerPoint presentation outlining your recommendations for teachers, intervention specialists, and parents.
- Select a role to play from the following:
- Classroom teacher who believes strongly in a phonics based approach.
- Classroom teacher who believes strongly in a whole language approach.
- Intervention Specialist (special education teacher)
- Concerned parent.
- Explore the resources assigned to your role.
- Form groups that include a phonics oriented teacher, a whole language oriented teacher, intervention specialist, and a concerned parent. Share the results of your investigation with the other group members.
- Develop a plan for early reading instruction to present at the next PTA meeting that will benefit the most children.
Your group will be evaluated on your ability to address the questions presented to you. Were you able to
- Define Phonemic Awareness?
- Explain why it is important?
- Describe how it affects reading instruction in early primary classrooms?
- Suggest activities for parents and teachers to use to develop Phonemic Awareness in children?
- Identify the tasks/abilities associated with Phonemic Awareness?
- Describe how to assess Phonemic Awareness?
You should now have a better understanding Phonemic Awareness and its importance to the development of reading ability. You should also have some ideas of how to develop Phonemic Awareness within the context of a balanced reading instructional program.