Blog Series: Why We should STOP teaching reading in schools
Part 9: Conclusion – Putting it all together: RED FLAGS predicting reading failure
This blog series explores the development of Written Language: reading, spelling, and writing as a natural extension from oral language to visual language.
This blog series describes what reading IS – the integration of visual language (letters) into already-existing oral language processing systems (sounds, words, and vocabulary).
In summary, written language – reading, writing, and spelling – is a natural progression from intact oral language, as the visual form of words becomes attached to the existing oral vocabulary.
To repeat from our last blog post
The focus of instruction must SHIFT toward Language Processing and Integration of oral and visual language across language MEANING and language STRUCTURE – this the CRUX of the whole argument of this series:
What does the word MEAN? alongside
What is the spoken and visual STRUCTURE of the word?
- across multiple language levels such as: (examples, not comprehensive!)
- sounds,
- syllables,
- word roots,
- letter strings,
- suffixes;
How is the word used in context?
- How does it function in: phrases and sentences
- Which Parts of Speech can the word function as?
- Which meanings does the word have?
- Which other words is it associated with by meaning?
Which other words are associated by spoken or visual structure?
What does the word look like?
- What is the letter-based representation of the word?
- How do we develop the skill to read it and spell it OUTSIDE of context?
- How do we recognize it when reading in context – e.g., in a sentence
- Reading fluency skills
- Reading comprehension skills
How do we USE it when expressing (speaking and writing)?
- Speech
- Retrieval processes
- Sound-based sequencing of multiple language units
- language formulation and organization
- Writing
- Retrieval Processes
- Spelling accuracy
- language formulation and organization
- Integration – right sounds, right letters, right word, right context
- E.g., their, there, they’re
ANY slow-down in written language development is a red flag. If it SEEMS like a student “gets” oral language, but then is slow to learn letters, late to understand letter-sound relationships, has difficulty processing letters (printing, reversals, naming), or falls behind peers at ALL in reading and spelling, these are all signs of an underlying language processing challenge, and language-rich instruction and language-based therapy are required IMMEDIATELY.
Early red flags show up in speech. When a child says things like “hostibal” and “amblience”, they are activating the MEANING of “health care”, but they are NOT able to access the spoken word structure of the word.
A failure to access the SEQUENCE of sound information will prevent the brain from acquiring visual language. The process to acquire sight words will not develop, and a student will fall behind peers.
Further, challenges REFLECTING on the sequence of sound information similarly indicates language processing challenge. After saying a word, a student should be able to identify how many syllables were in the word, or tell you what the last sound was, or isolate and produce the vowel sound only. If a child is inaccurate OR slow when doing this, there is trouble brewing.
This is harder than you think. When you say the phrase “do it again”, reflect on how you said “again”. What vowel sound did you say in the first syllable? If you pronounce this word like 99% of Canadians, you did NOT say either a short OR a long “a” sound you said “uh”, like the vowel sound in “oof” – like when you get hit in the stomach. The vowel sound is called Schwa, and it is an unstressed or neutral vowel sound that we hear in unstressed syllables.
Think Schwa is tricky? You bet. Think it is unimportant? Well, this vowel sound occurs in unstressed syllables, and every word in English with more than one syllable has this vowel sound in it, making it the MOST COMMON vowel sound we have. Further, ANY vowel letter can spell the Schwa sound: listen to all the vowel sounds in these words, and notice which letter spells the Schwa sound: banana, terrifying, concentration, dinosaur, adventure.
Remember that typically-developing peers are acquiring long-term permanent storage of new words daily; AND they are setting the table for related/associated words WITHOUT STUDY. There IS no “catching up”, and there NEEDS to be no “wait and see”.
Red Flags
Reading and spelling red flags to be aware of are any signs of language processing challenge (spoken or written), including:
- speech,
- language memory,
- comprehension,
- formulation and organization (an easy time expressing one’s self and finding the right words at the right time),
- challenges with word reading accuracy,
- reading fluency,
- reading comprehension;
- spelling accuracy
- Letter acquisition (including printing and letter formation)
- Writing fluency
- Reading skills seem to far out-perform spelling (sign of compensation!)
With exposure, your student should show evidence of gathering and building a visual vocabulary, of both regular and irregular words. Visual language should develop at a similar rate that you saw in oral language in your child between the ages of 1-5. Particularly, challenges with high-frequency irregular words (was, were, where, said etc.) shows you that the language system is not “hooked up” to connect visual language to oral language.
You need a language assessment, and you need language therapy. You need to train ORAL language processing skills to associate spoken word STRUCTURE to word MEANING. You FURTHER need ORAL LANGUAGE skill therapy ALONGSIDE written or VISUAL LANGUAGE skill therapy to connect these brain areas neuronally.
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Read all 9 parts of this blog series:
Read Intro: Why We should STOP teaching Reading Schools
Read Part 1: What are the components of Oral language?
Read Part 2: What is Visual or Written Language, and how is it INTEGRATED?
Read Part 3: Spoken word Structure, Written Word Structure, and Word Meaning: MAPPING Language Units
Read Part 4: More Integration through Mapping – Mapping Words
Read Part 5: Mapping, Word Mapping, “Sight Word” storage, and Irregular Words
Read Part 6: Stop teaching “Reading” and recognize instead that students are learning LANGUAGE
Read Part 7: Integration of Language Levels and Language Units: Visual to Oral language
Read Part 8: The Complexity of Mapping/Integrating ACROSS Language Levels and Units
Got questions, concerns, yeah buts? Visit www.speak2read.ca to engage in some delightful conversation on how you can improve your reading instruction or your child’s learning.