Dimensions of Reading

Literacy is not a fixed and finite state but a developmental process (Hammond, et al 1992:9) Research identifies six specific dimensions of reading (National Research Council, National Reading Panel, 2000): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Phonological Awareness Alphabetic Knowledge Fluency Vocabulary Development Comprehension Motivation

Phonological Awareness/Phonemic Awareness

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS According to Lipson and Wixson (2009) [p]honological awareness refers to childrens ability to divide sentences into words, break words into syllables, and identify common phonemes. Over the course of their preschool years most children become increasingly aware of the phonological structure of their language *I+n an alphabetic language such as English, it is essential to attend to the phonology of the language. Initially, children are likely to attend to word play, rhymes, and then syllables as units of sound. Eventually, however, children need to be able to isolate individual phonemes, the smallest distinguishable units of sound within a word. This specialized aspect of phonological awareness is called phonemic awareness or phonemic segmentation. (Lipson and Wixson, 2009, pp. 46-47) PHONEMIC AWARENESS (PA) Before children learn how to read, they need to have an awareness of how individual sounds, or phonemes, combine to form spoken words. Reading books that contain rhythm, rhyme, and repetition is an effective way to foster phonemic awareness. Nation (2009) defines phonemic awareness as the knowledge that spoken words are made up of sound that can be separated, that is, that /kt/ (cat) is made up of the sounds /k t/. In essence, phonemic awareness is not awareness of particular sounds. It is awareness of the general principle that words are made up of separable sounds Phonemic awareness and letter knowledge are the best predictors of how well first language children just entering school will do at learning to read during the first two years of school. Phonemic awareness training can have positive long-term effects on spelling. (Nation, 2009, p. 10) WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Phonemic awareness helps children learn to read and spell. Although phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics, children need phonemic awareness in order to benefit from phonics instruction. Phonemic-awareness instruction is most effective when children not only work with the sounds of spoken language, but are taught to use letters as well. Phonemic-awareness instruction is not a complete reading program. In order become successful readers, children need to have a wide range of reading experiences, including listening to and engaging with authentic literary texts.

Alphabetic Knowledge/Phonics
ALPHABETIC KNOWLEDGE Learning letter names and acquiring knowledge of the correspondences between letters and sounds is an important accomplishment in the development of both reading and writing ability. It is important to understand that alphabet knowledge is developed unevenly and is clearly not a prerequisite for launching reading and writing instruction. (Lipson and Wixson, 2009, p. 266) PHONICS (1) Reading instruction method based on learning letter-sound correspondence (Bjorklund and Blasi, 2012, p. 416); (2) a method of teaching reading in which people learn to associate letters with the speech sounds they represent, rather than learning to recognize the whole word as a unit. (Microsoft Encarta 2007) Phonics instruction helps children understand the relationships between the sounds of spoken language and the letters of written language. The overwhelming evidence from American researchers indicates that most students learn basic sound symbol correspondence more efficiently when they receive early systematic and intensive phonics instruction (Ehri et al, 2001; NRP, 2000; Snow, et al, 1998). In addition, the research suggests that students who receive direct instruction in segmenting sound in blending are generally more adept at word recognition than are students who do not receive this training (Adams, 1990; OCon nor, Jenkins, & Slocum, 1995). (Lipson and Wixson, 2009, pp. 585-586)

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WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS

Phonics instruction can help children understand the alphabetic principle that there are systematic relationships between written letters and spoken sounds. Systematic phonics instruction is most effective when it begins in kindergarten or first grade. Children should be given opportunities to apply their knowledge of phonics by reading and writing actual words. Phonics instruction is not a complete reading program. In addition to engaging in phonics-related activities, beginning readers should be listening to and reading texts (both out loud and silently), as well as writing letters, words, sentences, and stories

Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read quickly and accurately, with natural phrasing and expression. By reading aloud to children, adults can provide powerful models of fluent reading. WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Fluent readers can decode words and comprehend the meaning of a text at the same time. Less fluent readers focus their attention on decoding individual words, leaving little attention available for making meaning out of the text. Fluency develops over long periods of time and through many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of success. Repeated and monitored oral reading builds fluency and strengthens the reading abilities of all students throughout the elementary years. By reading aloud daily to students, teachers can provide a model of fluent reading and heighten childrens interest in books.

Vocabulary
Students vocabulary skills grow when they listen to adults read to them and when they read extensively on their own. TWO TYPES OF VOCABULARY There are two types of vocabularyoral and print. A reader who encounters a strange word in print can decode the word to speech. If it is in the readers oral vocabulary, the reader will be able to understand it. If the word is not in the readers oral vocabulary, the reader will have to determine the meaning by other means, if possible. Consequently, the larger the readers vocabulary (either oral or print), the easier it is to make sense of the text. (National Reading Panel, 2006) WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Most vocabulary is learned indirectly, through engaging with oral and written language in meaningful contexts. Direct instruction can be used to teach specific words and to help students develop word-learning strategies, including the use of dictionaries, word parts, and context clues. Reading aloud to children of all ages is an effective way to introduce new vocabulary and concepts. Children expand their vocabularies by reading extensively on their own. The more children read, the more their vocabularies will grow

Comprehension
Reading comprehension means not only decoding, but making meaning out of text. Teachers can help students learn to use comprehension strategies in natural learning situations, through active engagement with meaningful texts. WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
Reading-comprehension instruction can help students recall, understand, and communicate with others about what they have read. Students of all ages can be taught to use specific comprehension strategies, which include comprehension monitoring, using graphic organizers, answering questions, generating questions, recognizing story structure, and summarizing. By thinking aloud about their own reading processes, teachers can help students develop effective comprehension skills. Comprehension strategies are a means to an end. Students should apply these strategies in natural learning situationswhile studying content areas such as social studies and science, for example, or while reading a wide range of literary texts.

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Motivation
The Reading Excellence Act defined motivation as the sixth dimension of reading. Without motivation, reading can become a rote task, without any personal meaning. In order to create lifelong readers, we need to encourage a love of reading in all of our students. Kids who learn the five components of reading may become compliant readers, but without that love of reading, theyll become less than proficient, especially as they move into the upper grades. (Reading Research, 2002) Learning and performance require both skill and will (Paris, Lipson, & Wixson, 1983). Factors such as interest, the amount of time and effort required, willingness to take risks, or perceived competence can influence childrens decisions whether to use their skills or not. (Lipson and Wixson, 2009, pp. 47-48)

EMERGENT LITERACY
Emergent literacy refers to the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are presumed to be developmental precursors to conventional forms of reading and writing during early childhood and the environments that support these developments. (Bjorklund and Blasi, 2012, p. 415) SOME IMPORTANT EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Bibliography: Alverman, Donna E., Phelps, Stephen F., & Gillis, Victoria Ridgeway. (2010). Content Area Reading and Literacy: Succeeding in Todays Diverse Classrooms (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Bjorklund, David F. & Blasi, Carlos Hernndez. (2012). Learning to Read. Child and Adolescent Development: An Integrated Approach (pp. 415-421). Canada: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Lipson, Marjorie Y. & Wixson Karen K. (2009). Assessment and Instruction of Reading and Writing Difficulties: An Interactive Approach (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Nation, I. S. P. (2009). Phonemic Awareness, Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing (pp. 10-11). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis. Tindale, Jen. (2003). Teaching Reading. Sydney: Macquarie University E-Sources: Findings and Determinations of the National Reading Panel by Topic Areas. http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/Pages/findings.aspx Microsoft Encarta 2007. (2006). USA: Microsoft Corporation Reading Research. http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/paperbacks/pdfs/ReadingFirst.issue1.pdf What is phonemic awareness (PA)?. http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/faq/faq.htm Prepared by: JOHN CARL S. RONATO MAED Major in English +639477434625 johncarlronato@rocketmail.com

People ought to read just as inclination leads them, for what they read as a task will do them little good. Samuel Johnson

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