Theoretical Approaches to Reading Instruction

Learning to read can take on many different approaches including the alphabetical approach, words, and meanings. In the beginning it was believed that children should be taught he alphabet in order to learn how to read. However, because the alphabet was difficult to learn a song was created in order to help children learn their ABC's. This process worked for a while until around the 15th century A.D. when paper was made available. A list of syllables was then created emphasizing pronunciation and spelling. It was at this point when children were encouraged to read aloud. However, it was still difficult for children to form connections between the words and the phonetics.

As the years when on spelling came into its own. It was believed that children should learn some words before they leaned the alphabet. The words children would range from anywhere from a couple dozen to hundreds(311). At this point it was also believed that it was easier to understand short words rather than long words but that proved untrue.

In the Age of Enlightenment the meanings of the words began to gain importance. This is the part of the text that confused me the most. I was unsure of what the author was trying to convey. It talks about memorization and the repeating of books and stories. As well as the importance of sentences in our quest for the knowledge of reading. It also goes on to say that the purpose for reading is what became important because if people were reading for their own benefit and not because they had to the would further excel. Finally the subtext 'Meaning' talks about the transition between oral reading to silent reading.

Silent reading began to take a rise in the United States in the 1940's. "Words were introduced through meanings first - to be recognized holistically by sight. When straight recognition failed, the children were encouraged to rely on context and pictures, to narrow in on the word's identity through meaning-based inference"(312). However, in the 1950's children were still having a difficult time learning to read. While in the 1960's new theories on how the mind works were coming about. It was said that children should learn to read "by being encouraged to apply their innately given language-acquisition powers to text"(313). Which means that children should learn to read like they learn to speak and it should be a natural process. Furthermore reading for meaning would help children to further develop their ability to read. The text continues to talk about the mind and its ability to read or learn to read using the alphabetical system and its connection to understanding.