Of late, there has been a lot of discussion regarding reading instruction in the education world. The has been some confusion over the same, and the coronavirus situation resulting in the closure of schools means that parents are now facing the same confusion.
Reading instruction skills
The world of reading instruction entails comprehension strategies and skills, which include contrasting and comparing. It equally entails making inferences and trying to determine the purpose of the author. Hypothetically once a kid learns the skills, they are then able to replicate the same understanding in any reading put before them, which includes the books they will be reading in high school.
Reading instruction is divided into two components, which include comprehension and decoding or phonics. There is a lot of argument regarding decoding, which centers around teaching phonics. Evidence suggests that most kids require systematic phonics instruction so that they can be good readers. Although the evidence has been around for some time, there nonetheless complex reasons that make most educators resist or be unaware of it.
Comprehension instruction can be more pervasive
On the other hand, comprehension reading does not get much attention as phonics, although the challenges with how it is taught can be more pervasive. Children practice comprehension on various texts and books at their own levels, which are often fiction text with the focus on skill instead of content. Usually, content-based subjects such as science, arts, and social studies should wait and give room for comprehension instruction.
According to cognitive science, the best way to enhance comprehension in kids is to build ion the knowledge of the marginalized subjects in school. Instead of asking the kid the identify the main idea, it is important to teach them about interesting things that can excite them.
Although schools focus on skills, some educators are questioning this approach. Schools have been focusing systematically on teaching students about things such as whales, dolphins, and sharks instead of trying to find the main idea in the text.
