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Four Methods of Teaching Reading

There are four main methods of teaching reading: 1. The phonics method teaches letter sounds and blending. 2. The whole-word approach uses sight words and flashcards. 3. The language experience approach uses students' own words and experiences. 4. The context support method uses pictures to engage students and hold their attention. Regardless of the method, reading regularly with students and choosing engaging materials are important.

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349 views

Four Methods of Teaching Reading

There are four main methods of teaching reading: 1. The phonics method teaches letter sounds and blending. 2. The whole-word approach uses sight words and flashcards. 3. The language experience approach uses students' own words and experiences. 4. The context support method uses pictures to engage students and hold their attention. Regardless of the method, reading regularly with students and choosing engaging materials are important.

Uploaded by

ram
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Four Methods of Teaching Reading

 December 11, 2018

 / Teaching Reading

Reading is one of the most important skills you can teach a child. A child’s
success not only at school but also in later life depends on this skill. To
teach a child how to read, you must know different methods of teaching
reading and apply them. In this article, we will explain the common
methods of used to teach reading. To teach your child or someone else,
you can use one method or a combination of two or more methods.

1.  The phonics method


This is a well-known and one of the best methods of teaching reading. In this method,
children are taught the alphabet first. And learning the alphabet involves learning not only
the names of the letters but also the sounds they make. Children can blend two or three
letters together to make words only when they have learnt letter sounds.  Among the
methods of teaching reading, the phonics method is thought to be the most effective. To
apply this method properly, you can buy your child phonologically written books that use
regular and interesting words.

You should always try to keep the process short and entertaining, because children often
find it boring to learn sounds and their blends. It often becomes boring when children focus
too much on blending the sounds. They end up not learning the meaning of the words. To
keep enthusiasm and make the learning process interesting, make sure you always explain
the meaning of the words. To avoid boredom, you can consider teaching one letter a day. If
your child needs three or four days to muster one letter, do not be disheartened. The key is
to keep going. Children are naturally curious. They will try to please you and in turn
gradually do well. Remember, the phonics method is one of the best methods of teaching
and if you apply it well, your child will learn to read basic words or sentences within a very
short time.

This method basically helps a learner learn how break words down into sound. It is effective
because in the English language, to represent words on the page, we need to translate
sounds into letters and letter combinations. Therefore, reading requires one’s ability to
decode words into sounds.

The phonics method, unlike some other methods of teaching reading, is all about the art of
breaking down words and knowing the sounds they represent. The process learning may be
slow in the beginning, but gradually it becomes automatized and more fluent. Although the
phonics method is one of the most effective methods of teaching reading, you still need to
teach your child to memorize some words, because there are some words that are not
spelled the way they sound.

2. The whole-word approach


Often referred to as ‘look and say’ method, the whole-word approach focuses on a learner’s
ability to recognize whole words. Show your child a word, sound the word and ask him to
repeat the whole word. You can use flashcards to teach your child to read. It is better to use
flashcards with pictures because pictures will help your child understand the meaning of the
words. Without the use of pictures, this method is not very effective. But it can be one of the
best methods of teaching reading if applied properly. This method is also known as sight
reading. This method is also known as sight-reading. It is based on the concept that when
children are exposed to a certain words for a long time, they can eventually sight-read the
words. Most specialists think that this method can be as effective as other methods of
teaching reading. It’s especially useful when learning how to teach a toddler to
read because children this young may not be ready for phonics instruction.
You can also try to teach your child whole short sentences with this method. On flashcards,
write short sentences that represent pictures. Then read the sentences aloud and ask your
child to repeat you. When he repeats what you said, point and look at each individual word.

In this method, students try to recognize whole words in their written forms. Context is
important to make this method effective. Start with familiar words and then move on to short
sentences.

This method does not involve cognitive attention for processing words. As a result, this
method is faster and it facilitates reading comprehension. This method is more effective for
learning to read high frequency English vocabulary.
3. The language experience
approach
Another method, the language experience method, uses learners’ own words to help them
read. Unlike other methods of teaching reading, this method is grounded in personalized
learning. In this method, every child learns different words. Children often find this method
very easy because they learn words they are already familiar with.

This approach involves a shared experience such as common school experiences,


excursions and everyday happenings. In other words, first hand experiences are reflected
through the texts written through the language experience approach. This approach is more
effective when it is combined with other methods of teaching reading.

In the primary years of schooling, it is important to understand the difference between


spoken and written language. This method helps learners understand the difference.
Children also develop their language skills by interacting with their parents or teachers. The
method also encourages children to develop their observations and write about their
experiences.

The language experience approaches works in a different way from other methods of
teaching reading because this method integrates the four basic aspects of learning a
language through the development of a written text which is based on a learner’s first hand
experiences.

To use this method, notice which words your child likes most. Then make sentences with
those words. When your child draws a picture, write a description underneath the picture.
Then read the description aloud. It will help your child better understand what is written.
This approach supports a child’s vocabulary growth and concept development. Using oral
language and personal experiences, this method also offers children opportunities for
meaningful reading and writing activities.

4. The context support method


The context support method is one of the least discussed methods of teaching reading, but
it is not less effective than other methods. To attract and hold the attention of the learner, it
uses the associative connection between words and pictures. To learn something, paying
attention is of utmost importance. But children who are disinterested can not pay attention
long enough. . Most educators believe that this method works because it holds a learner’s
attention.

Once children have passed their early reading stage, parents often have difficulty finding
good reading material for the children. Children have their particular interests. Boys usually
like robots and boats and girls like dolls. If boys and girls are provided with reading
materials that really interest them, they are unlikely to lose interest in reading. The key is to
provide them with interesting reading materials so that they can read for pleasure.

When children discover pleasure in reading, they read more and learn more. If they can
relate to the content they are reading, they read with enthusiasm. There are books that
especially have been written to support this method. These books have long as well as
short sentences that you can read to your child. You can combine short and long
sentences. To make the teaching process more effective, use the context support method
with other methods of teaching reading.

Additional tips for parents


Regardless of the methods you are using, keep in mind that your end goal is to teach your
child or student to read.  All methods of teaching reading are effective. You just need to
figure out how to apply the methods. Here are some tips that may help you apply the
methods mentioned above.

Read to your child regularly


Read to your child on a regular basis. Read aloud, and make sure child participate in
reading with you. As you read, run your child’s finger along the text. Develop a routine and
make reading fun. Make sure you read to your child at the same time every day. Regularity
is of utmost importance.

Choose material your child finds interesting


Failure to choose your child’s favorite reading material will lead to disappointment—even if
you use all the methods of teaching reading. If your child is a boy, he may be interested in
robots, sports, Superman or Spiderman. A girl child may be interested in dolls. Figure out
what your child likes most and choose materials that relate to your child’s preferences. By a
book that has related vocabulary. It will boost your child’s motivation. Children learn more
when they can relate to what they read.

Talk about what you read and see


The more you talk to your child, the more he is likely to develop a strong vocabulary. Your
child’s books can spur conversation between you and your child. You can also talk about a
picture in his book. Conversations can make the methods of teaching reading more
effective. To keep a record of the new words, keeping a journal is a good idea. Words that
are connected to the story are easier to remember. Start conversations, ask interesting
questions and pay attention to the answers.

Do not always read the same books


Your child will gradually develop his or her reading ability. So, you will also need to increase
the challenge of books. You may start with books that have one word per page. Then move
on to books with longer sentences and then books with paragraph level text. But avoid
books that contain too many unfamiliar words. Most likely your child will find those books
boring. So, choose books that your child finds challenging, but not too challenging.

Do not compare your child with others


Let your child learn to read at his own pace. If you always compare a child with peers, he
will feel overwhelmed and experience inferiority complex. Negative feelings can impair your
child’s learning ability. The methods of teaching reading will not be effective if your child
feels ignored and worthless. Praise your little one whenever he makes some progress. Be
patient and help your child every day. Gradually he will develop strong reading skills.

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