Methods to Teach a Child to Read

Running Head: TEACHING READING 1

TEACHING READING 7

Teaching Reading
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According to this source, there are number of methods that can be used in order to teach a child on how to read given content and also differentiate instructions (Fisher, 2005). This practice of teaching in which different aspects are combined together serves as the best when giving instructions as well as teaching children on the way they are supposed to read. In this approach, a teacher first needs to understand children by determining their interests and also the impacts they have on their quality of learning. This encompasses a strategy in which quality interactions between a kid and his/her teacher are involved. it helps maximize the process of learning in little children. Using of action research approaches in addition helps children since a teacher gives an analysis of different learning strategies and hence a child will understand which strategies are important for her to use in learning and also the ones that he should avoid. Understanding a child is one of the key practices that have to be employed in the process of teaching a child on how to read. Understanding a child entails knowing both the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the child on the reading of a content that has been given. This helps a teacher in that he/she able to identify areas where a lot of emphasis needs to be laid. A teacher will first need to coach a student on his/her strong areas thus making the child perfect on these areas. Building up of strong partnerships is a very importance strategies that helps children improve their capability of reading and interpreting instructions given in a given content. Building a partnership helps build a strong bond between a child and his/her tutor. This strong bonding makes a child feel free while interacting with the teacher thus making it easy for a child to absorb the instructions given by a teacher.
Subjecting a child to a flexible learning environment is in addition helps in improving reading skills of a child (Fisher, 2005). To start with, this requires a teacher to take a child through many strategies of learning. A good example of this is a practice of open-ended experience of learning. A teacher needs to make sure that he/she has created a learning environment that is stimulating, motivating and also challenging. Creation of a classroom setting that is welcoming helps attain this objective. This type of an environment incorporates the needs, culture, gender, capabilities as well as interests of the kid.
According to Graham, (2008), teaching a child on how to read involves carrying of a practice that incorporates strategies that are aimed at the development of a child’s reading skills. A teacher who is effective in teaching a child on how to read choose an approach that will effectively fit the situation at hand. According to this source, a teacher has to first appreciate the attempts made a child in reading. A teacher who is effective should acknowledge what a child is able to read. A child will be helped by letting him/her know that we have seen the attempts he/she is making. This is by a way of listening keenly to whatever they are saying and then acknowledge their efforts through positive. At some other times, approaching a child entails sitting close to them and then watch and also listen to the words they are saying. Doing this helps a child become motivated will whatever he/she is doing hence making him increase practicing efforts. Encouragement of a child is another vital aspect that makes a child learns on how to read with ease. Praising a child without encouraging is of no help. Words of encouragement makes a child understand that he/she is doing the right thing and hence he/she end up improving his/her persistence and efforts towards that direction. A child should be made to think deeply of the words written. With time, this increases creativity and hence a child will be able to understand instructions even in the case where complicated words have been used. Understanding of instructions if however a continuous process and hence practice is highly required in this field. Some of the phrases used to encourage a child include, “you are doing good” and “continue with the same spirit”.
For a child who is practicing on how to read, a teacher is supposed to use a feedback that is specific rather than using comments that are general. Issuing of general comments does not motivate an individual child due to the fact that his/her efforts are not recognized. This thus brings out the importance of using comments that target a certain child. On the same strategy, use of terms that discourage a child is not recommended. A teacher should ensure that he does not act rude at any point while interacting with the kids. This is very and can end up making a child starting performing poor on reading skills. The child starts viewing himself/herself as being incapable since there is no recognition of the efforts he/she has made.
As argued by Reutzel & Cooter, (2012), a teacher needs be acting as a role model to his/her students. This is by giving them tips on how to interpret contents which seem to be confusing. Apart from the normal giving of instructions, a teacher needs to be involved in the real thing where he reads and then gives his interpretation. This helps motivate the students as they would also like to be perfect like their teacher. In the process of participating, the teacher should be able to come up with vocabularies that will help the kids get used to the reading of words that are complicated. On the same, a strategy in which beginners read one word after the other is in addition very useful. This involves a process in which the kid is taught on how to place a finger on the word to read after which he shifts his/her finger to the next word and then read it. Despite the fact that it is slow and that there is no flow of a sentence, it helps beginners in that they end up understanding on how to pronounce words. After a child is through with reading, use of a strategy in which the teacher asks questions on the read information is very useful. Such a strategy helps build up the memory of a child. It is always a good indicator that shows whether a child has or has not understood the information being presented. The fact that different words are used by the child in explanation helps gauge the level to which the kid has understood.
According to Gonzalez-Mena, 2013), creation or addition of a challenge is a good practice to use in teaching children on different approaches to take before reading a given material. Creation of a challenge helps stretch the mind of a child beyond his/her normal thinking capacity. Due to the fact that challenges are very hard to deal with, a teacher should be ready to provide assistance to a student who is not able to meet the demands of the challenge given. This helps weak children as it makes sure that they have not been left by their colleagues. For those students who have a little experience on the reading of given contexts, use of words that look alike is helpful as it will help pose a challenge to them. A good example of this type of words is tongue twisters. In the case of tongue twisters, pronunciation of words is almost the same. The teacher has to be ready as he will be needed to assist students who are not able to read. For effective building up of a student’s reading skills, starting the challenge at a low tone is highly recommended. This comprise of a situation in which a student reads a given sentence slowly so as to make him/her pronounce all words in the correct way. A student who passes this challenge with then be taken to the next step where he the speed of pronouncing tongue twisters in a sentence will be increased. This goes on up the time when a child is able to read fluently a sentence that is made up of tongue twisters and vocabularies. A teacher should give an interpretation of the words that are a challenge to the kids.
Sinclair (2006) gives an approach that will best work for kids in a group of at least 5 students. In this strategy, a teacher puts kids in groups where a group will be made up of children who are both good and poor in reading given instructions. A group should not be made up of students who are friends. This is because formation of groups with many friends ends up affecting the seriousness of a group and hence weak kids end up not getting assistance. This is a kind of a mentorship program. Due to the fact that children are not gifted with similar capabilities, a child who is good in a certain area will be helping another child who is weak in that area. This importance of this strategy is very big since all members of a group will end up improving their reading skills.
On the interpretation of given information, children should be warned on rushing to make a conclusion on the information given. After reading a piece of written material, one should first identify the key words of that sentence. In most cases, there are the words in which a lot of emphasis has been outlined. This step is then followed by interpretation in order to bring out the meaning that the author of the written piece intended to bring out. Attention is very critical for the small kids especially in the case where instructions are being passed. There are many factors that can shift the attention of a kid. A teacher should hence make sure that his/her kids concentrate at all times.

References
Fisher, R. (2005). Teaching children to learn. Nelson Thornes.
Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2013). Foundations of early childhood education: Teaching children in a diverse society. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Graham, G. (2008). Teaching children physical education: Becoming a master teacher. Human Kinetics.
Reutzel, D., & Cooter Jr, R. B. (2012). Teaching children to read: The teacher makes the difference.
Sinclair, N. (2006). Mathematics and beauty: Aesthetic approaches to teaching children. Teachers College Press.