People with learning difficulties can learn. However, the way that reading is taught at schools doesn't work for their brains. So, difficulty in reading is a symptom that comes about as a result of the flawed education system.
Over the years, David has spent several hours with educators who've used various approaches in an attempt to learn to read, but nothing worked for him as the mere 11 hours he spent with Nora in May 2021.
Nora said, 'If you do what I tell you to do, I will show you that your struggle is not because you can't read but because you were never properly taught how to read.'
My thoughts:
Nora's insight resonates with what I tell parents of the children I work with: the challenges in reading stem from systemic issues in education. The issue often lies in the teaching methods, particularly the confusion created by extraneous sounds when teaching consonants.
What led to David’s inability to read despite being a skilled speaker? His proficiency in vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency indicates he has the potential. Yet, he didn’t learn to read until the age of 62. This challenges the notion of individuals like Sam Bommarito and Timothy Rasinski, who suggest that teaching the correct sounds of letters isn't the sole factor in reading difficulties.
From David Chalk’s website:
David emphasises that he has no attachment to any particular system of reading. He understands that if he had received the same 11 hours of Structured Linguistic Literacy (Speech to Print) intervention in grade one, his life would have been very different.
My thoughts:
I also do not adhere to any particular reading system. My approach involves helping children unlearn incorrect sounds they’ve been taught and replacing them with the correct ones. After 11 one-hour sessions, David could read, which indicates that when the correct sounds of letters are taught, anyone can read.
At David’s age and having memorised most words and with a wide vocabulary, once he knew the correct sounds of letters he could easily read. This would be similar to other adults such as Tom Cruise who learned to read as an adult.
How can we prevent future generations from leaving school unable to read? We must make the necessary changes now. For instance, consider how David pronounced the word "cat" using the phonemes /c/ /a/ /t/.
Instead of focusing on developing an IT program, David should advocate for eliminating the teaching of incorrect letter sounds.
Many individuals in the documentary interview have opposed Whole Language approaches. While I don't promote Whole Language entirely, I believe it shouldn't be dismissed altogether. It's essential to recognize that many children will struggle with phonics if they aren't taught high-frequency words through rote memorization. Children influenced by media and early education that teach consonants with extraneous sounds are likely to face difficulties starting in first grade.
This movement, referred to as Right to Read, seems superficial rather than a genuine effort to address literacy issues. LINK, LINK
Here is my email to Nora Chahbazi and her response. Please read this in detail and ask yourself or tell me why I was not interviewed. LINK
Nora Chabazi wrote in her email to me:
Hi Luqman,
The story producer is looking for more insight from Balanced Literacy people. They are not going to be able to interview all those currently on the list, which is very heavy with phonics-focused experts. We greatly appreciate your willingness to participate and hope you will spread the word about the documentary. Here is a link to the website if you're interested in more information.
Thanks for all you do to promote literacy!
Best,
Nora
Questions to Consider
Who are the interviewees who provided insights on Balanced Literacy? Are the producers of Right to Read genuinely interested in reducing illiteracy? I plan to share my email exchanges with Nora to provide further insight into this issue. I invite you to draw your conclusions.
No comments:
Post a Comment