Decoding Backward... Have We Done It Wrong This Whole Time?
I could not wait to write this blog post today. Many of my questions and concerns have finally been addressed, and I'm understanding so much more about my reading instruction, and the growing readers I work with.
Although I will keep my summary short, I will be sharing some of my take aways that I insist you look into and dig deeper with. For those who have been wondering how encoding skills can be strengthened for their students- you're not alone! I've asked myself the same question!
I've always taught students decoding skills, (sounding out words) along with phonemic awareness/ phonics. In an article by Jeannine Herron for Educational Leadership, Herron states that phonics can be more engaging if we teach students how to spell and write words (encode) before we read them. The article was written in 2008, yet we are still facing the same issues with struggling readers today. Could this mean that we are still approaching instruction from an incorrect angle? Most definitely yes!
As Lousia Moats stated in 1998, its crucial to teach sound-to-letter instead of letter-to-sound, which allows students to construct words through their writing before learning how to decode them. Speech also plays a part in supporting this theory, since our brains are not naturally built to read. It's safe to say reading can be termed "unnatural."
What I like most about the article is the section that includes points about decoding and encoding, recognizing a case for encoding instruction before decoding. One statement in particular sums it up well: "Writing becomes an efficient route to early reading rather than a separate subject." Harron (2008).
I discovered this article and other resources from one of my favorite podcasts: The Reading Teachers' Lounge Episode 22 April 2019, Improving Encoding Instruction.
I challenge you as a teacher of reading to read this article, reflect on what the leaders of reading have said, and consider what we can do to provide encoding instruction before decoding, and not work backward while teaching reading. Should't we be working with how the brain processes and makes connections? I'll leave that up for you to decide!
Final Thoughts: Keep reading about reading instruction, keep advocating for proper instruction, keep the brain in mind, and finally, be willing to try instructional techniques outside your comfort zone!
Comments
Post a Comment