Teaching Reading and Writing

 

As a human, our brains are naturally wired to listen and speak. But, they aren't naturally wired to read and write. In some cases like in Indonesia, there are a lot of people illiterate that they can listen and speak but they can write even read. That's why reading and writing must be taught, with teaching human to learn to read and write at about age 5 or 6 and need several years to master the skills. Children don't learn to read, just from being exposed to books, for many of them reading must be taught explicitly and systematically, one small step at a time. Researchers have made a lot of progress in determining how to teach reading more effectively, but it comes down to the effectiveness of each teacher such as their approach, method, or strategies. Therefore, teachers make the difference.

Print Awareness

Print awareness is a child's earliest introduction to literacy, that is understanding that print is organized in a particular way. For example, knowing that print is read from left to right and top to bottom. It is knowing that words consist of letters and that spaces appear between words. Children who have an awareness of print understand that the lines on a page represent spoken language. They understand that when adults read a book, what they say is linked to the words on the page, rather than to the pictures. After that, a child's writing development parallels their development as a reader. The part of print awareness is the realization that writing is created with instruments such as pens, pencils, markers, papers, etc. Therefore, children begin to imitate the writing that they see in the environment, like at first glance, the efforts of a young child may look like meaningless scribble. But a closer look at these early attempts at writing will reveal something more.

Early Reading Methods

There is a variety of methods to teach reading for young learners, that consist of two essential approaches. The first is the "Phonics Method", which is the method for teaching children to read and write English. In phonics instruction, children are taught the sounds of the letters. What is important is that the child comes to associate the shape of the letter with the sound it makes. Once individual letter-sounds are mastered, children are taught how to blend both of them to read words. Because mastering the sounds of letters may be boring to young children, it is important to keep lessons short and fun. A variety of reading games should be included to keep the child engaged. 

Pic. 1: e.g phonics method

The other one is the "Whole Language Method", with the whole language method, children are taught to recognize the sight of the whole words, rather than its letter parts. Theoretically, the method goes from the whole to the part. Flashcards and graded readers are features of this approach.

Pic. 2: e.g phonics method

Reading Focus In TEYL

In teaching reading English to young learners, two main points have to be a concern. The first is "Fluency", which means that the children can read a text accurately and quickly. Fluent readers read aloud effortlessly and with expression. Their reading sounds natural as if they are speaking. Readers who have not yet developed fluency read slowly, word by word. Their oral reading is choppy. Also, the fluent readers recognize words and comprehend at the same time. Less fluent readers, however, must focus their attention on figuring out the words, leaving them little attention for understanding the text. The second point is "Vocabulary". Vocabulary plays an important part in learning to read. The beginning readers must use the words they hear orally to make sense of the words they see in print. Consider, for example, what happens when a beginning reader comes to the word APPLE in a book. As he/s begins to figure out the sounds represented by the letters A-P-P-L-E, the reader recognizes that the sounds make up a word that he/s has heard and said many times. Because it is harder for a beginning reader to figure out words that are not already part of their speaking vocabulary.

How can encourage young learners to read & write?

1. Accept that pupils will make handwriting and spelling mistakes. These mistakes can be corrected over time with practice. They are not as important as the children's effort to communicate.
2. Have short English texts, with pictures on cards ready that children can read.
3. Introduce letter cards or magnetic letters to encourage playing with letters and letter combinations to make words.
4. Label objects such as tables, chairs, door, window, plants, by word cards.
5. Let children have fun while learning to read and write.
6. Praise and respect all efforts -no matter how
small.
7. Provide a comfortable reading area with good lightening in your class and space for children to write and tools to do so.
8. Provide books for your students that are related to their special interest.
9. Read a variety of books aloud to children regularly from story to big books.
10. Using posters containing commonly used phrases such as "sit down", "come here" or a calendar with the names of the days and months.

Activities In TEYL:

READING: 

• 'Look and say': They point to words as you read aloud.
• Match pictures and Cards: learners match the written word to the picture on the board
• Read & Do: give learners short written instructions on cards to follow. (e.g. Mark to the word "APPLE")
• Reading independently: asking children to read alone and find certain information.

WRITING; Spell Words & Phrases

• Copying selected words and phrases from books.
• Finishing comments. (e.g. At the end of the story, the rabbit......... )
• Gap-filling activities. (e.g. I put ...............on a table)
• Labeling pictures or objects.
• Question and Answer (QnA): children write questions in pairs about a picture they all can see. Then, the teacher takes the pictures down, and the pairs give their questions to another pair to answer from memory, in writing.

Reference:

Pic:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Picture+alphabet&safe=strict&client=ms-android-oppo&prmd=ivn&sxsrf=ALeKk03FqSiPMNNtLMhupyVbs_xl__gwww:1611780916326&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizleTn_7zuAhWbzTgGHf5cDWQQ_AUoAXoECBMQAQ#imgrc=hI_mbcs97g5G0M

https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&client=ms-android-oppo&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ALeKk00GjZa0dUMtZhDbn8rLcXxsXfnbg%3A1611781253500&sa=1&q=child+read+and+write.&oq=child+read+and+write.&aqs=mobile-gws-lite..0l5#imgrc=-W84TohDFd5dvM