Posted on Monday, June 6, 2016 by Zunaida 1 minute
According to the “SIMPLE VIEW OF READING”, skilled reading (meaning to be a proficient reader) requires two processes:
The “Simple View” of reading comprehension, is widely supported by research. The Simple View holds that a person’s capacity for reading comprehension is determined by that person’s ability to decode text (D) and that person’s ability to comprehend spoken language.
Children must be able to both decode text and comprehend language in order to comprehend text.
Thus, teachers and caregivers taking on reading activities need to think carefully which component of reading they intend to focus on.
It’s quite easy in the teaching process to focus totally on improving reading skills or word decoding skills in an attempt to push the child’s level of reading to the level that is appropriate for their age. But equally easy is ignoring the very important component of language comprehension and reading comprehension.
Teaching reading needs to give attention to both dimensions: word recognition and comprehension. (It is worth saying at this point that ‘comprehension’ is about understanding spoken and written language.) These are both necessary, but neither is enough on its own.
Children who are learning to read but who cannot decode the words on the page are prevented from understanding the text fully. However, even if they recognize the text, can say and understand the words on the page, this does not mean that they will understand the text as a whole.
Children with speech and language difficulties or children with learning difficulties might have this issue with reading and reading comprehension. This is often shown in their poor reading skills or a below average performance in their academic skills.
As children develop their reading skills, attention should be paid to the gradual transition from learning to read; to learning to understand. Language comprehension should be developing along with word recognition. Teaching thus need to be planned, such that word recognition is given priority in the early stages of reading, but later a greater emphasis should be developed towards the teaching of language comprehension so as to ensure greater confidence in understanding and appreciation of written texts.
Essential reading comprehension tasks:
Based on an educational perspective, teachers and parents must foster the development of specific strategies for reading comprehension and encourage our children to practice developing reading skills.
References:
“SIMPLE VIEW OF READING” – SVR; Gough. & Tunmer, 1986; Hoover & Gough, 1990
Zunaida likes to browse through websites looking for more background information on her favourite topics such as speech difficulties and pragmatic skills disorders. She has more than 10 years of experience working with children with special needs in Singapore.
