Articles
Aug 16, 2012
Reading and Writing
Literacy involves being able to both read and write; reading and writing are sister activities, if you will, in the family of literacy. In writing circles it has become almost commonplace that reading helps you become a better writer. But now, the same can be said for reading. A recent report funded by the Carnegie Corporation has found that *writing* can help you become a better *reader*. Without question, the ability to read is essential for learning as we use the written word to communicate knowledge. But what hasn’t been as clear is how important writing is to the ability...
Aug 15, 2012
Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties beset the best efforts of many children learning to read. Learning to read is a complex process in which young readers must engage in a number of literacy skills simultaneously in order to read fluently. Fluent readers must have a handle on the five essential literacy elements: **• Phonemic awareness** **• Phonics skills** **• Fluency in reading** **• Vocabulary building** **• Text comprehension** Any hiccup along the way in any of these areas has the potential to cause reading difficulties, and if not caught can lead to learning difficulties. There are a number of myths that accompany the...
Aug 15, 2012
Reading and Autism – Teaching Kids to Read and Comprehend
Reading and Autism: Teaching Kids to Read and Comprehend
Autism is a developmental condition that affects the way a child approaches language, communicates, plays and relates to others.
Because autism affects language, this can have a strong effect on reading comprehension. But this is not to say that reading and autism are mutually exclusive.
There are a number of different conditions that fall within the broader category of pervasive developmental disorder (or PDD),...
Aug 07, 2012
Reading Test for Kids
Reading tests can be a useful part a reading program, as long as their aim is to help students become fluent readers who understand what they read. A simple reading test done before a child begins reading has the benefit of placing the child on the appropriate reading level, so that the child does not grow frustrated with lessons that are too difficult, or bored by lessons that are too easy. Reading tests done later along the path of literacy can be used to aid comprehension, even as it assesses it. This helps the child identify his or her strengths,...