Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

It is interesting to note that sounding out the words was the more prevailing view referenced in many of the responses in this study. Since most of these students indicated a reliance on sounding out words with limited reference to other strategies, it is important to evaluate whether students have a more focused and deliberate way to help readers attack unknown words other than just sounding out. Students viewed parents as role models and as an aid to their reading. Walker, Gooze, and Torres (2014) emphasized the role that parents play in the foundation for early literacy skills. The parent- child relationship and the family context are critically important for children’s developmental outcomes. Teachers and parents should continue to model good reading behaviors by engaging in read alouds and shared reading experiences. Read alouds and shared readings can include opportunities for students to solve unknown words beyond sounding out words and include the use of chunking, picture and text, prefixes and suffixes, and making connections and predictions as decoding strategies.

to continue to cultivate a love for reading by surrounding children with books they love, having a variety of choices for them, and sharing the fun that reading can bring. Fluency is a prerequisite to more sophisticated levels of reading comprehension and is a critical and essential reading competency necessary for full proficiency in reading (Rasinski, Reutzel, Chard & Linan-Tomson, 2011). Teachers need to ensure that striving readers understand that fluency is not reading at a fast rate, but that fluency is reading accurately, automatically, and with expression to make meaning. Continue the practice of pre-teaching vocabulary words; this provides students with prior knowledge of text and allows students to concentrate on what they are reading. As literacy teachers, we have the daunting task of finding the key that unlocks the door to reading. Providing the best instruction for our striving readers continues to be of utmost importance, and it is beneficial for all educators to look through the lens of and learn more from our striving readers. NAEP Report Card (2019) National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Assessment. Retrieved from: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ reading/2019/ National Reading Panel. (2000) Teaching children to read: An evidence -Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and its Implications for Reading Instruction. Reports of the Subgroups. Retrieved from: https://www.nichd. nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf Raskinski, T. V., Reutzel, C. R., Chard, D. & Linan-Thomson, S. (2011) Reading fluency. In M. L. Kamil, P.D. Pearson, B. Moje, & P. Afflerbach, (Eds), Handbook of reading research, Volume IV (286-319) NJ: Routledge. Shanahan, T. ( 2020) The Science of Reading. SCORE. State Collaborative on Reforming Education. Retrieved from: https://shanahanonliteracy.com/upload/ publications/228/pdf/Science-of-Reading-2020.pdf Smith, J. K.; Smith, L.F.; Gilmore, A. & Jameson, M. (2012). Students’self- perception of reading ability, enjoyment of reading and reading achievement. Learning and Individual Differences, 22(2). 202-206.

Literacy Matters Reading Matters

Among these striving readers, there was a limited reference to reading as an enjoyable activity. It is important

References

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Clark, C., Osborne, S. & Akerman, R. (2008). Young people’s self-perception as readers: An Investigation including family, peer and social influence. National Literacy Trust. Retrieved from http://www.literacy trust.org.uk/assessts/000/0558/ Self-perceptions_as_readers_2008.pdf Conlon, E.G., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. Creed, P.A. & Tucker, M. (2006) Family history, self-perceptions, attitudes and cognitive abilities are associated with early adolescent reading skills. Journal of Research in Reading, 29, 11-32.

Harvey, S. &Ward, A. (2017) From Striving to Thriving: How to Grow Confident Capable Readers. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

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Henk, W. & Melnick, S. (1995). The Reader Self-Perception Scale (RSPS). A new tool for measuring how children feel about themselves as readers. The Reading Teacher, 48, 470-482.

Walker, K., Gooze, R.A., & Torres, A. (2014). Connecting the dots: Raising a Reader builds evidence base for its parent engagement and early literacy program. Research Report. Bethesda, MD: Child Trends (ED56 1384) Retrieved Sunday, June 7, 2020 from ERIC

Kilpatrick, D. A. (2015) Essentials of assessing, preventing and overcoming reading difficulties. NJ: JohnWiley & Sons.

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