¶ … Reading is the most critical skill children learn in the primary grades because it provides the foundation for the remainder of their school years and life in the real world thereafter. Parents, school teachers and administrators have all expressed concerns about how reading is taught in the United States (Alexander, n.d.). An eighteen month study by the National Reading Panel focused on specific areas of reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, developing fluency, and vocabulary development. The Panel looked at what teachers need to know to teach and model the use of various strategies in the classroom, and how pre-service and in-service education can better prepare teachers for the important work of reading instruction.
The research found, not surprisingly, that systematic and direct instruction is the most effective way to teach children about phonemes and, later, phonics. There always seem to be children in the classroom who might be called "natural readers," and just seem to figure it out on their own, but most students require explicit instruction as part of a total reading program.
The Panel found, also not surprisingly, that independent...
Students need guidance and feedback from their teachers if they are to make progress. This is also true for reading comprehension skills; teachers can use various strategies including discussion, questioning, and re-telling to make sure students understand what they read.
It has been said that any teacher who can be replaced by a computer should be. That being said, the Panel acknowledged computers do have a use in the classroom to teach reading, particularly to special needs populations.
The video's narrator concludes by saying "The President has established a goal of every child being able to read by third grade. We now know how to make that goal a reality." The Panel's research certainly brings educators closer to the goal, but it is oversimplification to state that the secrets to teaching reading have been fully unlocked. There are many variables, some of which are beyond the control of the classroom teacher (e.g., family support, access to technology). More research may be needed, but it seems the efforts towards the goal of all…
