Breaking the Code: Phonics and Reading

When it comes to teaching reading, it's not enough to mean well. Far too often, the desire to encourage a love of books is used as a shield for methods of reading instruction that result in too many children not really learning to read at all. #readingwars breakingthecode.com/how-love-becam…

What launched me into the underbelly of American reading instruction was my observation of high-school students who seemed incapable of reading in a linear manner and who also misread, skipped, and guessed without realizing that they were doing so. breakingthecode.com/three-cueing-s…

For as long as I can remember, people have mangled my last name. It always struck me as a little odd because “Meltzer” (MELT-zer) is perfectly phonetic. The question of stressed syllables aside, there is only one way it could be pronounced. breakingthecode.com/names-places-a… #phonics

His teachers said, 'He's a boy, he'll pick it up soon.' Then, 'he's not trying hard enough, you're not reading at home with him enough.' He struggled through those early years with me throwing everything at him that I was taught at university... eminamclean.com/post/i-was-tol…

When I first got interested in the problems of teaching reading, I quickly found reading was viewed as a “three-dimensional problem” because it does not develop linearly and involves a complex interplay of skills. Only recently, I thought to question it. breakingthecode.com/reading-is-a-f…

@HartofLearning @tiffany_peltier breakingthecode.com/phonology-phon…

@tiffany_peltier Please explain the difference, so I no longer confuse them. Thanks.

PSA: Phonological awareness & phonemic awareness are NOT the same. The NRP named *phonemic* awareness as part of the "Big 5." I've seen this confused in class assignments, in-service trainings, state-level assessments, and national trainings.

To be effective, a phonics program must be explicit, systematic, and NOT be undermined by the use of books that include sound-letter patterns that children have not yet learned. That's why leveled readers/running records and phonics don't mix. breakingthecode.com/why-running-re…

The next time someone tries to argue that English isn't a phonetic language...

"Trying to turn the tide at my (private, affluent) school where there is a higher than acceptable level of struggling readers," says a listener. "Your podcasts were a gamechanger for me." apmreports.org/collection/rea…

What happens when little kids are taught to "read" by looking at pictures and guessing? They turn into big kids who "read" by looking at pictures and guessing. breakingthecode.com/the-three-cuei…

breakingthecode.com/royal-jelly/ #reading #teaching #education

We never stop learning, and, at least for me, the goal is to improve instead of relying on what I already know. New research and discoveries appear, and Whole Language icon Jean Piaget’s arguments from 1942 should not be the basis for modern day education. breakingthecode.com/and-seem-a-sai…

Not teaching reading as a code in which letters correspond to sounds is often justified by the misconception that it will create confusion. But, in reality, the vast majority of English words are spelled phonetically or contain only one irregular sound. breakingthecode.com/what-does-it-m…

Written English is a code in which letters and groups of letters are used to stand for sounds, and to be able to read, children must learn to break it. Although skilled reading involves many factors, decoding ability is the foundation on which it rests. breakingthecode.com/10-signs-of-a-…

So many parents concerned about their children's reading are told - 'don't worry, they'll catch up." But they don't. Why is this happening? Listen to @WNYC today at 1:00, or anytime on @EducatePodcast @apmreports apmreports.org/episode/2020/0…

Far from the old adage “drill and kill”, practice gives multiple exposures to the circuit’s component parts. Young readers need repeated practice learning and connecting these parts. -Maryanne Wolf (theguardian.com/commentisfree/…) #literacy #phonics #scienceofreading

To parents looking to buy a home in a "good" school district: don't just go by the test scores. Look at the reading curriculum, and talk to some tutors about what kinds of problems they see. breakingthecode.com/some-advice-fo…

Successful early decoding ability is related to the number of words a reader encounters... Children not only learn more words, but they become more familiar with the common spelling patterns of English which, in turn, helps them decode longer words. #phonics #scienceofreading

Governor Baker was absolutely correct when he talked about teaching reading phonetically, only most schools weren’t doing it that way pre-COVID, and haven’t been over Zoom. breakingthecode.com/reading-in-the… #COVID19 #teaching #reading #education