Session 2: Connecting Language & Reading

Connecting Language & Reading

  • Discuss the connection between reading and language.
  • Revisit the Simple View of Reading.
  • Classify Learning Difficulties using the Simple View of Reading.
  • Case Study: Alexander

 

Materials

 

Define Session Goals

  • Describe the relationship between reading and language development.
  • Define the parameters of language.
  • Define the components of language.
  • Describe the differences in reading development throughout schooling (K-12).
  • Classify different reading difficulties using the Simple View of Reading.
  • Define dyslexia.
  • Define specific comprehension deficit.
  • Given a case study, identify reading strengths and difficulties and make appropriate recommendations for assessment and instruction.

 

Connecting Reading and Language

  • Read the text on slide 4 and ask “What does the reader need to do to understand this text?”
  • Show the video interview with Dr. Mark Seidenberg.
    • Ask, why is it now well accepted that reading is a language-based skill?
    • Use information from the video to connect reading and language.
  • Define language (slides 6-8).
    • Walk through the slides.
      • Define language from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (slide 6).
      • Explain the parameters of language using Bloom and Lahey’s model: form, content and use (slide 7).
      • Explain the components of language development and explain that each of these components includes the ability to express and understand these components of language (slide 8).
  • Define reading (slide 9).
    • Explain how reading is different from language as language provides additional cues not represented in text requiring the reader to make inferences.
  • Connect components of language to reading (slide 10).
    • Share video of interview with Dr. Julie Washington (slide 10).
      • Ask, how does knowing sounds impact learning to read words?
      • Ask, how does vocabulary impact learning to read words?
      • Ask, how does vocabulary impact understanding text?
  • Revisit the Simple View of Reading and Connect with Language (slide 11 – 15).
    • Revisit the Simple View of Reading (slide 11).
    • Share video interview with Dr. Reid Lyons.
      • Ask, what skills does a child need to learn to identify words accurately and fluently.
      • Ask, what skills does a child need to understand text read.
      • Discuss...
        • The importance of linking sounds to letters.
        • Being able to do this fluently and effortlessly to attend to meaning.
        • Predict what is going to happen and connect what we read with what we know and what we read.
        • Motivation.
    • Review code-focused skills that support word reading and fluency (slide 12 & 13).
      • Share the video of the child reading.
        • Ask, how they would describe the child’s reading using the Simple View of Reading.
        • Discuss the relationship between word recognition and vocabulary.
        • Explain how skilled decoding develops (slide 13).
    • Review meaning-focused skills that support comprehension (slides 14 & 15).
      • Explain what good readers do.
      • Share the Thinking about Comprehension video with Nancy Hennessey (slide 14).
        • Ask, what is comprehension.
        • Ask, what do readers need for effective comprehension.
        • Ask, in what way is comprehension more than testing understanding.
      • Discuss the importance of discourse processing (slide 15).

 

Reading Development (slide 16 & 17)

  • On the site Great Schools.org share videos from Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, middle and high school that demonstrate reading development over time.
    • While participants watch videos ask them to stop and turn to a partner after each video and share the cognitive and linguistic skills the child is applying in Competency 4 Activity Sheet 1.
    • After reviewing half of the elementary videos, stop and share with the large group the developmental progression observed (cognitive and linguistic).
    • After reviewing the other half of elementary ask them to share with the large group the developmental progression observed (cognitive and linguistic) and continue this process through high school.
  • Revisit the Simple View of Reading (slide 17).
    •  Ask why the simple view is far from simple?
    • Discuss the integration with decoding and language comprehension from the earliest grades.
    • Discuss how emphasis on word recognition typically decreases over time as readers become increasingly effective decoders and the role of the processes related to comprehension become more essential to understanding complex texts.
    • Explain how it is essential to target all of these skills from the earliest grades.

 

Classifying Reading Difficulties (Slides 20-22)

  • Using the model from the Simple View of Reading explain the classification of reading difficulties (slide 20).
    • View the Short AIMs Teachable Moments Video: Common Profiles of Reading Difficulties
    • Discuss how examples of dyslexia using the graph and share slides 20 and 21 that define dyslexia.
    • Watch the UFLI Podcast: An Introduction to Dyslexia.
      • This video is longer – 13 minutes.
      • Ask participants to get in small groups and discuss.
        • Ask, what did you learn from this video? What was new?
        • Ask, what did the video confirm?
      • Discuss as a whole group what dyslexia is and what is not.
        • Make connections to language.
        • Explain why it is not visual.
      • Discuss implications for assessment.
      • Discuss implications for instruction.

 

Case Study: Alexander

  • Ask participants to get in small groups to review the information about Alexander.
  • Ask participants to respond to questions 1-3.
  • Discuss responses as a whole group.
    • Alexander has trouble applying the alphabetic principle.
    • Alexander appears to rely on his effective language comprehension skills.
    • Based on the figure (slide 19) it appears that Alexander is demonstrating skills consistent with A – poor decoding and good comprehension.
    • Discuss implications for instruction (targeted phonics instruction with multiple opportunities for practice.
    • Discuss progress monitoring to ensure Alexander is benefitting from targeted instruction – discuss tools currently using or discussed in competency 3.