Teaching Children to Read

We use the Australian, phonics based Reading Freedom program to teach children to read.

Overview for parents.

The following is some information on the successful Reading Freedom program we use to improve the reading and English skills of our students.

The first two levels of Reading Freedom provide a carefully structured remedial reading program for those children who have already received reading instruction but who have yet to master basic skills with accuracy and fluency. 

The third level of Reading Freedom is designed for children who have mastered basic skills but who still have difficulty reading and spelling longer words. Level Three of Reading Freedom gives instruction in the skills necessary to make children independent readers. All three levels are intended for use in primary and junior secondary schools.

The fundamental principle underlining the Reading Freedom remedial reading program is that children with reading problems require the kind of instruction that is systematically structured to enable them to overcome their difficulties. A second and equally important principle addressed by the program is that children with special needs require the kind of positive reinforcement that comes from the steady and easily demonstrated mastery of basic skills. It is upon this basis that Reading Freedom takes the child from mastery of the simplest reading skills carefully and systematically through to mastery of the most complex skills.

Each new unit of the program builds on from the skills learned in previous units. The student progresses from learning new sounds to blending these sounds into words – to spelling the words – to reading sentences made up of these words – to adding word endings – to combining the words with those learned in previous units and to reading comprehension passages based on the skills learned in each unit and at each level. 

The first two levels of Reading Freedom provide remedial instruction for children lacking basic reading skills (assigning sound values to letters), sight vocabulary (recognising words instantly) and comprehension skills (reading carefully structured prose passages and answering questions on them).

Reading Freedom’s Golden Rules

• Careful assessment

• Regular lesson format

• Regular time and place for lessons

• A pleasant and positive atmosphere

• Careful instructions

• Regular monitoring of progress

First Things First:

The Assessment Procedure

Before starting the program it is essential to find the areas of strength and weakness in the child’s reading ability. A diagnostic test of phonic knowledge is provided for this purpose. A standardised test of reading ability is used to determine the child’s reading age. Equally important is the vocabulary of sight words. Finally, a quick check of the child’s visual function is advisable. Many children who have reading difficulties also have visual problems or a learning difficulty. 

At the assessment, all children are checked, and if necessary, screened for learning difficulties. An optometrical check with a behavioural  optometrist may be recommended. Bill Spooner is an accredited Irlen diagnostician for dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Some children may experience extreme difficulty at a particular diagnostic level. Should this occur, it is not necessary to test at subsequent levels or to continue with the level causing difficulty. The prime reasons for administering the test is to obtain two kinds of information: first to determine the gaps in the child’s phonic knowledge and second, to determine a suitable level at which instruction can begin. 

The program teaches quick and accurate word recognition. This is a skill, just like any other and with a systematic approach you, the parent can see where the child is. It is hierarchical in difficulty and by going from the easiest first to the hardest last you and your child will not be bewildered. The process is further de-mystified by the fact that you can see the teaching methods. 

One of the great benefits of the program is that all school subjects will improve and any feelings of inadequacy leave the child.

Phonemes: the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes one spoken unit from another (e.g. ‘man’; ‘can’.)

Phonetics: is a scientific study that deals with sound. ‘a’ is a letter but ‘a ‘ is a phonetic sound. ‘a’ is the same sound but ‘a’ is a different phonetic sound. The phonemic hierarchy deals with 26 letters but 44 different sounds.

Phonetics: a method of teaching reading that enables students to analyse letters in words and associated sounds.

Reading is a skill, just like riding a bicycle. At Bill Spooner’s Coaching Academy, we check for and if necessary, address the “hidden learning difficulties” and through the Reading Freedom Program, quite simply teach children to read.