Evidence-based Reading Methods Called for in US Schools

Evidence-based Reading Methods Called for in US Schools

There has long been a debate among experts about how best to teach children to read in the United States. The debate involves two methods for teaching¹ words: learning² words as a whole, or breaking words down into their basic sounds.

Recently, however, many are starting to favor what they call the "science of reading." The goal is to use methods that many years of research have shown to be effective to teach children to read.

The science of reading idea is helpful for struggling readers, but schools and teacher training programs have been slow to use it.

A push to teach all students in this way is gaining ground as schools look for ways to help students who fell behind in school during the pandemic.

History of teaching reading

The other method involved phonics. Phonics teaches how sounds work in combination³ to form words and parts of words.

Supporters of this method argue that students need detailed⁴ lessons about the building blocks of language. That means spending lots of time learning letter sounds and ways to combine them into words.

In 2000, a governmental group, the National Reading Panel⁵, released⁶ findings⁷ of its research on methods for teaching children how to read. It said phonics was important, along with several related⁸ methods.

However, what came to be used after this study was known as "balanced literacy⁹." It borrowed from both phonics and whole literacy methods. Its goal was to get children to read books they enjoyed as quickly as possible.

Michael Kamil is a professor of education at Stanford University who sat on the national reading panel. He said, "It wasn't a true compromise¹⁰." The method often led to students learning how to guess words, instead of how to say them correctly.

Now, schools are putting more attention on phonics and other elements of the science of reading to help with poor reading performance. Makers¹¹ of schoolbooks are adding more phonics, and schools are ending some popular programs that lacked the method.

What is the science of reading?

The science of reading uses research from many fields that relate to how a child's brain learns to read. In practice, the method calls for schools to focus on the building blocks of words.

Students no longer memorize word spellings. Instead, they learn the elements that make up a word. For example, with the word "unhappy," students would learn how "un-" changes the meaning of the base word "happy."

Why does it matter?

For some children, television shows like Sesame Street and parents reading to them is enough. But 30 to 40 percent of children will need more teaching that is part of the science of reading, said Timothy Shanahan. He is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Other children fall somewhere in between. "They're going to learn to read," said Shanahan who also was one of the members of the 2000 panel and the former director of reading for Chicago Public Schools. "They're just not going to read as well as they could be or should be."

Colleges of education are often still teaching balanced literacy, even with concerns about its effectiveness. That means new teachers have little experience in using what are being called evidence-backed teaching methods.

Shanahan said that means parents often have to help their children learn to read, paying for one-on-one teaching or workbooks. Extra help can be costly¹², and it adds to the lack of equality in education.

As a result, some chapters of the NAACP, a civil rights group, are pushing for the science of reading to be used in schools. They say learning how to read is a civil rights issue.

What should parents do?

Amelia Malone is a director at the National Center for Learning Disabilities in Washington. She said parents must read to their children. If not, she suggests helping¹³ teachers when they ask for it and pushing evidence-based methods in their children's schools.

"Parents can be part of the solution," she said, "if we educate them on why this is kind of the movement we need."

Words in This Story

focus – v. to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something specific

phonics – n. a method of teaching people to read and pronounce words by learning the sounds of letters, letter groups, and syllables¹⁴

literacy – n. the ability to read and write

guess – v. to form an opinion or give an answer about something when you do not know much or anything about it

chapter – n. a group of people in a certain area who make up a division of a large, national organization

1 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

4 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

5 panel   

n.面，板，专门小组，控制板，仪表盘

参考例句：

• The unusual control panel on the walls caught our attention.墙上不同寻常的控制板引起了我们的注意。
• The panel of judges included several well-known writers.评判小组中包括几位知名作家。

6 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

7 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

8 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。

9 literacy   

n.识字，有文化，读写能力

参考例句：

• I can't believe that he failed the literacy test.我无法相信他识字测试不及格。
• The literacy rate there is the highest in Central America.那里的识字率居中美洲之首。

10 compromise   

n.妥协；妥协方案；vt.损害；vi.妥协，让步

参考例句：

• The spokesman made it clear that no compromise was yet in sight.发言人表明，目前还不会妥协。
• The probable outcome of the talks is a compromise.会谈的结果很可能是妥协。

11 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

13 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

14 syllables   

n.音节( syllable的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a word with two syllables 双音节单词
• 'No. But I'll swear it was a name of two syllables.' “想不起。不过我可以发誓，它有两个音节。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记