by Felmarie I. Taunan
"Reading is the magic key to the world of enlightenment. It is the basic tool for learning in all subject areas".
The Division of Aklan through Mr. Michael T. Rapiz, EPS – I in English initiated a 3 – day Division Training of District Trainers in Remedial Reading for both Elementary and Secondary Teachers and Supervisors on July 11–13, 2011. It was held at Kalibo Pilot Elem. School, Makabayan Center for Excellence. The training is envisioned to train our teachers on how to help our non – readers, frustration readers, and pupils who have no love for reading in an easy and interesting way.
Remedial Reading is defined as a teaching reading skills that have been taught but are not learned or teaching the reading skills for the first time. Evidence shows that remedial reading produces desirable results. But why we should diagnose reading difficulties of the child?
Diagnosis studies the child’s instructional needs based on the expectations of his chronological age, mental age, and grade placement. It seeks to discover why the child reds successfully or unsuccessfully, it gives information of the child’s problems in reading and, if so, what are they and their causes? These serve as a blueprint from which remediation is structured.
There are Eight Principles of Diagnosis’ 1) It is always directed toward formulating methods of improvement; 2) involves more than appraisal of reading skills and abilities; 3) must be efficient – going as far as and no farther than is necessary; 4) Only pertinent information should be collected by the most efficient means; 5) whenever possible, standardized test procedure should be used; 6) informal procedures may be required when it is necessary to expand the diagnosis.; 7) should be continuous and efficient; and 8) interweaving the parents about the child’s physical condition and nutritional status can be a great help.
Levels of performance are: instructional level – also free from observable signs of difficulty along with observable evidence of ability to profit from instruction frustration level – point at which the child becomes completely unable to handle the material.
Who are considered Poor Readers? 1) Slow Learner has the ability level with an IQ below 90; seldom reads on ability level, reads below grade level; the instruction needs to be adopted to his limited ability and the pace of instruction and teacher expectations must be realistic. 2) Reluctant Reader can read but will not; the root of the reading difficulties is the mental attitude of the pupil; solution of the reading problem begins with a change of attitude. 3) Disadvantaged Reader – potential often far exceeds performance; can learn and wants to learn; lacks adequate oral language because of inadequate experience; does not look upon reading as life-related; often feels alienated from the larger social structure; often deficient in auditory attention and needs to learn how to learn. 4) Retarded Reader is usually of average or above average intelligence, although a retarded reader could also be a slow learner, does not read on ability level, may or may not be reading below grade level and may show blocks to learning, especially emotional or neurological, which keep him from learning to read.
What makes reading interesting? How will a teacher entice a reluctant child to read? Is the availability of remedial reading a big problem? These are some of the queries of many of the teachers today. One suggestion discussed in that training is on how to improve the learners to love and to make it easier for them to read is thru our Local Reading Materials. It has an objective of inspiring our teachers to make reading materials; realize that Filipino children are most interested about things that they can relate with a good source of reading text such as: stories and situations about their lives, graphics, and visuals like cartoons and comic strips that can enhance their reading ability.
Why are pictures/illustrations are important? As Sam Glover said, "Humans tend to remember pictures, not data. 72 hours after listening to information, most people retain only 10 percent 72 hours after seeing information, most people retain 65 percent. In other words, if you want your students to remember what you tell them, show it with pictures". And being a teacher, I myself do believe in this. Teachers must give situations that are local or actual to the learners such as a mother and a girl washing clothes, a father and a boy cutting firewood and children gathering it, children helping their parents on their household chores or the family that prays the Angelus.
These are situations they can easily relate with. Conceptualized the materials that will be used. Know the child’s level, the nature and its background. Make sure that the materials that are being used are attractive to them. Since reading can be one of man’s deepest pleasures, it extends his experiences, giving him a glimpse of the world’s excitement, pleasure and wisdom. With these, we’re truly sure that every child is a reader.
"Dare to touch the heart of the weak, unwilling, uninspired, ashamed children. Teachers are Angels and Servants of the Greatest educator who will make an accounting about how patient we were in CHANGING LIVES." /MP
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