4 Ways To Learn To Read

It's true! 

There are 4 ways children learn to read, but…they do not all set up children for success. 

I recently enrolled in a Fall Book Study with some of my favorite Science of Reading mentors. We have been diving into the book Literacy Unlocked which offers a research-based guide for how to teach reading effectively in the early grades (K-5), emphasizing a proactive approach rather than waiting until a child falls behind.

This book takes brain research and turns it into practical strategies that teachers (and parents) can use to help young learners!

Keep reading to find out which 2 of the 4 ways children can learn to read, that actually support effective reading development and growth for lifelong reading success!

4 Ways Children Learn How To Read

1. Prediction - this is when children use context clues to guess the words. This does not set up children for success. It sets them up for a foundation of guessing. Instead of a foundation for reading. (ineffective)

2. Analogy - when children use words that look alike to figure out new words. While this strategy words for words like “dump” and “jump” the strategy fails when it comes to words like “snow" and “plow” and “through” and “rough”. Although they have similar word parts, they do not sound the same. Therefore, the analogy strategy is not a great reading strategy. (ineffective)

3. Phonetic Decoding - now we get into practical, efficient and reliable reading strategies. Phonetic decoding is when we sound out a word sound by sound, such as /k/ /a/ /t/. While this is an essential bridge to automaticity it is NOT the end goal. Adults don't sound out words sound-by-sound, but the payoff is that it leads to the smooth (& accurate!) reading to come. (effective, but not the end goal)

4. Orthographic Mapping - or The Key To Automatic Word Recognition - this is when we recognize words for instant retrieval. Words get stored permanently and the cognitive lift shifts from word recognition to comprehension…and comprehension - is the official end goal to reading. (effective and final step in the reading process!)

If you're curious about reading research, like I am, you can check out the recent book I've been diving into, Literacy Unlocked. It's equal parts research (simplified!) and practical application of ways to support and understanding the foundational reading journey! 

If you've been curious about working together to support your child's foundational reading skills - you can begin here. Applications are available for children in Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade. By the new year, your child's reading experience could look a lot different! 

Happy reading!

Ms. Schelzi