One of the things that parents and teachers are worried about is how to help the child learn to read. Also, in the education system, it is most challenging to help kids with reading in the best possible and easiest way. Over the past few years, more than 35 states have passed laws that aim to revamp literacy instruction for children. Further, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced a proposal to require schools to use “scientifically proven” reading curriculums by 2025. Now, the government of many states wants to focus on the science of reading to make it impactful and easy for children.
What is the science of reading?
Well, there is no single definition of the science of reading. But, the main idea is to align teaching strategies with a body of research on how kids learn to read. The research includes various aspects such as developmental psychology, educational psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, etc. Depending upon decades of research, it is found that children need to understand the relationship between letters and sounds along with the meaning of words.
How is it useful for learning in children?
The science of reading brings phonemic awareness to children, which is a pre‑reading skill. It focuses on understanding how sounds work in language, including rhyme, first sounds, and syllable segmentation. Teaching practices that include both reading and writing are very supportive of teaching phonics to children. In short, the science of reading is the technique that helps children learn to read from the earliest steps in spoken language. Also, it makes them familiar with almost all kinds of words and their sounds.
As a parent, you can read books to children and teach them the sounds and meanings of words. This will help them with a better understanding of various types of words used in written or verbal language.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.