This document discusses and compares four main approaches to teaching beginning readers: 1) The phonics approach teaches letter sounds and blending. 2) The look-and-say method has students recognize whole words through flashcards. 3) The language experience approach uses students' own drawings and words. 4) The context support method uses books with longer sentences on one page and shorter versions on the facing page. All four methods can be combined to engage students and support their reading development.

1. Approaches in
Teaching
Beginning
Readers
Joanne L. Verola
UPHSL
BS EED- Special Education

2. 1. Phonics approach
- most soundly supported by research for
effective instruction in beginning reading
• Must be explicitly taught
• Must be systematically organized and
sequenced
• Must include learning how to blend
sounds together

3. 2. Multi-Sensory Approach
- effective for special needs
• Uses all possible senses – tracing, saying,
listening, looking
• Typically called VAKT
• Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile
• Can be used with either Phonics or Whole
Language

4. 3. Linguistic Method
- supported only by "qualitative
research" instead of quantitative research
• Teaches "whole words" in word families
• Students are not explicitly taught that there
is a relationship between letters and sounds
for most sounds

5. 4. Language Experience
- called "Whole Language“
• Expects child to learn reading as "naturally" as
speech
• Uses child’s oral language as content for
reading
• Uses child’s oral language as basis for spelling
instruction
• Children learn to "read" by reading and re-
reading "big books" together with the teacher
and then the teacher gradually withdraws
prompts so child appears to be reading that
book

6. 5. Reading Comprehension
Support
- Explicitly teaches strategies and
techniques for studying texts and acquiring
meaning

7. Approaches to teaching reading
All good literacy practice starts with the needs of the
individual student. The materials you use are crucial for
addressing the specific needs of the student and for
maintaining motivation and interest. It is sometimes
difficult for new tutors to grasp that there is no
curriculum to follow. The ‘language experience’
approach or 'Cloze' procedure discussed in this section
demonstrate what effective materials might look like.

8. 1. The Language Experience
Approach
The language experience approach uses a
student’s own language and grammar to
create reading materials. In simple terms,
they tell you a story and you write it down
for them to read.

9. What are the advantages of using
language experience?
• It is based on the student’s own vocabulary.
• It involves the student and gives them a sense of
ownership of the material.
• It provides instant reading material for beginner
readers.
• It can provide a bank of essential sight words.
• It can encourage writing activities.

10. How do you generate the text?
• Use open-ended questions to generate
discussion with your student.
• Write down verbatim a few sentences
which have been dictated by the student.
• Do not change grammar or syntax, but
clarify with the student that you have
written down what they intended to say.

11. How can you use the text?
• Discuss the piece with your student and show an interest in
the text.
• Read the piece to the student and then read the piece
together.
• Point out unusual words.
• Cut out the first sentence and ask the student to read it.
• When the student seems confident reading the sentence, cut
it up into individual words.
• Mix the words up and see if the student can put them
together to form the sentence.
• Repeat this exercise with the other sentences.
• You can also ask the student to create new sentences with the
cut up words and to read them aloud.

12. 2. Cloze Procedure
• Cloze procedure is a method which
encourages learners to develop and rely upon
their own ability to predict meaning in what
they are reading, through the use of context
clues and their own previous knowledge.
• The method involves deleting certain words
or letters from a text and leaving an
underlined blank space. Learners can then
read the passage to themselves, guessing at
the missing words or letters and filling in the
blanks. It should be emphasized that there
are no right or wrong answers – whatever
makes sense when read back is okay.

13. 2. Cloze Procedure
It is important to avoid leaving too many
blank spaces because the reader may
become frustrated by the break in the flow
of their reading. About one deletion for
every ten words is the maximum
recommended. Read the Cloze passage
yourself to check that it isn’t too difficult and
that not too much meaning has been lost
through deletion.

14. The Cloze method can be used for a number of
different purposes:
• To assess comprehension. Using Cloze procedure
gives a good idea of the reader’s potential for
understanding a passage. Clozecan test:
• - word recognition
• - the use of semantic and syntactical
information to predict
• - ability to seek meaning outside the context
of the immediate sentence

15. The Cloze method can be used for a number of
different purposes:
• To develop prediction skills for reading. It is best to
eliminate words central to the meaning of the passage,
so that an appropriate word should spring easily to mind.
• To emphasize grammatical points. In this case it is best to
leave out only those words that are the same part of
speech (e.g. adjectives, adverbs, prepositions etc.).
• To highlight spelling patterns. As with grammatical
points, you can eliminate words that begin or end with
the same letter combinations, vowel sounds or rhyming
patterns.

16. Four Main Methods of Learning
to Read
Four main methods used to teach students how
to read are explained below. This is a guide only
and you must work out which methods suit you
and your child/students. You may like to try
each one for a few weeks and record the results
or you can combine two or more methods
together like the 'phonics' and the 'look and say'
method. Whichever way you choose be patient,
consistent and above all creative. Creativity is
very important to keep any child's interest and
enthusiasm at all times.

17. Method 1: Phonics
• The phonics method is probably the best
known and widely used method to teach
reading and writing in the English
language. It relies on children being
taught the alphabet first. They learn the
names of the letters and the sounds they
make. Once they have learnt the letter
sounds they will begin to blend two letters
together to make simple words then three
letters, then four and so forth.

18. a-t i-t o-n i-f
c-a-t s-a-t m-a-t r-a-t
f-l-a-t p-l-a-t t-h-a-t p-a-t

19. • For children to learn the phonics method
they need phonically written books using
regular words that are interesting to
young children. Each word must be
sounded out by the child in order to
achieve the highest level outcome....
eg. The cat sat on the mat. ..... The hen
is in a pen.

20. • Learning the sounds and their blends may
be disinteresting for young children so you
should keep it short and entertaining.
Often children are so busy concentrating
on sounding the words and blending the
sounds that they don't learn the meaning
of the word, making it boring for them.
Ensure you explain the meaning or
expound on the words to keep interest
and enthusiasm for learning.

21. • You can introduce one letter a day or one
letter a week but the one letter a day
method works quite well and it does not
become boring, whereas one letter a week
tends to drag out and the child often loses
the plot halfway through. This in turn
gives you a sense of failure and you will
become bogged down.

22. • Don't be disheartened if two or three days or
even a week is needed to master one letter,
students will improve and before long you will
find there is no stopping their young brain.
Children are natural learners and are more
than willing to please you thus doing well in
their learning experience. Using the phonics
method, most children will learn to read basic
words and sentences within three to six
months. The phonics system had been used
successfully in the USA and Europe for many
years to teach children how to read. It
supplies the student with tools to expand
their vocabulary.

23. An alphabet table using each letter sound.
a
ape
a
antelope
a
armadillo
b
bear
c
civet
c
cat
d
deer
e
emu
e
elephant
f
fox
g
gerbil
g
goldfish
h
hippo
i
ibis
i
inchworm
j
jaguar
k
kangaroo
l
lizard
m
monkey
n
nightingal
e
o
okapi
o
ostrich
p
peacock
q
quail
r
rabbit
s
snake
t
tiger
u
unicorn
u
umbrella
bird
v
vole
w
walrus
x
ox
y
butterfly
y
yak
z
zebra

24. Method 2: The Look and Say Method
• With the 'look and say' method
children learn to recognize whole
words or sentences rather than
individual sounds. Your student will
look at a word which you sound, and
in turn will repeat the sound (the
word). Flashcards with individual
words written on them are used for
this method often accompanied with
a related picture.

25. Method 2: The Look and Say Method
• If you don't use a picture with the word the
child will probably make a wild guess as to
what it says trying to remember what sound
you made previously. This is not a good
method if you don't include pictures.
• It is also recommended with this method to
use whole short sentences rather than
individual words. Write a short sentence
representing the picture displayed. Say the
sentence and ask the child to repeat it while
pointing and looking at each individual word
as he/she repeats what you said.

26. Method 2: The Look and Say Method
• By making word cards you can
create different sentences again and
again. You can use each word card
first to learn individual words and
then laying the word cards together
to form a sentence. You may need to
make several word cards using the
same word; e.g. the - and in
order to form proper sentences.

27. Method 2: The Look and Say Method
• The look-see or whole-language approach
(also known as "psycholinguistics") was
developed by modern psychologists and
denies the students the tools used in the
Phonics system but teaches them to learn
through rote memorization.
• Students could become poorer readers
due to being forced to "learn to read" with
the look-see methods, but if you have the
teaching skills to combine both it would
benefit your students enormously.

28. Method 2: The Look and Say Method
The rat is on the mat.

29. Method 3: The Language Experience
Approach
• The language experience approach is
the third method you may like to
use. This particular method actually
uses student's own words to help
them read. Your student may draw a
picture of Dad in the car. In that case
you would write underneath the
drawing; Dad is in the car.

30. Method 3: The Language Experience
Approach
• You continue to collect drawings your
student makes and write a short sentence
underneath each drawing. A picture of a
playground would read; We went to the
park or playground. A picture of a cat
could read; The cat sat on the mat. A
picture of walking the dog could
read; Mum walks the dog to the park.

31. Method 3: The Language Experience
Approach
• When you've collected enough pictures
you make them into a book for your
student to read again and again. Write
underneath the drawing a description your
student gives for the drawing. This way
your student will remember much better
what is written.
• First you will write every word and
sentence. Slowly your student will begin
to trace over the words you have written
and finally the student will write the words

32. Method 3: The Language Experience
Approach
• Some people use this method as a first
approach to reading in order to help their
student understand that what they've drawn
and what you have written is a form of
communication between the student and
yourself.
• The language experience approach supports
children's concept development and
vocabulary growth while offering many
opportunities for meaningful reading and
writing activities through the use of personal

33. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
• When your students are just learning to
read it is important to choose books that
really interest them. If boys like cars,
choose a book with pictures and simple
words about cars. This will keep their
interest and they will enjoy learning with
you. If girls like dolls, obtain a book with
doll pictures and simple words. Again it
will encourage enthusiasm because they
are actually looking at something they can
relate to

34. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
• Some books are especially written to
support this method of learning. You will
find a longer sentence on one side of the
page while the other side has a single
word or maybe two to three words for
your student to read. You will read the
longer sentence while your student reads
the simpler version.

35. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
• You may like to try this method of long
and short text or maybe combine it with
one or all of the other methods above.
The debate still rages among educators,
parents, and experts. Which approach to
teaching reading works best? That is
something only you can answer and it
comes with practice and experience.

36. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
• Most children learn to read reasonably well
between the ages of four and eight. Check the
following 10 point checklist, which was originally
written for parents to help ascertain if students
are heading in the right direction.
1. Do you read regularly with your child? (five or
six days a week)
2. Do you give your child time to browse through a
book before attempting to read it?
3. Do you show confidence in your child's abilities?
Your lack of confidence may affect your child's

37. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
4. Don't tell your child you are worried about
his/her reading progress. This will only fuel your
child's problem. Discuss with your partner or other
homeschool parent for advice.
5. Does your child ever read to anyone else besides
you? Try a grandma, neighbour, uncle, aunt, friend
etc. It could make a big difference with your child's
confidence to read.
6. Do you expect too much to soon? Don't push too
hard for immediate results. It takes time!
7. Are you always rushed? Do you give your child
enough time to read or write?
8. Do you provide opportunities for your child to
write? Such as shopping lists, names on the top of
letters to friends or relatives, the child's own name

38. Method 4: The Context Support
Method
9. Are you using books at the correct level.
Use easy books to encourage your child's
abilities, making sure it is not too easy or
you will undermine your child's confidence
in him/herself. Don't choose books too hard,
that also may undermine your child's
confidence in him/herself.
10. If you do all the above and you are still
worried, your child's hearing or eye sight
may have something to do with the reading
problem. Visit your doctor for a check-up
because hearing or eyesight could affect

39. References:
https://www.nala.ie/tutors/top-tips/teaching-
reading/approaches
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/rea
ding-methods/context-support-method.html
http://www.hishelpinschool.com/reading/appteachrea
ding.html