The Science of Reading

 By Nate Feldman

In the podcast we had to listen to for my Tuesday night Classroom Management Course, they talked about how reading has been taught for a long time vs. The Science of Reading, a way of teaching children how to read in improved ways.  The old methods just assumed if you gave a child a book, they would learn to read without working on things, such as phonics.  New research shows to make children better readers they must learn the science that goes into how the brain learns to read and comprehend correctly.  

This podcast really touched me in many ways.  First of all, as an ESL teacher, I have also often assumed that just telling people to read would help them.  And it does.  But, I was unfamiliar with phonics and the system of the Science of Reading.  So, perhaps, there were things I could have done better to help students read.  But then it got me to thinking....if we've been teaching how to read the wrong way, what else have we been doing incorrectly?  And how has that affected us?

Take for example how to socialize.  Just as we've been taught how to read by just being surrounded by books, it's assumed that people know how to socialize by being around people.  But, what if there is something that people with conditions such as neurodivergence can't learn just by being by people.  Maybe, perhaps, there is a science we need to be learning about that.  Just like with reading, some kids are able to pick it up better. But, what about those who can't?  Is it just tough luck like they said in the podcast?