Module 6: Modeling

How Do I Love Thee: Modeling and Dimensional Thinking   

Graphic Representation:  The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading:  How Children Learn to Read      

          
         
Written Reflection:

          This week I decided to create a model to help parents understand the process for how children learn to read.  As I recently completed parent/teacher conferences, I took a little time to reflect on the information I shared with them.  Each year I pass out information on The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading:  How Children Learn to Read. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf .   It was simply a yellow piece of paper with information on it for them to read.  It was neither dynamic nor interesting, and I imagined it would be tossed in the garbage or in a pile of papers to be looked at “later.”  My hope for creating this model is to allow for visual learners to see with a concrete model that the building blocks to reading are just that, blocks of skills that start at the bottom, phonemic awareness, and build upward to the ultimate goal, comprehension.  We first need to learn how to read and then use reading for learning.    

          In order to model abstract ideas and concepts, one must create a concrete visual representation by viewing the ideas from multiple dimensions.  Creating a model allows one to control the imagery and the ability to disseminate information to foster one’s knowledge of the topic.  Modeling allows you to use your imagination to abstract ideas into a physical representation with a multidimensional tactile object. I wanted parents to understand that reading skills need to be taught and learned in a specific order to optimize their child’s reading progress.  My model that represents The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading begins with the bottom or foundational piece then adds a new skill on top once the previous skill is mastered.   There is order and sequence to learning how to read.  The same is true for building a tower.  When a child uses blocks to build they start by placing one piece on the floor and building upward.  I started by sketching my idea for a model on a piece of paper.  This by itself is a visual representation for the sequence of reading skills, but lacks a concrete physical model. 

          This first reading block is Phonemic Awareness.  Phonemic Awareness is the “ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds-phonemes-in spoken words”. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf.  The next block we place on top of phonemic awareness, and the next developmental skill to be taught and learned is phonics or alphabetic principle.  With this step, a child will now “learn the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language”. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf.  Fluency and accuracy is the next reading block to be added.  The foundational skills have now been learned and children will now know how to segment and blend words, know basic sight words, and begin to read text smoothly and quickly.  At this stage, we focus on vocabulary, our fourth block.  Learning vocabulary can be learned directly and indirectly.  Vocabulary can be explicitly taught and can be learned by listening to adults read to them and engaging in conversations. The last block to be added and the goal for learning to read, is comprehension.  Learning to read is essential, but without being able to comprehend what is being read, one’s ability for future learning will be limited. 

          
          This 3 dimensional model for The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading brings a physical representation and order for learning to read.  From my experience, parents do not know or understand the different components to reading.  They do not break reading down into smaller parts to help their children at home.   With a visual, the sequence of skills can be easily seen and understood.  Hopefully parents will use this newly presented information to help their struggling reader.