Raising Confident Readers

TEACHING READING IN PHASE 0 IS E-A-S-Y!

2011-01-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

From page 67 of Raising Confident Readers:

TEACHING READING IN PHASE 0 IS E-A-S-Y!

Teaching babies and toddlers in Phase 0 is E-A-S-Y. Just Remember:

E is for Early start.

A is for Activities.

S is Stimulation.

Y is for You.

Early Start

Your baby's brain is ready for reading at birth. Even before birth, if you are reading a children's storybook aloud, baby's brain responds to the musical quality of the sound, which she can already hear from inside the womb. If you are her mother, she will recognize your voice within a few days after her birth.....
...There is overwhelming evidence that starting early with language is an advantage. Printed language is a visual form of communication--just as sign languagefor deaf children is a visual language.

Read more from Raising Confident Readers and find out what you as a parent or teacher can do to help put your children on the road to literacy.

Raising Confident Readers is available at Amazon.com (Raising Confident Readers)
Find out more about Richard Gentry and his work at http://www.jrichardgentry.com/.
Follow him on FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/J.Richard.Gentry and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RaiseReaders.

The Science of Spelling, Implications of Discovery #2

2010-10-11T11:24:00.011-04:00

The question:

"How are teaching strategies for young emerging spellers different than those for older skilled spellers, and how does the difference relate to brain scan research?" (SOS, p13)

Find the answer in the Science of Spelling, The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (And Spellers!), Dr Richard Gentry's book that explains the science behind teaching spelling.

Discovery # 2: The Emergence of Spelling Ability and Ability to Spell Words Correctly and Automatically Are Different

(From The Science of Spelling (SOS), Gentry, Chapter 2)

"....learning to spell, which generally should happen in kindergarten and first grade, is very different from being a good speller (that is, spelling words correctly and automatically, which generally evolves in grades two through eight." (p13)

There are two phases of spelling:

Phase I, Learning to Spell ("learning how to represent words with alphabetic letters," p.13, SOS)
Phase II, Spelling Correctly and Automatically ("adding new, correct spelling entries to the dictionary of the brain," p17, SOS)

Implications:

"Implications from the discovery that the emergence of spelling and correct and automatic spelling are different fall into two categories. The first set of implications relates to the emergence phase of spelling/writing/reading. The last implication relates to Phase II." (SOS, p22)

"Kindergarteners and first graders should invent spellings and write frequently..."
Teachers should "pay attention to developmental levels of spelling," using "informal assessments such as the Monster Test (Gentry 1982) to further track development..."
"Differentiate instruction during Phase I based on levels of writing."
"Provide early intervention during Phase I for students who are not meeting expected levels of writing achievement."
"Provide explicit spelling instruction during Phase II for increasing writing and reading fluency." (SOS, pp 22-23)

For more a more details on Dr. Gentry's two phases of spelling, read Chapter 2 of The Science of Spelling, available on Amazon.com.

J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D., is an internationally acclaimed author and researcher and is recognized for groundbreaking work in spelling and Pre-K through second-grade emergent literacy. His breakthrough insights on the early connections of reading, writing, and spelling are unraveling the mysteries of how teachers should teach and how children learn to read and write. His new book for parents, Raising Confident Readers, is the culmination of more than 30 years of experience in childhood education. He is also the author of Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing, Step-by-Step Assessment Guide to Code Breaking, Breaking the Code, and The Science of Spelling. His blog posts for Psychology Today offer advice to parents on raising readers, writers, and spellers.

The Science of Spelling: Discovery #1

2010-10-06T18:56:00.001-04:00

There is a Neurological Basis for Spelling

‎"The implications from the discovery of a neurological base for spelling are powerful. They can be summarized in three guidelines for teaching.

1. Put spelling on a pedestal.

2. Teach spelling explicitly.

3. Change your attitudes about teaching spelling and about spelling's importance for literacy. "

(Taken from The Science of Spelling, The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!), Chapter 1, p.11-12, Gentry)
Available on Amazon.com.

Great Day San Antonio

2010-09-14T12:03:00.002-04:00

I just finished my interview on Great Day San Antonio, KENS -5, CBS. They placed a link to this blog to get more information about my book Raising Confident Readers. Over the last couple of months I have been posting on my new blog at PyschologyToday.com,
Raising Readers, Writers, and Spellers,
and not so much on this site. So in case you drop by here, check out my PT.com blog and my website,
http://jrichardgentry.com ,
or my Facebook page,
http://www.facebook.com/J.Richard.Gentry,
or my Twitter page,
https://twitter.com/RaiseReaders,
to get all the news and updates on what I am doing.

If you have questions, please email me at richard@jrichardgentry.com.

You can see a video of the interview on my facebook page listed above.

Thanks.

Phase 2, Do all Children Read the Same Way, Continued

2010-07-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

Here's a continuation of the question we considered in my a previous blog post, "Do all children read the same way."

To quickly review, the answer is "yes!" I explained there are five literacy phases through which each child progresses. Phase 0 ( http://tinyurl.com/2dlfk5k) and Phase 1 (http://tinyurl.com/2d3dwcn) were highlighted in previous postings.

Now, let's look at what happens in Phase 2, age 3 to 6

Your toddler begins learning the alphabet, matching beginning and prominent letters to sounds and labeling drawings or writing messages with a few letter-sound matches. You can read these early Phase 2 writing such as HMT DPD for Humpty Dumpty. Some of the sounds in the words are represented by letters, but not all of the sounds. Sometimes the Phase 2 writer gets only beginning or beginning and ending sounds.

"Phase 2 is exciting for both children and parents because everyday life explodes with illustrations of literacy learning. This is when children begin reading lots of easy little books from memory and writing their first messages that you can read. Your child’s mind absorbs great knowledge of letters and soon will begin to learn how sounds match with them. He or she can talk about sophisticated concepts during read alouds and book sharing. Knowledge about letters and sounds grows in leaps and bounds. Imagine the thrill of a parent being able to read the first written message from a child such as C MOM! I KN RT!" Gentry, Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write—from Baby to Age 7 (New York, Da Capo Press, 2010), 126

For more information on Phase 2 plus activities for moving Phase 2 readers and writers forward, see Chapter 6 of Raising Confident Readers. (Now available on line at Amazon.com or in bookstores everywhere.)

RCR Arrives!

2010-06-15T12:29:00.001-04:00

I received my first copy of the Raising Confident Readers yesterday, June 14. The book looks great. Bookstores will have it on their shelves by July 15, one month from today or sooner. I am very excited about the book's potential and the impact I believe it will have for parents who want to 'raise a child who loves to read.'

Windy City bound

2010-05-26T23:09:00.001-04:00

Hinsdale School District 181 (May 26-28)

I will be in the Chicago suburbs for a couple of days conducting staff development for preK through third grade teachers. The emphasis of the visit will be on teaching beginning reading, writing, and spelling with a heavy focus on beginning writing development and it's importance for learning to read.

Hinsdale School District 181 is one of the best school districts in the Chicago area.

Partnerships in education newsletter, Spring 2010, Volume 4, Number 1

Just received my copy of the Partnership in education, Spring 2010, Volume 4, Number 1 from the College of Charleston School of Education, Health, and Human Performance in which I was quoted for an article written by Christy Heitger-Ewing, entitled, How National Standards will Change America's Schools, (pp10-13).

'..."In my 2007 book, Breakthrough in Beginning Reading and Writing, I wrote about the need for a core curriculum and core knowledge for teachers of beginning reading and writing instruction-one specific example of a possible outgrowth of national standards,"notes Gentry....'

Please be sure to check out the article and the rest of the very professional and poignant newsletter put out by the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education. Paula Eglelson, someone with whom I have work for many years is the Editor-in-Chief.

Coming up:

I will be working in the Kingsport City Schools, Kingsport City, TN in the first week of June.

Only a little over a month or so before the release of Raising Confident Readers. Due out July 12.

Looking forward to some R & R next week as I join friends in Baltimore for an Orioles/Red Sox game at Camden Yards. Should be fun.

Look for my next post when we will continue with the series on "Do all children learn to read the same way."

Until then, keep on reading...

“Do all children learn to read the same way?”, continued

2010-05-14T14:37:00.004-04:00

What happens in Phase 1, age 3 to 5

In a previous post, dated Wednesday, April 21, 2010, we addressed the question of whether all children learn to read the same way by illustrating the different phases of reading and writing.

The answer to the question was "Yes!", and we discussed Phase 0, birth to age 3. To continue the discussion we now are ready to address:

What happens in Phase 1, age 3 to 5?

Your toddler learns to write her name and to read some words. She pretends to write messages and stories using random letters and attempts to imitate your reading of favorite books. Children should at minimum be in Phase 1 when they enter kindergarten to be ready for formal instruction in reading. Unfortunately, one and a half million American children come to kindergarten every year in Phase 0 unable to write their own name and not prepared for success with literacy.

Phase 1, Climbing the Phases of Beginning Reading, http://jrichardgentry.com/teachers.php

The following is an excerpt from my new book to be released in July, Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write—from Baby to Age 7:

“In Phase 1, your child’s naive and relatively unsophisticated strategies for writing may parallel what happens when she tries to read words in this phase. Since she doesn’t know that letters represent sounds, she’s not “sounding out” words, rather she’s likely relying on pictures or guessing. She may not be able to match your voice with the correct word when you read aloud unless you point to it. She’s “reading” a word like McDonalds as a visual logo by cueing on the golden arches—not the letters—and she may misread Crest as “toothpaste.

All of this being said, your little Phase 1 genius will shock you with what she can do: She may recognize familiar print in the environment, and she can memorize names, signs, labels, short easily memorized nursery rhymes, poems, verses, and songs with repetition and use memory reading to read them back. You will celebrate her “kid writing” and start an adult underwriting technique introduced in this chapter by occasionally providing the conventional form of the labels, phrases, lists, short directions that she produces as a pen and paper kid so that she can memorize it and read it back to you from conventional English. It’s a great time for memorizing favorite caption books, easy pattern books, pop-up books, board books, and concept books about animals, colors, flowers, or whatever she’s interested in. Remember, her favorites may not be yours. If she delights in what seems to you to be a silly unliterary little book with a finger puppet that’s what the two of you should be reading. When you can say “This is a book she really enjoys,” you have made the right choice for Phase 1.” Gentry, Raising Confident Readers: How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write—from Baby to Age 7 (New York, Da Capo Press, 2010), 119

In our next blog posting, we will explore what happens in Phase 2, age 3 to 6.

RCR has gone to press!

I was informed last week that Raising Confident Readers had gone to press. It has been over two years of research, travel, working with parents and their children, rewrites, editing, deadlines, and all the many detailed things that are involved in writing a book, but it has been worth the time and some sleepless nights. In little over a 8 weeks, RCR will be in bookstores and available online. Pre-order RCR on Amazon.com and be one of the first to send me your comments and questions. Here is the link at amazon for RCR: http://tinyurl.com/23qbdfa

Advance Praise for Raising Confident Readers.

This important book will have profound impact on how parents of young children view their role as their child’s first and most important teachers. Now parents can gain access to the tools and habits of thought that classroom teachers routinely use to develop lifelong, life-wide, confident readers. Dr. Gentry’s easy to read, practical guidance is offered as a bridge between experts in the field of reading instruction, brain science and parents trying to do the best they can to raise children who can and love to read and write. Imagine what could happen if this were required reading for all new parents and people who have children in their lives! Parents who read this book will become confident in their role of raising confident readers.—Antoinette Fornshell, author of Planning for Successful Reading and Writing Instruction in K-2

I owe a debt of gratitude to Antoinette Fornshell, with whom I shared some of the first stages of the RCR project. Her early positive feedback was inspirational, especially when things were getting off to a slow start. So thank you Antoinette, for all your encouragement and advise.

Timeout

After a very busy Spring and what looks to be a very busy Summer with book promotions, meetings, consulting and a couple of new writing projects, I took a week off to chill on my beach here in Fort Lauderdale and spend some down time in South Beach. I have done a little water color painting, read a little, had some wonderful dinners with friends. I hope each of you are able to enjoy some down time to reenergize and move forward.

Until next time, keep on reading...

Chicago for IRA

2010-04-28T18:50:00.001-04:00

Just a quick post to update on a couple of items.

I have been in Chicago all week attending the International Reading Association's 2010 Convention. In addition to holding a seminar on spelling on Tuesday, I have met with several of my publishers and contacts to explore new projects and plan for the coming year.

While in Chicago, I received the final cover for my new book, Raising Confident Readers from my publisher, Da Capo Press.

I like it. It shows a young dad reading with his son. I think it is important to recognize the fact that most children, if they are read to by a parent, are read to more often by their mother. So to have a picture of a man reading to his child is powerful and hopefully inspiring to a lot of dads out there.

Remember, the book is available July, 2010 but can be pre-ordered through Amazon.com. Pre-Order Raising Confident Children

Also while in Chicago, my publisher Zaner-Bloser launched the new Spelling Connections textbooks. I am very excited about the series and proud of the work ZB has done on it to make it the most professional, technologically advanced, and effective spelling textbook on the market. The buzz at IRA is that many school districts are already very interested in purchasing the textbooks, which is great news in these challenging times for schools all over the country.

I firmly believe it is essential to put spelling back at the center of early childhood education. The research shows spelling is crucial to the process of learning to read and write. In states like California, where spelling was de-emphasized, reading abilities have suffered. So I am delighted that with Spelling Connections schools will have the tools available to enhance their students future academic and vocational success.

I have enjoyed my trip to Chicago. Having lived here from 1995 until 2003, I always love coming back to My Kind of Town. But, I do not miss the cold weather and Fort Lauderdale is calling me home. Although I did not get to see my beloved Cubs play, I did get to visit some great restaurants and see some of my old homes.

Chicago I will be reading about you and returning soon.

Do all children learn to read the same way?

2010-04-21T14:43:00.002-04:00

I promised in my last blog post an answer to the following question:

Do all children learn to read the same way?

Contrary to popular opinion, the answer is YES!

All children learn to read the same way. They follow one clear path as they progress through literacy milestones in a consistent sequence of five literacy phases. The journey can begin as early as from birth to age 3 rather than waiting until children enter kindergarten at age 5. This phase development—whether early and informal or later through direct instruction—is not unlike the remarkably regular way that very young children progress through motor milestones or learn to speak in a consistent sequence. Seeing and understanding the five phases will open your eyes to any child’s literacy development.

So, what happens in Phase 0, from birth to age 3 if parents or caregivers start early?

Literacy development begins at birth with the laying down of neural circuitry for language which is foundational for later reading circuitry. In addition to language development, Phase 0 includes interest and joy in being read to, and later interest in marking, drawing, and scribbling—the precursors of writing and reading.

Did you know that almost all early readers write first and read later? Early readers not only have been read to, they are almost always “pencil and paper” kids. Very successful Montessori schools teach early literacy based on this model. The Phase 0 child loves books and literacy related activities because you enthusiastically engage her in literacy activity and entice her and this activity is meaningful, joyful, and fun!

In my next post, I will discuss what happens in Phase 1, age 3 to 5.

About My New Book

Pre-Order Raising Confident Readers

Many of the concepts and activities I discuss on this blog are elaborated in much more detail in my new book, Raising Confident Readers, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write, from Baby to Age 7. The first book to show parents how to teach reading, RCRs highlights what I have learned in over 30 years as an educator and researcher about best practice. Raising Confident Readers will be in bookstores and available online this summer with a release date of July 12, 2010. It is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Upcoming Events:

Hope to see some of you at my session at the IRA Convention in Chicago!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

TEACHING SPELLING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

1:00-3:45 PM

Room E255, McCormick Convention Center, Lakeside, Level 2

Until next time, keep on reading...

Beginnings of a Confident Blog

2010-04-01T14:53:00.000-04:00

CONFIDENT READERS are not born, but they can be made—naturally, lovingly, and joyfully—by a child’s first reading teacher: you. (Taken from J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D., Raising Confident Readers p.1) Come blog about beginning literacy with me!

Another blog? Just what the world needs, you say. But this blog, Raising Confident Readers, will serve a valuable purpose for parents, teachers, primary caregivers, and others interested in early childhood literacy—it will answer your questions about how to teach beginning reading and writing.

Over the next several months, and beyond we will discuss a wide range of topics. Most of our discussions will have a direct bearing on what you can do to help your child learn to read and write—birth to age 7 and beyond— and keep them on track for achieving success with literacy. Simple, common sense ideas will be put forward as well as more complex solutions involving collaboration between parents, teachers, and the school district.

Statements will be made, questions will be asked, and answers will be provided. So many teachers and parents with whom I come in contact, whether in my travels across the country or via phone, email, Twitter or FaceBook, are seeking help with their children and students. School districts are at a loss trying to decide what methodology is best for creating data driven progress monitoring systems and best-practice instruction. How best do we track each beginning reader, writer, and speller’s progress along a continuous literacy path? Parents are concerned that their child will not be properly prepared for kindergarten. How can the parent and preschool teacher take advantage of the critical period of brain development from birth to age four? Teachers see students who are well behind grade level and need guidance in determining where each child is in development and how to move him or her forward. Schools need assistance in choosing the right literacy programs, but beyond identifying the five critical areas of reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension—do decision makers in your district really understand how each of these components works in tandem on a natural developmental continuum for each child?

I look forward to having a discussion with you and sharing some of the insights and solutions I have gathered in my nearly 40 years of being a professional educator. Please send me your questions, share your experiences, and tell me the concerns you have about raising the confident readers in your life.

The road to Confident Readers starts here. Let's travel it together!

Our first feature, coming soon, will answer this question:

“Do all children learn to read the same way?”

You may be surprised at the answer!