What Do We Actually Know About Reading? Ch. 5-7 Summary

There seems to be a lot of theories out there about what we actually know about reading. Although much of the theories have changed forms and names over the last 75 years, they have laid out the foundation. Some commonalities I found interesting were how much social interactions (at home and at school), family involvement (emulating) and rich home literacy environment have a big part in a child's readiness and willingness to learn to read. I am skeptical about the Maturation Theory. I've seen a 4 year old read The New York Times and I have seen kids struggle to read who were well over 6 1/2. People mature at different rates and I don't think you can put a specific age on it, perhaps an age range but not a specific age.

I agree that children learn to read in stages. And when they are ready, as educators we need to guide and encourage them. As written on p. 78, "Teachers need to understand the ways in which children think at different stages of development in order to create developmentally appropriate lessons and activities for them." This knowledge avoids educators from teaching material, a child is not ready for. For example, if an educator, tries to teach reading to a child that is not ready, this can cause frustration to both student and teacher. I have seen many of the theories (used in different degrees) in schools today. For example, I had my son at a day care center which had a strong belief in "learning through play." As an educator, I believe the best approach is to know your student and see what works best for him or her. I just don't think there is a "one size fits all" formula for reading success since each child is unique.