Part 2: Read the passage below, which was taken directly from our classroom lectures, and answer the essay question directly following the reading using specific text evidence.
The 6 steps that represent “normal” reading growth in a student are the Prereading period,
Progress in Reading Readiness period, Introduction to Reading period, Progress in the Primary
Grades period, Progress in the Basic Reading Abilities period, and Progress in the Special
Reading Abilities period. In the Pretending period, which is soon after birth, a child will acquire
experiences essential in learning to read. Some of these factors are maturation in mental ability,
acquiring interests, developing listening and speaking vocabulary, skills in auditory and visual
discrimination is formed. This all leads to a child being able to listen to stories. Adults must talk
to and with the child. They need to read stories and have children look at the pictures.
Crayons/paper must be provided. In the Progress in reading Readiness period, a child is
ready to start a reading program after meeting the following criteria such as sufficient mental
maturity, satisfactory classroom adjustment, normal physical development, gaining a
background of experiences and developing positive attitudes about reading in general.
At this point, a teacher should begin to provide instruction to compensate for whatever deficiencies in reading readiness they observe. In the Introduction to Reading period, at the
start of Grade 1, teachers must make sure a reader accumulates a sight vocabulary and
knowledge that printed symbols stand for meanings, and new word meanings should be gained
by students. Students should be reading labels, short signs and notes to reading a book. This can be done through worksheets, exercises from manuals, and
supplemental materials such as beginner storybooks. In the Progress in the Primary Grades
period, in Grades 2 and 3, there is just a reading refinement of what was learned in Grade 1. By
the end of grade 3 students should be able to show progress in mastering techniques of word
recognition, display independence in reading, have a degree of use in reading skills, exhibit
study-type reading, show greater speed in silent, other than oral reading, and display a positive
attitude toward reading. In the Progress in the Basic Reading Abilities period, as a student
goes through the other primary grades, there should be an evident growth in acquiring
new words, word recognition skills, and comprehension skills. If a child learned and
mastered letter phonogram sounds in the early grades, they will easily pick up
syllabication and recognition of prefixes, suffixes, and root words in the later years.
Finally, in the Progress in the Special Reading Abilities period, special reading abilities can
be taught as early as grade 3. These abilities include study skills, reading to organize, genre
reading. These abilities all lead to the child being able to handle the more challenging and
demanding reading in junior and high school.
Categories of Reading Problems
Children with reading problems can be classified into four categories:
1.General reading immaturity. This category is composed of children who are significantly behind in reading, compared with other children of their general reading expectancy. There are no unusual characteristics about their reading patterns. Although these children are immature in reading, there is nothing especially wrong with the reading they do.
Juan, a fifth-grade boy of average intelligence, has always been disinterested in reading. As a result, he has read very little far less than most of his classmates. Currently, he has great difficulty reading fifth-grade material, but reads third grade material well and possesses reading skills typical of a normal third-grade child. Juan may be classified in the general reading immaturity group. Many children with reading disabilities show general reading immaturity due to a variety of causes.
Remediation. Instruction should involve giving more experience in reading and systematic instruction at the child’s level of reading achievement. These children do not require a reeducation in reading, but they do need adjustment in materials and instruction. If they are asked to read books that are too difficult for them, or if they are not given systematic instruction in reading at their level, they will very likely develop more complex reading disabilities.
2. Specific reading immaturity. This classification is used for children who have specific limitations in their reading patterns. For example, Joan is able to read and understand the general significance of paragraphs difficult enough to challenge the reading skill of children of her age and intelligence. She cannot, however, read to follow directions or to organize longer selections. She has acquired general basic reading skills, but she has not learned to adapt them to all her reading purposes.
Remediation. Instruction should involve specific training in the areas in which the child is weak. Other adjustments will depend on the child’s overall read achievement. Many children with specific reading immaturity read at an able level in general and require few adjustments other than the provision of specific training. Others may require adjusted materials.
3. Limiting reading disability. This classification concerns those children with reading disabilities who have serious deficiencies in their basic skills that limit their entire reading growth. Children who have a word-recognition deficiency, limiting mechanical habits, or inability to sense thought units, for example, fall into this category.
David has a limiting disability. He is a capable fifth-grade boy who scores quite low in all types of reading. His intelligence enables him to grasp the significant ideas in a passage relatively well, even though he reads less well for specific detail. His ability to recognize words is even more immature. He often does not recognize words in isolation, although in reading sentences and paragraphs, he does pick up on contextual clues. His basic problem, as detected through his oral reading and written work, appears to involve an inadequate approach to attacking words. This limitation not only is the probable cause of David’s reading disability, but also threatens to impede any future growth unless corrected by careful remedial work.
Remediation. Children in this group need reeducation. Instruction must serve to help them unlearn some of the reading strategies they are currently employing and to teach them some new basic approaches to reading. Often, these children are compensating in an unproductive manner because they failed to learn skills basic to continued reading growth. They need the help of well-planned, systematic remedial programs to correct their faulty reading approaches and to develop the skills that they lack.
4. Complex reading disability. This classification is really a subtype of the limiting reading disability. Not only do children with this disability have deficiencies in their reading that limit further growth in reading, but in addition, instructing them in reading is complicated by their negative attitudes toward reading and by their undesirable adjustments to their reading failure. Reeducating these children may be complicated further when they have sensory, physical, or other disabilities.
Remediation. Children in this group need careful assessment by a team of professionals in order to provide an appropriate remedial program. These children’s learning disabilities must be recognized and planned for in order for successful reading remediation to be achieved.
Scenario:
Hiro was a pleasant, cooperative seventh- grade student of average intelligence. He participated in many school activities and had many friends. However, he seemed to have difficulty understanding when completing reading assignments in Social Studies. In other course work he did well, especially in Math. When the reading teacher assessed Hiro’s reading skills, she found that he was excellent in all aspects of word recognition and in understanding the details of his reading. However, he was a somewhat slow reader and was poor in isolating major ideas and themes in longer selections. Which classification seems to suit Hiro best- general reading immaturity, specific reading immaturity, limiting reading disability, or complex reading disability? Please explain your choice using SPECIFIC information. In addition, cite which step of normal reading growth Hiro has reached or if he hasn’t reached any and explain how you concluded the answer.
Again, please explain your answer citing evidence from the passage above. Be mindful of writing mechanics as they will count toward your grade.
ANSWER HERE:
