Effective reading is critical during the learning process. Completing the reading process assignment was beneficial in improving my understanding of various reading elements. Konza (2010) described reading as a sophisticated process that leads to the development of oral language facility and entails skill development and the utilization of comprehension techniques. The precise manner by which these processes combine should be understood by educators to identify their learner’s needs and teach them more effectively. I learned that the reading process encompasses six key elements that must be taken into consideration to enable individuals to become successful readers. The elements include phonics, fluency, oral language development, phonological awareness, comprehension, and vocabulary. These components are interrelated, and they contribute to the ability of individuals to read effectively.
The oral language functions as the basis for learning how to read, and it determines the overall reading attainment of students (Konza, 2010). This shows the need for students to communicate using oral language to increase their chances of being effective readers. Phonological awareness is another component, and it entails awareness of rhyme, rhythm, and syllables (Konza, 2010). The element is critical because it helps predict the future reading ability of students. Children should be able to hear distinct sounds to allow them to connect the sounds to letters. The third component is phonics, which involves acknowledging the link between sounds and letters. When researching this component, I learned that most educators and investigators recognize that phonic elements should be taught at the beginning of the reading program. Nevertheless, how phonics should be taught and the specific time it needs to be taught is still debatable. Empirical evidence supports the synthetic technique as efficient in teaching phonics (Konza, 2010). Educators must ensure the most appropriate teaching approach is selected when teaching phonics.
The next component is vocabulary, which contributes to comprehension, fluency, and attainment in reading. Words may have similar pronunciations, though different meanings. It suggests that children should be familiar with many vocabularies to allow them to understand a sentence based on the vocabulary used. The next element of the reading process is fluency, and it is concerned with phrasing, pace, and expression during the reading process. Fluency can be impacted by the speed by which a child reads a given text. Children who read extremely slowly and halt while reading devote a substantial portion of their cognitive attention to the decoding and word recognition subskills (Konza, 2010). Such children may experience challenges when comprehending the text. The last component of the reading process is comprehension, which requires individuals to engage with materials deeply using several skills beyond regular word recognition. Students must demonstrate sufficient understanding of the vocabulary for comprehension to occur (Konza, 2010). Comprehension is influenced by the other five components, indicating that educators must adhere to all the reading processes to ensure students become efficient readers.
Educators must also consider using appropriate reading strategies to improve student’s reading abilities. From the videos, one of the important reading strategies is selecting a text that enables learners to relate to events in their lives or past experiences. Teachers can engage students in a read-aloud session using books that relate to their life experiences. For instance, reading aloud family books allows children to connect their life encounters with the text. The teacher can also ask the students to organize their notes during a reading session and record their questions and views. The approach can enable learners to interact deeply with the text, contributing to their reading ability.
References
Konza, D. (2010). Understanding the reading process. Research Into Practice. https://www.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/663696/SA-DECS_-Understanding-the-Reading-Process.pdf
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