Reading Readiness Filipino children whose first language (Filipino or any of the

Philippine dialects) is different from their language of instruction

- is a complex of many abilities, skills, understandings, and (English) do not have chance to engage themselves in the
interests. functional use of the language in real-life settings.

It refers to the period when the child is getting ready to read.. Thus, the principles of reading readiness as had been practiced
in the traditional way would still apply to the Filipino child who is
It starts at home, becomes more organized in the guidance of just learning to read. Other children coming from more affluent
teachers in school, in nursery or kindergarten. homes which will have a socio-cultural environment similar to
that of their American or English counterparts will best learn
A child engages on varied activities using real and concrete how to read based on the emergent literacy perspectives.
objects such as toys, tools, etc.
Indicators of Readiness
A child acquires skills in auditory, visual, motor-ocular
coordination and critical thinking. Gray has listed indicators to gauge the child’s readiness to read :

Theories of Reading Readiness by Charles Fries 1. general ability

2. background of previous experiences
Stage 1. The Transfer Stage – the period during which the child 3. range of speaking vocabulary
learns a new set of signals – the visual symbols (letters, spelling, 4. accuracy of pronunciation and related speech habits
patterns, punctuation marks) that stands for auditory symbols 5. ability to express oneself clearly to others
(the oral language) he knows. 6. Habit of observing details and forming associations with things
seen or heard
Stage 2. The Productive Stage – the child’s reading becomes 7. Ability to perceive likeness and differences
fluent and automatic that he no longer pays conscious attention 8. Ability to recognize relationships
to shapes and patterns of the letters on a page. 9. Ability to keep in mind a series of events or other items
10. Ability to think clearly and in sequence
Stage 3. The Vivid Imaginative Realization of Vicarious 11. Ability to make choices and decisions
Experience (VIRVE) – the reading process becomes automatic. 12. Good health
Reading is now used for different purposes and as a tool for 13. A well nourished body
learning a broad range of information. 14. Freedom from fatigue
15. visual efficiency and discrimination
The Reading Readiness and Emergent Literacy by Cox 16. Auditory efficiency and discrimination
17. Emotional balance
Reading Readiness 18. Social adjustment and feeling of security
1. Reading instruction should begin only when children have 19. Ability to focus on specific learning activities
mastered a set of prerequisite skills 20. Ability to work effectively in a group
2. Children should learn to read before they write. 21. Interest in pictures and the meaning of written printed
3. Reading is a subject to be taught, involving a sequenced symbols
mastery of skills. 22. A desire to learn to read.
4. It is not important what children know about the language
before formal teaching and practice of a sequence of skills Skills of Emergent Reader
begin.
5. Children should move through a scope of sequence of Right-Handed – the dominant part of brain is the left
readiness skills, and their progress should be measured with hemisphere
regular formal testing.
Left-Handed – the dominant part of the brain is the right
Emergent Literacy hemisphere

1. Reading and writing are language processes and thus learned Left-to-Right Progression – reading starts from the left of the
like spoken language through active engagement and the page going to right
construction of meaning
2. Young children have been actively engaged in functional Visual Discrimination – is the ability to differentiate differences
reading and writing experiences in real-life settings before in size, shape, color, etc.
coming to school.
3. The literacy experiences of young children vary across families, Auditory Discrimination – is the ability to differentiate
social classes, racial/ethnic groups, and age groups. differences in the animal sounds, sounds of different musical
4. Young children actively construct concepts about reading and instruments, sounds of different means of transportation,
writing. sounds of that people produce, other sounds may hear in
5. Reading and writing are interrelated and develop surroundings.
concurrently.
“Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us
everywhere.” (Jean Rhys)
“Reading is thinking with someone else's head instead of one's own” ( Arthur Schopenhauer)
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” (Richard Sleete)
“Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” (Francis Bacon)
“Teaching reading is rocket science.” (Louisa Moats)

Reading as a Physiological Process

Facts About Reading

1. Reading involves both an organic or physiological process and a mental or cognitive process.
2. In the physiological process, the most basic step is for the eyes to see, identify and recognize the printed
words or images.
3. The light patterns from the printed symbols hit the foveal areas or closely packed sensory cells of the
retina.
4. In turn, this induces chemical changes that create patterns of nerve currents into the optic nerve fiber.
5. Then these currents travel to a center in the mid-brain.
6. The stage of reading revolves around the ability to identify and recognize words which are the smallest
unit of visual identification and meaningful recognition. But the act of reading does not take place if the
letters are perceived in isolation.
7. Finally, using the currents that travel to the mid-brain, the cerebral cortex interprets the symbols.
8. Studies show eye movement in reading with the eye perceiving and pausing on the printed material
horizontally from left-to right and top-to-bottom or right-to-left and bottom-to-top.
9. Scientific experiments have also shown that there are several eye movements:
a. fixation – the eyes stopping or getting fixated on the word or words
b. inter-fixation – the eyes moving from stopping point to the other
c. return sweeps – the yes swinging back from the end line to the beginning of the next line
d. saccades – short, quick hop and jump movements
e. regressions – backward right-to-left movements
f. span of recognition – eyes’ recognition of a group of words

Reading as a Cognitive Process

Levels of Comprehension
1. Literal – knowing what’s read as is (w’s and h questions)
2. Interpretative – what is read combined with one’s subjective ideas
3. Applied – forming opinions and applications
4. Evaluative – judgement on the reading material

Reading as a Communication Process

Language as a code system used by humans to communicate, has certain qualities that can evoke effective and
positive reactions on man. Experts say that these characteristics of language are also conducive to man’s reading
recognition and appreciation:

1. Clarity – concrete rather than abstractions and generalization

Compare: Many students attended the student council meeting.
Eight hundred college students attended Tuesday’s student council meeting.
2. Simplicity – expressed directly and to the point
Compare: Shall we partake of our repast?
Shall we eat?
3. Adapted language – words or expression should relate to the reader’ age, educational attainment,
gender, ethnic origin and other personal factors
4. Forceful – stimulating language that provides color, interest and excitement
Example: After a few years of doom, this place has been a mecca for travelling souls.
5. Vivid language – descriptive wording that stirs the senses of the reader
Compare: I took a trip to the mountains
I visited the snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where I stayed at a skiing
resort.
The Five Stages Of Reading sequence. When it does, reading becomes a positive,
by Carolyn Caron and Cliff Ponder rewarding experience.

First Stage Of Reading: Word Attack Skills Six Early Literacy Skills
Words must be decoded in order to understand their Young children need a variety of skills to become
meanings. Remember, letters are coded symbols. Reading successful readers. A panel of reading experts has
involves learning the code and applying it to letters as they determined that six specific early literacy skills become the
are grouped together to form words. Sometimes the code is building blocks for later reading and writing. Research
quite simple, as with sounds of single letters in short words indicates that children who enter school with more of these
such as “bit” or “jam.” At other times the code is complex, skills are better able to benefit from the reading instruction
as in such words as “augmentation,” in which the A-U they receive when they arrive at school.
makes its own unique sound and the T-I copies the sound of Vocabulary
S-H. Or consider words like “classicism,” where the first C Vocabulary, knowing the names of things, is an
sounds like the letter K, and the second C copies the sound extremely important skill for children to have when they are
of S. learning to read. Most children enter school knowing
The rules governing the sound a particular letter between 3,000 and 5,000 words.
makes in a given place are for the most part relatively Help develop your child's vocabulary by reading a
simple, but are largely neglected in major reading variety of books with him, both fiction and nonfiction, and
instruction methods. For example, if only one sound of the by naming all the objects in your child's world.
letter A is taught, as in “at,” students may flounder when Print Motivation
they see words such as “wad,” “war,” “ball,” or “foam.” And Print Motivation is a child's interest in and enjoyment
they need to know why that silent A is in “foam.” of books. A child with print motivation enjoys being read to,
Because more than 50 crucial elements are missing plays with books, pretends to write, asks to be read to and
from the typical reading instruction method, much of the likes trips to the library.
English-speaking world is locked in a plague of semi-literacy, Encourage print motivation in your child by making
or in the worst cases, illiteracy. shared book reading a special time, keeping books
A small minority will learn to read regardless of the accessible, and letting your child see that you enjoy reading.
quality of instruction, but many bright students will never Explain how you use reading and writing in everyday life.
learn to read well because that crucial first step was Print Awareness
omitted from their primary reading instruction at school. Print Awareness includes learning that writing in
English follows basic rules such as flowing from top-to-
Second Stage Of Reading: Comprehension bottom and left-to-right, and that the print on the page is
The entire brain must be involved in learning to read. what is being read by someone who knows how to read. An
Specialized areas of the brain control different functions. example of print awareness is a child's ability to point to the
Only after the decoding process is fully operative can the words on the page of a book.
brain be freed to higher level comprehension skills. When Your child's print awareness can be encouraged by
the initial reading instruction method includes all the skills pointing out and reading words everywhere you see them -
needed for decoding words, meaning and content on signs, labels, at the grocery store and post office.
automatically occur in a natural, orderly and efficient Narrative Skills
process. Narrative Skills, being able to understand and tell
stories, and describe things, are important for children
Third Stage Of Reading: Evaluation being able to understand what they are learning to read. An
Evaluation involves a careful assessment of that example of a narrative skill is a child's ability to tell what
which has been read and comprehended. It involves a happens at a birthday party or on a trip to the zoo.
different area within the brain than that required for Help your child strengthen her narrative skills by asking her
decoding and comprehension. For example, the statement, to tell you about the book, instead of just listening to you
“Red is green,” will be evaluated for accuracy and read the story. Encourage your child to tell you about things
consequently discredited if the individual words have been he has done that have a regular sequence to them.
read and understood. Letter Knowledge
Letter Knowledge includes learning that letters have
Fourth Stage Of Reading: Application and Retention names and are different from each other, and that specific
Once the information has been read and properly sounds go with specific letters. An example of letter
evaluated, it can be applied in a meaningful way by the knowledge is a child's ability to tell the name of the letter B
reader. He or she can then decide what to accept or reject and what sound it makes.
and how to apply it to his or her individual needs. Some of Letter knowledge can be developed by using a
the information may be deemed to be irrelevant or variety of fun reading or writing activities, like pointing out
inappropriate, and may be discarded. and naming letters in alphabet books, picture books, or on
signs and labels. For babies, talk about the shape of things,
Fifth Stage Of Reading: Fluency and for preschoolers, try drawing letters and pictures in the
When the first four steps are functioning sand.
comfortably, the reader usually finds that reading is a Phonological Awareness
pleasant and effective way to learn and experience factors Phonological Awareness is the ability to hear and
that would be inaccessible without the knowledge gleaned manipulate the smaller sounds in words. Phonological
from reading. awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes,
If someone you know struggles with reading, to say words with sounds or chunks left out and the ability
examine the method used to teach them. It should include to put two word chunks together to make a word. Most
all the sounds and rules in an orderly, progressive children who have difficulty in reading have trouble in
phonological awareness.