The Reading Connection

By Jordan Fabish

Sustained Not-So-Silent Reading

If I said that reading to a child is the most valuable activity you could employ to ensure his/her success in school, there would be little disagreement. The benefit of reading aloud to young children is so “common-sensible,” so thoroughly and massively documented, it is a tenet of our profession. Research substantiates that phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, phonics, structural analysis, sight words, and context clues are successfully taught (before, during, and after such reading) with examples from authentic literature. Further, when you read to a child, especially if the child handles the book and follows the print, s/he can learn (Glazer & Burke, as cited in Giordano, 1996):

• functions of print
• the link between sounds and letters
• the link between spoken and written language
• the nature of reading
• structures of stories
• types of books
• book care
• characters
• copyright
• dialogue
• facts and opinions
• figures of speech
• indirect quotes and direct quotes
• inferences
• information about authors
• literary genres
• moods
• passages written in the first person and the third person
• plots
• points of view
• predictions
• reading aids such as a table of contents, index, or glossary
• settings
• summary passages
• symbols
• tables and charts
• themes and morals

any of which an instructor could extend to an in-depth lesson, but all of which a listener may learn simply by the experience of becoming familiar with these concepts when someone reads to him/her.

Most of us CSUF graduates subscribe to the philosophy of a literature-based reading program, and I would bet that most teachers of kindergarten, first-, and second-grade children set “reading aloud” as a daily priority. But is it still a priority in third grade? After all, students by this age need to be writing more, and they have times tables to learn. What about fifth grade? What if those boys and girls are just too unfocused today to deserve a story? Reading aloud becomes more of a curiosity than a priority in middle school; rare, indeed, by high school-where is the time? And college? College students need to be treated like adults, right? I am sure you see where this is going: don’t all of these older students need to learn functions of print, the link between sounds and letters, the link between spoken and written language, the nature of reading, structures of stories, types of books, book care, characters, copyright!, dialogue, facts and opinions, figures of speech, indirect quotes and direct quotes, inferences, information about authors, literary genres, moods, passages written in the first person and the third person, plots, points of view, predictions, settings, summary passages, symbols, themes and morals, titles and subtitles, phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, phonics, structural analysis, sight words, and context clues?

So many children have never been read to. I know-they grew up to be members of my college developmental reading classes. The ones whose questionnaires are checked “NO” next to “When you were little, did anyone in your family often read to you?” are the ones testing at a third-, fourth-, or fifth-grade reading level. Do you teach upper-grade students? Any practice that melds nurturing and learning (such as reading aloud) is surely most effective when begun young, yet reading aloud to students, regardless of their ages, is a powerful teaching tool-one that needs to remain a priority.

In addition to the substantial academic benefits listed above, perhaps correlative value lies in the clement atmosphere of being read to. Reading aloud to students, then, coincides with one of the most-honored principles of reading theory, a safe environment. The concept of safe environment has always been ascribed to Smith’s philosophy of overcoming tunnel vision. “Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an atmosphere of anxiety. [As related to reading] . . . reassurance must be the basis of ‘remedial’ instruction for readers experiencing difficulties at any age” (Smith, 1997, pp. 29-30). If human beings are pleasure-centered (Trelease, 1995; Zemke & Zemke, 1984) the necessity of safety is confirmed, because there is no pleasure in attempting a complex task in an emotionally untrustworthy arena. Learning, in general, and learning to read, in particular, require courage and perseverance on the part of the learner and! safety and support from the environment, if students are going to overcome “the enormous amount of time required to learn to read and [the] feelings of failure and depression during learning plateaus” (Balmuth as cited in Chall, 1987).

A fascinating instance of reading aloud to adults unfolded in the late 1800’s in Ybor City, a section of Tampa, Florida. This intellectual oddity is documented in The Immigrant World of Ybor City, by Mormino and Pozzetta, and pithily summarized in “Reign of the Reader,” which may have caught your attention in the December 2001/January 2002 issue of Reading Today. Imagine rows of wooden tables and chairs laden with tobacco as Cuban immigrant craftsmen (and women) rolled it into the once-popular Cuban cigar, while above the huge workroom sat el lector, the reader. His services were requested and paid for by the cigar makers not merely to assuage their cerebral boredom, but to hone and deepen their political and literary scope, thus strengthening their collective political and intellectual solidarity. They knew that knowledge is power. El lector, a talented and well-respected audio-artist, read the daily papers, follow!ed by a play or poetry or a novel, the literature “always the most significant act of the day,” according to Mormino. Works of political theory were included in the fare, and a short story or other light work ended the reading day, which lasted several hours. The Ybor City cigar workers were undoubtedly “better informed than most Americans of the time” (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/
twhp/wwwlps/lessons/51ybor/51facts2.htm). With Cuba repeatedly in the news nowadays, I often think of this esoteric example of the power of reading aloud. Yet, clearly, el lector received more bounty than did his listeners because he could also see the text.

So what does this mean to us? I am sure it has occurred to you, as you read this article, that all the mental cultivation linked to reading aloud to students is similarly linked to sustained, silent reading (SSR), sometimes called “extensive reading.” I would like to suggest that combining SSR and reading aloud to students equals an especially helpful (albeit not-so-silent) learning tool. In other words, if the students can silently read the same text that is being read to them for a sustained amount of time, at least 15 minutes, their vocabulary, pronunciation, rate, comprehension, and reading confidence all improve. When both the visual and auditory styles interact, think of the learning-modality symbiosis!

Anecdotally, my own trial of “Sustained Not-So-Silent Reading” has been quite remarkable. In my community college classes of mixed-age, under-prepared adult readers, I always use a novel for vocabulary building, personal-response journaling, practicing various levels of thinking, recognizing main ideas and supporting details, for a version of literature circles, and . . . for fun! As I try to select just the right book for each class level (I do realize that the important feature of self-selection is missing from the students’ experience when I choose for the whole class, but the results are still very positive), I always make sure there exists a book-on-tape or book-on-CD that I can bring to “read” to the students. I enjoy reading aloud, probably most of us do, but the students need a break from my voice, and, typically, like le lector, a skilled actor brings his or her dramatic sensibilities to these recorded bo!oks in a way the classroom teacher cannot. Also, using tapes or CDs adds a technological component to the class that does not require a computer-just a “boom box.” At some point in the lesson plan, I set aside time to read while listening to the tape or CD, which I preview ahead so that the excerpt corresponds to the set of chapters we are covering and so that it is a really juicy section. We get out our books, I introduce the section, reminding the students of the rewards of active reading, play the tape, and read along with them. Truly, every time I do it, I suppose the whole class will just lay their heads down and go to sleep or will spend the whole time looking out the window or finishing their algebra. Doesn’t happen! What does happen is that everyone appears to be reading with interest, we all seem to hate to stop, and, after class, there are always students who come up to ask me where they can get a copy of that tape. They say! that they often feel confused when they try to read the book on their own, but when I play the tape it all becomes clear. They are amazed, and so am I. And for second-language learners? Hearing the just-right pronunciation and inflection as they simultaneously view the print is invaluable.

These recorded books have been made for hundreds of terrific titles, and a good public library should have them, although I prefer to own my own-most bookstores can order any existing title. I have used Call It Courage, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (every time I hear Maya Angelou reading her own work, I am absolutely awed), and To Kill a Mockingbird. This summer I also previewed Cold Sassy Tree. There are many, many children’s picture books on tape, as well as chapter books, classics, and young-adult fiction. For my students’ reading improvement I always advise both reading and listening. But for additional teacher prep I love popping that tape or CD into the car system.

We are all wondering how to work into our academic day everything our students need to know. There is no time for frills. But there is sufficient research to nudge all of us to try Sustained Not-So-Silent Reading, trusting the literature and the human voice to immerse our students in the structure and ideas of text.

Chall, J. S., Heron, E., & Hilferty, A. (1987). Adult literacy: New and enduring problems. Phi Delta Kappan, 69 (3), 190-196.

Giordano, G. (1996). Literacy programs for adults with developmental disabilities.
San Diego: Singular.

International Reading Association. (2002). Reign of the reader. Reading Today, 19
(3), 30.

Smith, F. (1997). Reading without nonsense (3rd ed.). New York: Teachers College.

Trelease, J. (1995). The new read-aloud handbook (4th ed.). New York: Penguin.

Zemke, R., & Zemke, S. (1984). 30 things we know for sure about adult learning.
Innovation Abstracts, 6 (8), 21 pars. Retrieved February 27, 2000 from
Northern Light database on the World Wide Web:

http://www.northernlight.com

U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. (1990). Reading 2: Ybor
City's cigar workers. Retrieved July 26, 2002 from Google database on the
World Wide Web:
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/51ybor/51facts2.htm

Faculty Footnotes

By Kathi Bartle Angus

The graduate faculty retreat at the end of August included a time for faculty to share the highlights of their summers. Below is an abridged version of these reports that include both academic and recreational pursuits. Space, of course, prevents a full accounting. Hopefully, employing context clues and background knowledge, some sort of comprehension will result.

Kathi Bartle Angus: Newport beach house; Tustin cohort; soccer games. Ash Bishop: San Diego; speed triathlons; department budget. JoAnn Carter-Wells: online technology MS; Utah; bungee chair. Penny Chiappi: summer clinic; IRA World Congress in Scotland; gardening. Barbara Clark: course re-organization; Gone With the Wind; La Costa tennis tournament. JoAnne Greenbaum: St. Martins, Disney World; online adaptation of Read 507. Rosie Jasis: mom and playgroups; Vancouver and Victoria; grant and article: “After school Community Learning Center.” Tony Manzo: handball clubs; text revisions; “duffies.” Ula Manzo: tennis; beaches and parks; text revisions

The department is looking forward to a fall semester with a continuing expansion of the graduate program. Courses will be offered on the new El Toro campus and the Fullerton campus, as well as at cohorts in Capistrano, Newport-Mesa, Tustin, and Anaheim districts. Two recent graduates will be teaching part-time this semester. Gena Lovett will be teaching , Read 290, an undergraduate course and Vince Gonzalez will be teaching a section of Read 501.

Most of the faculty members plan on attending Concert Under the Stars and are hoping to meet Reading Program alumni at the event.

Hancock Fund

The Hancock Fund was established to honor Dr. Deborah Osen Hancock for her contributions to the field of reading and specifically to the Reading Department. The fund is solely for use by the CSUF Reading Clinic. Over the years, the fund has supplied books and technology for use by clinicians and students. REG would like to thank the following members for their generous contributions to the Hancock Fund:

Dixie Shaw
Lee Ann Robles
Jordan Fabish
Anna C. "Pat" Irot
Marisa Bowman-Small
Julie Zeller-Simpson
Susan Burgess
Carla Thomson
Melanie Haeri
Mildred Peterson
Suzanne Watts

Reading Educators' Guild Newsletter Staff

Editor: Jan Court-Keller

Faculty Footnotes: Kathi Bartle Angus

The Reading Connection: Jordan Fabish

If you would like to have something published in the REG Newsletter, please contact the REG staff at kellermrs@hotmail.com.