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Teaching a Child to Read and Write Well

Heather Alice

In spite of the wide range of resources and innovative teaching methods schools have had and are using, many students still fail to acquire literacy. Many have specific problems with word and letter symbols. They reverse and invert them, their hearing cannot discriminate fine differences in letter sounds, or they do not perceive patterns easily for their brain to make connections. Their visual and auditory memory may fail them, or their culture may use language that does not align with the standard accepted forms in the text. These children are disadvantaged because their brains work differently and they think and respond differently.

This book embraces a different metaphor for teaching literacy that does not compartmentalize the curriculum into separate areas such as spelling, reading, writing, listening, speaking and presenting. Instead, the focus is on assessing their written language as a place to start in planning for success. An unassisted sample of a learner’s writing could be said to be an example of what they understand of literacy, whether it be a scribble at three or an essay at twelve. I have proved conclusively that if teacher and student work collaboratively on improving their writing using their reading as a model, their reading ability rises naturally.

This customized and individualized teaching method enables authentic teacher/student interactions. This not only allows the teacher to closely tailor their teaching to each student’s unique learning needs, but it also brings the student on board in assessing their progress. Teaching a Child to Read and Write Well will clear a path towards mastering literacy that can engage all students and lead to success for all. Give it a go!