Reading Is Taught Wrong: The reading field operates on a foundation of erroneous assumptions. At Read Right, we have found that the two most significant assumptions are that teachers can explicitly tell students what they need to do to read and that the foundational skill and main event of reading is decoding and/or individual word identification. These assumptions are wrong. Our methodology transforms struggling readers into excellent readers without ever asking a student to decode a single word.
Explicit Teaching vs. Implicit Procedural Learning: Neuroscientists have long acknowledged the implicit nature of procedural learning. All processes that require a “how-to” like reading are learned and operate primarily below the level of conscious awareness. At Read Right, we provide the right environment for implicit learning, unleashing the power of the brain to make sense of the world.
Focus on Individual Word Identification or Meaning: Is word identification the foundational skill for reading? Recent neuroimaging studies suggest otherwise. Identifying individual words and passage reading are separate and distinctly different cognitive acts. The brain’s function is to make sense of the world, and successful learners continuously search for meaning. Thus, the foundational skill of reading is anticipating the author’s intended meaning. At Read Right, we understand this difference and have developed a unique approach to reading instruction based on it.
Comparison with Main-Stream Reading Theory:
At Read Right, we have developed our methodology based on a deep understanding of the implicit nature of procedural learning and the importance of meaning over individual word identification. Our approach challenges the main-stream reading theory that phonemic awareness must be explicitly taught because it is a necessary prerequisite for decoding and word-attack, and that the foundational skill and main event of reading is the ability to easily and comfortably identify each word using decoding, sight word recognition, and word attack skills.
At Read Right, we believe that every student can learn to read proficiently. Our approach is based on a deep understanding of the implicit nature of procedural learning, and we provide an environment that enables and compels the brain to figure out for itself how to make reading happen. Our unique methodology has proven to be effective in transforming struggling readers into excellent readers. We invite you to contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help your child achieve reading success.
