Teaching reading, writing skills

Miriam is an excellent Form 1 student in an academically oriented school. Last year she came 5th in class. Things were not always like this. When she was six her school suggested a psychological assessment as she was experiencing great difficulties in all areas of the curriculum, never understood what was going on in class, did not seem to be able to learn how to read or write. The assessment found her verbal abilities were those of a three-year-old but her visual abilities were those of a nine-year-old.

Miriam received intervention based on her visual strengths. The literacy approach used merged a top-down, whole language, concept-driven approach with an interactive approach that emphasises skills and processes.

Through a combination of self-generated texts, flashcards and computer technology, reading and spelling became possible.

First she was taught how to build up her own stories to use as texts. She learnt how to make pictures mentally while reading and listening to language. Traditional phonic-based skills were taught later through texts she could then read. She was also introduced to a graphic way of organising information.

Miriam blossomed and now reads extensively for pleasure. She makes her own study notes and worksheets for revision, using visual techniques and software which is freely available from countries where visual teaching is part of every teacher's repertoire.

Research shows that about 20 per cent of all children experience such literacy difficulties. While 18 per cent respond to traditional remedial teaching intervention and eventually catch up, the other two per cent do not.

This holds true in Malta as elsewhere. The literacy survey carried out with Year 2 students showed that about one in every four pupils experienced literacy difficulties in English, while 13 per cent have difficulty reading in Maltese.

Unfortunately our educational system has not caught up yet, so Miriam has to spend two to three hours daily translating her lessons into visual mode to enable her to fully understand and remember the work covered on that day. After that she starts her homework. Consequently, her workday is never over before 10.30 p.m.

Organising and presenting information visually benefits all our students and is a must for teachers wanting to reach all students in their class.

Should we teach reading only using mainly verbal-auditory methods?

Shouldn't teachers learn visual teaching techniques and be obliged to cater for all types of learners in their class?

Here are a few visual teaching techniques:

• Use large font, high contrast and vivid presentation. This helps focus the reader and ensure that what is learnt is remembered. If it stands out on the page, it sticks in the mind.

• While a student is talking about a topic such as their hobby, draw a flow chart, picture or diagram to help focus their mind on it, and include all they say in large print beneath to be used to practise reading and later spelling.

• Draw a story, event or incident in six to eight frames, recounting it while writing it underneath. The student does not have to be good at drawing - even sticking figures would suffice.

• Use a story map to generate a longer story written by an adult in large print and used as a reading text. Use a topic map to generate an essay about a topic of interest.

• Use topic maps to generate connected vocabulary which is taught as images using flashcards and Powerpoint.

• Use flashcards once pupils can read, to teach visual patterns in words, word families, initial final and medial sounds, sound blending, and all the other necessary phonic skills.

• Use student-generated texts and diagrams to teach reading comprehension strategies and fluent reading.