Guided Reading has long been considered the stalwart strategy for the effective teaching of reading. The truth is, students’ plummeting performance in English can also be largely attributed to guided reading.
Despite the time dedicated to assessment, reporting and reviewing data, grouping and planning, there’s little tangible reward for teachers and school leaders who try to close the gap for students who can ‘bark at text’, yet struggle with comprehension.
In its purest form, guided reading can be a powerful strategy. Unfortunately, schools have little, if any, understanding of its origin and intent.
As Literacy rates continue to stagnate and, in some instances, fall, schools employ graduate teachers armed with misconceptions about effective strategy choices for teaching English. Given that the quality of student learning today is dictated by a 21st-century philosophy that replaces genuine understanding with preparation for an unknown future, the watering down of any potential value strategy becomes even more serious.
With an increase in teacher resignations and retirements, coaching and mentoring of inexperienced teachers, by inexperienced teachers, will also increase.
In some circles, Direct Teaching has been touted as a possible solution. Direct teaching is the strict patterning of teacher behaviour, through the provision of lessons that are written as scripts for teachers to follow – word for word – with little or no room for dialogue between teacher and students. Lessons can be prescribed to a point where students’ questions are predicted, and teachers’ predetermined answers are also provided. In other words, there is little need for teachers to think.
Other schools are investing thousands into intervention programs – a cousin of direct teaching. Some schools see evidence of growth in student performance, but fail to realise it is neither the financial investment, nor the intervention program, that is making the difference, but the rigour of daily practice by students.
Businesses would do well to understand the strengths and limitations of the teaching of English in schools and universities.
Use this article as a good example. You might not have noticed, but scroll back and you’ll see a strong emphasis on ‘reading’. The words ‘writing’, ‘grammar’, ‘spelling’, ‘vocabulary’, ‘robust dialogue’ and ‘punctuation’ haven’t appeared until now. This is what can happen in schools: an imbalance between reading, writing and associated understandings for English competency.
Add two further facts: universities are not equipping teachers with the required expertise to teach English, and schools are not always equipped to fill the gap.
There is serious fallout: a teaching workforce in dire need of English lessons, at great cost to unsuspecting employers.
Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Lacey All rights reserved.
Parent, educationist, author, speaker.
Agitating advocate for change in Australian education. By raising the bar we can challenge and overcome any global challenges facing Australia and Australians.
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