The Importance Of Readin Reading

Most people think that learning to read involves sounding out letters in the alphabet and translating those sounds into words. It is so much more than that and educators are constantly faced with the question of how to effectively teach reading so that the different students know what is expected of them and what is being taught. Much knowledge has been gained over the decades about exactly how to do this. Knowing what to do with this information and how to use it well emphasises “the importance of teacher quality” (Blair, Rupley and Nichols, 2007, p.432). The following essay explores the principles behind explicit instruction, its effectiveness in teaching reading as well as the impact of its design and delivery in reaching a diverse group of learners.

It is a fundamental skill for success in society and an essential part of literacy. In the Australian curriculum, literacy is defined as “the knowledge and skills students need to access, understand, analyse and evaluate information, make meaning, express thoughts and emotions, present ideas and opinions, interact with others and participate in activities at school and in their lives beyond school” (Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority, 2016). It involves a person drawing on previous knowledge and connecting it with “variables such as the reader’s background, the classroom context, reading materials, developmental levels, teacher’s instructional styles, and learning goals” (Blair, Rupley and Nichols, 2007, p.437). Reviewing research on how children learn to read and the most effective way to teach them, explicit instruction is “the most effective method” (Hempenstall (2016,