Different Approaches to Reading Instruction

This page will tell you about six different approaches to reading instruction: phonics, guided reading, sight word, linguistic, language experience, and multisensory.

The best way to teach reading is through systematic phonics with decodable texts. Listen to the podcast, Sold a Story, to find out more!

The Phonics Approach

THIS IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO TEACH READING! Get my 900 Pages of Decodable Texts and see my links to free decodable stories.

ReadingTask Emphasized	Decoding – translate letter symbols into speech sounds.
Motivational Approach	Increased skill in decoding printed words.
Decoding Approach	Synthetic – begins with individual speech sounds and builds into words.
Story Content	Stories are based on the sounds of the words being learned.
Vocabulary Selection	Words are selected for their phonic regularity and phonics rules.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Phonetically regular words with short vowel sounds are considered the most accessible, and phonetically irregular words are the most difficult.
Mode of Response	Emphasis on oral reading (some programs require a moderate amount of writing).
Structure and Completeness	Varies with the program from very structured to more teacher-developed.

The Guided Reading Approach

DO NOT TEACH THIS WAY. Listen to Sold a Story!

ReadingTask Emphasized	Comprehension – understanding the meaning of the printed words.
Motivational Approach	Increased proficiency in reading and comprehending texts using various strategies. Books at all levels are inviting and engaging.
Decoding Approach	Analytic – emphasis on context clues, structural analysis, configuration clues, and Synthetic – begins with individual speech sounds and builds into words. Uses the “cueing system.”
Story Content	Stories are interesting and increase in length and difficulty as the levels rise from A-Z. Students read REAL literature, even in kindergarten.
Vocabulary Selection	Words selected to be taught are generally Tier 2 words. These words appear in various texts and mature language users’ written and oral language.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Words whose meanings the children are most likely to know are most accessible; words not in their speaking vocabularies are considered most difficult and are figured out in context.
Mode of Response	Whisper and silent reading are emphasized over oral reading. Comprehension is assessed via discussions.
Structure and Completeness	There is no formal guide. Teachers develop the program. I recommend reading the CAFE book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser and exploring Fountas and Pinnell’s materials to get more information.

The Sight Word Approach

Remember the old basal readers from the ’70s and ’80s ~ the textbook with the corresponding workbook such as Dick and Jane? That’s the sight word approach!

See my FREE sight word stories!

ReadingTask Emphasized	Comprehension – discovering the meaning of printed words.
Motivational Approach	Enjoyment of the story content and its relationship to the children’s lives.
Decoding Approach	Analytic – emphasis on context clues, structural analysis, and configuration clues.
Story Content	Stories are related by a central group of characters involved in typical childhood experiences.
Vocabulary Selection	Words are selected based on their frequency of use by typical children in each age group.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Words whose meanings the children are most likely to know are most accessible; words not in their speaking vocabularies are considered most difficult.
Mode of Response	Silent reading is emphasized over oral reading; there is little writing.
Structure and Completeness	They are usually offered as a complete program, including a detailed teacher’s guide and many supplementary materials.

The Linguistic Approach

Words and stories are predictable.

ReadingTask Emphasized	Decoding – translating printed words into spoken language.
Motivational Approach	Increased skill in reading words.
Decoding Approach	Analytic – begins with the spelling pattern of the whole word; students discover relationships between spelling patterns and speech sounds.
Story Content	The spelling pattern of words relates to stories.
Vocabulary Selection	Words are selected based on their spelling pattern.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Accessible words have the most common spelling patterns (CVC, CVCe). The most difficult words have irregular patterns.
Mode of Response	Emphasis on oral reading; generally low amount of writing.
Structure and Completeness	Highly structured and marketed as a complete reading program.

The Language-Experience Approach

This is based on the child’s language. Preschool, kindergarten, and grade 1 teachers can easily add this to their day.

ReadingTask Emphasized	Comprehension – understanding the meaning of the printed word.
Motivational Approach	Enjoyment of story creation and story content.
Decoding Approach	Analytic – begins with the whole word and gradually works back to letters and syllables; emphasis is on context clues with other decoding skills.
Story Content	The students write stories based on their shared experiences.
Vocabulary Selection	No selection; vocabulary is based on the students’ spoken language.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Words most common in the children’s speaking vocabulary are considered most accessible; those not in the children’s speaking vocabulary are considered most difficult.
Mode of Response	Silent reading first, then oral with a high amount of writing.
Structure and Completeness	Considered a complete program with a low amount of structure.

The Multisensory Approach

Wilson and Orton-Gillingham – students simultaneously use visual, auditory, and tactile pathways.

ReadingTask Emphasized	Decoding – translate letter symbols into speech sounds.
Motivational Approach	Increased skill in decoding printed words.
Decoding Approach	Synthetic – begins with individual speech sounds and builds into words with a strong emphasis on motor feedback.
Story Content	Stories are related to the sounds and motor patterns being learned.
Vocabulary Selection	Words are selected by their phonic regularity and the phonics rules they follow.
Vocabulary Difficulty	Phonetically regular words with short vowel sounds are the easiest, while phonetically irregular words are the most difficult.
Mode of Response	Emphasis on writing and other motor activities and oral reading.
Structure and Completeness	Highly structured programs often paired with other reading programs.

Home

Edited on 03/05/2024

Copyscape alerts me to duplicate content. Please respect my work.