Six Literacy Experiences Children Should Have Every Day ✓ Solved

In this important Educational Leadership article, Richard Allington (University of Tennessee/Knoxville) and Rachael Gabriel (University of Connecticut/Storrs) present six high-quality experiences they believe all children should have every day if they are to become successful, engaged readers. These experiences are especially important for struggling readers, but tragically, they’re least likely to have these experiences.

• Every child reads something he or she chooses. “The research base on student-selected reading is robust and conclusive,” say Allington and Gabriel. “Students read more, understand more, and are more likely to continue reading when they have the opportunity to choose what they read.”

• Every child reads accurately. This means reading material at the “just right” level of difficulty. Spending more time reading doesn’t help unless students are reading at 98 percent or higher accuracy. “When students read accurately, they solidify their word-recognition, decoding, and word-analysis skills,” say Allington and Gabriel. “Perhaps more important, they are likely to understand what they read – and, as a result, to enjoy reading.”

• Every child reads something he or she understands. Comprehension is the goal of reading instruction, say the authors. “But too often, struggling readers get interventions that focus on basic skills in isolation, rather than on reading connected text for meaning. This common misuse of intervention time often arises from a grave misinterpretation of what we know about reading difficulties.”

• Every child writes about something personally meaningful. “The opportunity to compose continuous text about something meaningful is not just something nice to have when there’s free time after a test or at the end of the school year,” say Allington and Gabriel. “Writing provides a different modality within which to practice the skills and strategies of reading for an authentic purpose.”

• Every child talks with peers about reading and writing. Research shows that conversations with classmates improve comprehension and engagement with texts – students analyze, comment, and compare, thinking about what they read. “Time for students to talk about their reading and writing is perhaps one of the most underused, yet easy-to-implement, elements of instruction,” say the authors.

• Every child listens to a fluent adult read aloud. Listening to a competent adult modeling good reading helps students with vocabulary, background knowledge, sense of the story, awareness of genre and text structure, and comprehension – and yet few teachers above first grade regularly read aloud to their students. “Most of the classroom instruction we have observed lacks these six research-based elements,” conclude Allington and Gabriel.

Here are their two suggestions:

  • Eliminate virtually all worksheets and workbooks and use the money to expand classroom libraries.

  • Ban test-prep activities and materials from the school day. There’s no evidence that they improve reading or test scores.

“Every Child Every Day” by Richard Allington and Rachael Gabriel in Educational Leadership, March 2012 (Vol. 69, #6, p. 10-15).

Paper For Above Instructions

Literacy experiences play a crucial role in children's development as engaged readers. The six experiences proposed by Allington and Gabriel outline a comprehensive approach to support children's literacy growth in daily settings. This paper examines each of these literacy experiences and discusses their significance in fostering successful reading habits among children.

Student-Selected Reading

The first experience emphasizes the importance of allowing children to read materials of their choice. Research shows that when students have the freedom to select their reading materials, their engagement and understanding of texts improve significantly (Allington & Gabriel, 2012). Choice empowers students, making them feel more connected to their reading activities. They are more likely to read for enjoyment, leading to lifelong reading habits. One significant implication of this is its effect on struggling readers, who often find themselves disengaged from standardized curricula that offer little choice or autonomy (Guthrie & Wigfield, 2000).

Reading Accuracy

The second experience highlights the necessity of reading materials that match the child's skill level. Allington and Gabriel (2012) argue that children must read texts at a 98% accuracy level to consolidate their reading skills effectively. When students engage with appropriately challenging texts, they not only reinforce their word recognition and decoding abilities but also enhance their comprehension skills. In contrast, texts that are too easy or too difficult can hinder progress and diminish a child's enjoyment of reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 2017).

Comprehension Focus

Understanding what students read is paramount; however, many interventions for struggling readers often emphasize isolated skills rather than comprehension in context. Allington and Gabriel (2012) note that interventions lacking an integrated approach can lead to misinterpretations of students’ reading difficulties. Supporting comprehension through connected texts enables students to practice their skills in a more meaningful way. By ensuring students comprehend their readings, we prepare them for more complex texts in the future (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007).

Meaningful Writing

The fourth experience surrounds writing about personally meaningful content. According to Allington and Gabriel (2012), writing serves as an essential outlet for children to practice their reading skills while engaging with the material personally. Allowing students to write about topics that resonate with them fosters a sense of ownership over their learning. This authenticity in writing encourages children to articulate thoughts and analyses, creating richer literacy experiences (Atwell, 1998).

Peer Conversations

The fifth experience involves discussing reading and writing with peers. This conversational approach fosters collaboration and enhances comprehension as students articulate their thoughts (Allington & Gabriel, 2012). Engaging students in dialogue about texts leads to greater analytical thinking and personal connections to the material. Research underscores the benefits of collaborative learning, where students not only share ideas but also learn from their peers, broadening their perspectives on reading (Mercer, 2000).

Listening to Fluent Read-Alouds

The final experience emphasizes the importance of listening to fluent adults read aloud. This practice supports students' vocabulary development, comprehension skills, and overall enjoyment of literature (Allington & Gabriel, 2012). Unfortunately, many educators overlook this practice beyond the early grades. Reading aloud provides a model of fluent reading and exposes students to diverse genres and narratives, enriching their literacy background and fostering a love for books.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the six literacy experiences outlined by Allington and Gabriel are essential for developing proficient and engaged readers. By ensuring that all children participate in choosing their reading, reading with accuracy, comprehending texts, writing meaningfully, conversing with peers, and listening to fluent reading, educators can create supportive learning environments that promote literacy growth. Implementing these practices can redefine traditional educational models, enhancing reading instruction and nurturing a culture of reading that is inclusive and effective.

References

  • Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. (2012). Every child every day. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 10-15.

  • Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understanding about writing, reading, and learning. Heinemann.

  • Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). Fountas & Pinnell classroom: A comprehensive literacy system. Heinemann.

  • Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Bar Alon (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 403-422). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

  • Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Stenhouse Publishers.

  • Mercer, N. (2000). Words and minds: How we use language to think together. Routledge.

  • Pressley, M. (2006). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching. Guilford Press.

  • Rasinski, T. V. (2010). The fluent reader: Oral reading strategies for building word recognition, fluency, and comprehension. Scholastic Inc.

  • Rodriguez, A. J. (2013). Teaching reading with a lens toward equity: Literacy, social justice, and democracy. National Council of Teachers of English.

  • Snow, C. E. (2010). Academic language and the challenges of reading for understanding. In R. J. Marzano (Ed.), On excellence in teaching (pp. 51-65). Marzano Research Laboratory.