Ever since humanity began to read, we were taught to sound out the words. We were taught to read ‘phonetically!’ And of course, the phonetic method of reading is the method that a high percentage of the global population has used, and will continue to use in the future. But what about that small percentage of people that find phonetic reading difficult? Those people with a form of dyslexia, or auditory processing disorder, or just are not strong in the auditory sense? The good news is that there is a method to help that small percentage kick-start their reading. The bad news, it’s many reading specialists worsts nightmare. It is known as the visual reading of words!
Think back to when you first learnt to read. If you can’t, perhaps try to read the following nonsense word, ‘granterbalise.’ Chances are you have linked all the sounds of the letters together in order to create the sound of the word. And if you did read it out correctly, CONGRATULATIONS, you have a successful word reading strategy. Unfortunately, many children fall behind in their learning because their brain does not comprehend the phonetic teaching of reading words. Here I teach children first to learn to read ‘visually.’
Although the visual method is not sustainable, as it will not help to read tricky words/nouns such as Mississippi, it is, however, a way to kick-start the brain that is struggling to read phonetically.
Step 1:
Ensure that the child is reading a book that is at their reading level (or perhaps below, to get the process started). Confidence plays a big part in learning and wanting to learn for a child.
Step 2:
As the child reads the book, list the words that the child cannot read.
Step 3:
Out of that list, choose 3 words (can be less or more depending on ability and how strong a challenge the child can face). Ask the child to read and remember those words. I like to use the sentence “remember what the word looks like.”
Step 4:
Point to each word and have the child repeat those words to you as many times necessary until they are fluent. Be sure to change the order in which you point to each word to avoid the child remembering the sequence.
For example: ‘cat’, ‘dog’, then ‘fork’. Then ‘dog’, ‘cat’, then ‘fork,’ etc.
Step 5:
Set the child a goal to remember those words the next time you work with them. It could be the next day, a week etc.
Step 6:
Over time, that child will have a ‘word bank’ stored visually in their mind. Be sure to regularly check back to see if the child can read still read the words they learnt over the month previous. Personally, I find that they are highly accurate still.
And that’s it!
Now you will find that a child’s ability and confidence in reading words has kick-started. Watch as their fluency and understanding improves, so will their reading levels and eventually their ability to read… phonetically!
Ps. if you ever get questioned by a sceptic on the visual reading of words, ask them, “how do you read the words jeopardy and epitome?” They are just two of many words that defy the rules of reading and spelling in the English language.
I genuinely hope this method (although controversial in the eyes of some) helps at least one child on this planet; with the hope of helping many more.
Read here on the importance of reading to a child from a young age.
Sincerely,
The Educationalist
