Reading in an era of technology
WE are in an era of high definition technology, fast-paced information acquisition and instant gratification. Consequently, the appreciation for text reading is declining rapidly. This could be a big factor why there are intermediate pupils who cannot read i.e. their reading fluency and reading comprehension are poor. Yet, should we insist on text reading as part of classroom instruction? The answer is yes.
Text reading comes in different forms, shapes and colors. Text reading, therefore, should not only be limited to text books but could also be aided by technology. But the more important question is why must children read?
Researchers found that there is only one superfood for the brain – reading.
The first reason why children (and adults) should read is mental stimulation. Studies have shown that brains that actively engage in stimulating activities such as reading, doing puzzles and playing chess delay (or possibly prevent) Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
When the brain is constantly active and engaged, it does not lose power. Other (obvious) reasons are knowledge and vocabulary expansion. The more diverse the materials you read, the more knowledge and information you get and the wider and deeper your vocabulary bank goes. In effect, this leads to improved writing and speaking.
To some, reading could be a stress-reliever especially when one is immersed in a story of one’s liking. Reading also improves memory.
Every new memory creates new brain pathways and strengthen existing ones. Lastly, reading helps improve focus and concentration and stimulates better analytical skills – for example, being able to determine whether a certain text was wellwritten or not.
Despite all the advantages mentioned above, enticing intermediate pupils to read is not an easy fleet. Hence, different techniques could be done inside the classroom. One could be to devote a short period of time (5-10 minutes) every morning for reading exercise. Provide a good text or 2-3 short texts and have 2-3 pupils read each morning. A short Q&A could be done immediately after to assess reading comprehension.
This activity creates an anticipation among the rest of the pupils that their turn to read is coming next either tomorrow or the day after, accordingly, setting them up psychologically. Story completion is also another technique.
Divided into small groups, the children are given a task to create a story. The pupils in each group will be numbered ordinally. The first pupil starts the story by writing the first sentence.
The second pupil adds the next sentence, the third does the same until the last pupil. The last pupil writes the last sentence that will end the story.
A designated pupil reads the story to the rest of the class on the same day or this could be an activity for the next day. Tongue twisters are fun and also good exercise for the mouth and the tongue. Multimedia reading is also a consideration as children learn differently.
Some need visual experiences while others respond better with auditory cues and still some need both. Games appeal to all children no matter what their age is. Injecting games in reading is entertaining and more likely to encourage children to read the designated reading task at hand.
Choral reading may be boring to some, but it teaches team work and the ability to feel and join the pacing of the group (team sensitivity). Recording one’s voice as homework can help pupils to identify their own errors and could encourage them to read until they have attained their own acceptable level of perfection.
Indeed, the list of techniques on how to entice pupils to read could go on. This implies that teachers must never give up on (1) including reading as part of their lesson activities, and (2) finding creative ways to make their pupils read. Whatever benefits that children get from reading early on especially when the reading continues to adulthood, will surely remain useful until they die. Fidela L. Maslang