• Home
  • OER
  • NIE

singteach
Follow Us:

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Team
  • Current Issue
  • Previous Issues
    • Issue 69 (Jun 2019)
    • Issue 68 (Mar 2019)
    • Issue 67 (Dec 2018)
    • Issue 66 (Sep 2018)
    • Issue 65 (Jun 2018)
    • Issue 64 (Mar 2018)
    • View all
  • Topics
    • Early childhood
    • Parental involvement
    • Self-regulated learning
    • View All
  • Contributions
    • Contribute an article
  • Tip Bits
  • Resources


Home › Issue 4 Sep 2006 › Help for Young Readers

Help for Young Readers

Living in the modern world requires a high standard of literacy. As we gain access to more and more information, the ability to read text, understand its meaning and know its implications has become almost indispensable. Readers today need not only to be efficient and selective but critical in their reading. As a result, teaching children to read has become a priority for schools all over the world.

Image

The above has been a key issue for Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) as well. According to our English Language Syllabus (2001), schools are required to have a reading programme that gives students the skills to make sense of print, provides enjoyable reading experiences, and pushes them to become independent critical readers.

However, fulfilling these objectives in the classroom has remained a challenge for many teachers.

A series of research studies done by the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP) shows that reading lessons in Singapore schools are mostly about extracting information from text in order to complete required worksheets. Students are often not encouraged to wander beyond the text or develop a sense of inquiry or research.

The Reading Intervention Model

The School-Based Reading Intervention Model (SBRIM) aims to address these concerns by using the latest research findings and components from internationally successful reading instruction programmes to help teachers teach students to read effectively. It sets itself apart from other reading models used in Singapore by emphasising the need for children to be immersed in the world of books, develop a reading culture and be explicitly instructed on reading and comprehension skills.

“Teachers read books to kids as an optional extra rather than a fundamental part of the English Language curriculum,” explains Dr Chitra Shegar, the project’s main Principal Investigator. “When they do read aloud, the emphasis is often on decoding and surface comprehension of text. There is very little global comprehension of the text and interaction with the text itself.”

The research team hopes that the reading of stories and other non-fictional texts will not only develop literacy, but also a passion for reading as a lifelong habit. “The project has been designed in such a way that reading is not only seen as a skill to be taught but a habit to be caught,” adds Dr Shegar. This, in addition to the explicit instruction of reading and comprehension skills, would bring reading instruction to a new level in Singapore. The model is described in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Components of the SBRIM

Phonics Instruction Programme

Before-school systematic phonics instruction for Primary 1 children with trouble decoding text, identified based on results of a Diagnostic Reading Test.

Supervision by class teachers so they will be aware of their students’ decoding abilities and be able to cater to their needs in class.

Extensive Reading Programme

Students read for an extended reading period of 20 minutes (compared to the usual 20 minutes).

They can choose from, read and discuss a wide variety of literature.

Buddy reading will be conducted for those children who are still unable to read.

Systematic Instruction of Comprehension Strategies and Critical Reading

To help students become effective lifelong readers, teachers will be encouraged to teach comprehension strategies.

Students will be taught to understand the text as well as evaluate information presented in the text at various levels.

Students will be given comprehension questions that involve lower and higher order thinking skills

Reading Across the Curriculum

Content subjects (Social Studies, Science, etc.) will be utilised as avenues for further reading instruction.

Students can learn more about the subject matter while improving their reading skills.

Integrating Reading and Writing Instruction

Reading and writing instruction to be integrated, not taught as separate skills.

Helps students to see reading and writing as related and mutually supportive processes.

How does it work?

Currently, the SBRIM is being implemented in collaboration with Primary 1 teachers in a primary school in Singapore. It will be conducted over a period of 4 years and comprises two phases.

The first phase spans the first 2 years of the study. Here, a reading expert will act as a coordinator and work with teachers through a series of hands-on workshops. These workshops are important for them to gain the “procedural knowledge” necessary to translate the reading model into actual practice. Dr Shegar defines this knowledge as not only including an understanding of theory and practice of reading instruction, but also “the confidence, intuition and flexibility to know what are suitable and likely to work with a group of students.”

Following these workshops, the teachers and coordinator will work together to incorporate what has been learnt in the workshops into the reading curriculum. The coordinator may also co-teach with teachers in order to facilitate the process.

At the same time, teachers will form a study group where they can share problems or knowledge gained from reading the literature. Meetings will also be facilitated by the coordinator, and the time spent in the study group will be counted towards the teachers’ professional development hours.

The second phase of the model will take place during the third and fourth years of the research study. This time, the coordinator will “retreat to the background” and allow teachers to take charge in implementing and developing a curriculum based on the model.

Looking ahead

Currently, the SBRIM is still in its first year of implementation, with researchers wrapping up the collection of baseline data. In line with the first phase of the study, teachers have also begun attending professional development courses to further develop their knowledge of literacy instruction.

Dr Shegar and her team now hope to get teachers to try more effective teaching methods and reflect on their own classroom practices. And while the model has a long way to go before significant changes can be made in the classroom, the response from teachers as well as the school has been extremely positive which certainly affords reason for optimism.

Other related projects:
> Teaching Reading in Singapore Primary Schools
> Independent Variables that Impact Literacy and Reading Habits

Also read:
> Describing and Improving the Teaching of Reading in Singapore Primary Schools

  • Print Article
Previous
Next

Articles you might like

  • Maximizing the Potential of Special Students

    Pathlight School’s mission sends out a clear message of inclusiveness, to “maximize the potential of …

  • ST70 Guest Editor’s Note

    Guest Editor Associate Professor Kenneth Poon The transition from kindergarten to primary school is a …

  • Supporting Successful Transitions in the Early Years

    Transition is the process in which an individual encounters a move into a new environment …

  • Self-Regulation for Positive Schooling Experiences

    The ability to self-regulate can go a long way in helping children manage the transition …

  • Preparing Preschoolers for Transition

    Will my child be able to cope academically? Will my child be able to catch …

  • Connecting the Dots for Effective School Transition

    What was the inspiration behind the guidebook “Supporting children in their transition to Primary 1: …

  • What About Transition? The Voices of Three Individuals

    For a positive transition to occur, it is important that the child receives proper support …

  • Positive Transition in Six Ways

    What are the six key ideas in supporting children’s transition experiences? As adults, we want …

  • Transition of Preschool Children to Primary 1

    Contributed by Dr Lucy Quek, Dean of Curriculum and Programmes at the National Institute of …

Most Read Articles

  • Literature in the 21st Century 70,756 views
  • The Importance of Effective Communication 67,883 views
  • From the Field to the Geography Classroom 12,109 views

Subscribe

terms and conditions

Dear Reader,

SingTeach is dedicated to protecting your personal data. To update you about new issues of SingTeach and other news and events related to the National Institute of Education, Singapore, we collect and use your data in a manner that is compliant with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).

SingTeach will ensure that your personal data is kept secure and processed fairly and lawfully. We will not share your information with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. We will notify you and seek your permission if we need to use your data for purposes other than those stated above.

sending...
I agree to the Terms & Conditions

Tags

Alternative assessment Assessment feedback Assistive technology Character-building Character education Classroom engagement Classroom Perspectives Classroom relationship Cognitive diagnostic assessments Dilemma-based Learning Disciplinary literacy Field trip Fieldwork Formative assessment History Holistic education Hot Topic Humanities Ideas Imagination Inclusive education Inspire Learner preferences Learning Learning environment Literature Review Multidisciplinary learning Music education Peer assessment People Redesigning Pedagogy Conference Research in Action Science Self-determination theory Share Student agency Teacher-student relationship Teacher research Teachers' Conference Test construction Test validity The Big Idea Trial and error Voices Working memory

About Us

SingTeach is a quarterly e-magazine for teachers. We put research within your reach in practical ways. A print version is also published by the National Institute of Education and supported by Marshall Cavendish Education.

research within reach
NTU Registration No: 200604393R
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Use
© 2019 NIE / NTU