101642102_Victoria Johnson_Teaching Early Reading_Report_Januray 5 th 2024

Teaching and Assessing Early Years Reading.

Victoria Johnson 101642102

EDU30068

Teaching Early Reading

Due: January 8th 2024

Word Count

2200

Teaching and Assessing Early Years Reading...........................................................................1

Executive Summary...................................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Discussion..................................................................................................................................5
Key Components....................................................................................................................5
1. Oral Language and Concepts of Print,.......................................................................5
2. Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness,.................................................6
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3. Phonics.......................................................................................................................6
4. Vocabulary.................................................................................................................7
5. Fluency.......................................................................................................................7
6. Comprehension..........................................................................................................8
Strategies................................................................................................................................9
Shared Reading..................................................................................................................9
Read and Retell................................................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................13
References................................................................................................................................14

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Executive Summary

Reading in the early years is an essential part of school readiness. It is imperative that

teachers take care when implementing teaching and assessment strategies in classrooms to

ensure all learning needs are met. The key components of reading are critical to forming a

strong foundation for children children’s development of essential skills for achieving good

reading. Each component builds on each other and works together to help children create an

understanding of text so they can use it for a purpose. The report found that shared reading is

an effective teaching strategy in Early Years classrooms that fosters development of all key

components. The evaluation of reading and retelling found that it is an effective method of

teaching and assessing comprehension of narrative text. It has been recommended that shared

reading be implemented into daily routine in the Early Years classroom. Small world play has

been recommended as means of implementing read and retell as an age-appropriate

comprehension assessment for early childhood reading capabilities.

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Introduction

Teaching reading in the early years is an essential part of school readiness. There are

six critical components to learning to read, each of which are discussed within this report.

These are: oral language and concepts of print, Phonological Awareness and Phonemic

Awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and, comprehension. Teaching and assessment

strategies need to be chosen carefully and demand consideration of the needs and capabilities

of the students within the learning environment. Utilising Gardener’s theory of multiple

intelligences and Vygotsky’s theory of learning; shared reading is evaluated as a teaching

strategy for reading in the early years and read and retell is evaluated as means of assessment

for relevant key reading components. In addition, two recommendations have been made for

the implementation of these strategies and assessments within early years settings.

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Discussion

Key Components

1. Oral Language and Concepts of Print,

Children’s overall language and literacy outcomes are shaped largely by their

interactions with oral language. Educators extend this learning experience through oral

interactions; supporting children’s reading development as they begin understanding

language structures, grammatical rules and complex sentence structures (Konza, 2014).

Between the ages of two and six children have a burst of language development where

they acquire more than 10,000 words; having a crucial impact on children’s later reading

ability (Konza, 2014; Paris et al., 2019). Children in this preschool age group – with strong

vocabularies – demonstrate better comprehension and word recognition in their primary

schooling (Konza, 2014). The three-year old kinder initiative supports this as the additional

years of kinder enable better development in pre-reading and language skills (Victorian

Government, 2022).

To learn to read, children need to be aware of the rules and conventions surrounding

reading text. This is referend to as concepts of print. These rules belong to two groups: book

print and screen print. These concepts are largely developed through engaging with texts of

varying kinds. For early readers this happens most often at their school settings with their

teachers (Winch et al., 2020).

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2. Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness,

Phonemic awareness refers to the smallest parts of the word that have meaning and is

characterised by a speakers ability to hear, segment and manipulate speech sounds (Winch et

al., 2020). This knowledge builds a basis for children to begin to understand the relationship

between sound and spoken langue. This is a critical for children’s ability to learn to read. To

recognise the links between written symbols and speech children need to be able to hear the

separate sounds in words. Oral language is a key platform to this learning.

Educators need to understand the links between oral language and reading skills, as

this is an essential part of ensuring all children have the skills necessary to develop their

reading abilities (Konza, 2014).

3. Phonics

Phonics is an extension of phonological awareness. It refers specifically to the

connection between the sound and the letter (Literacy Hub, n.d.-c). This is the foundation on

which children will learn to read the alphabetic language. There is evidence to support a

synthetic approach to teaching phonics, suggesting that there is a correct order to introduce

sounds and letters so children can learn to blend individual sounds. The process of teaching

children that sounds blend together allows them to develop an understanding of the reading

and writing process (Konza, 2014).

4. Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to the collection of word’s children know and understand. When

children have a sound vocabulary, they have a better foundation for reading. Vocabulary can

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be split into three tiers. Tier one is words that are used most frequently. These are often

referred to as sight words and cannot be sounded out because their spelling doesn’t

correspond with their sounds. Tier two and three words are subject based and are more

complex. Children who hear a lot of words are more equipped to understand these in reading

contexts (Literacy Hub, n.d.-d). Vocabulary is critical to children’s ability to comprehend

texts (Konza, 2014).

5. Fluency

Fluency in reading is measured against the ease of which a child reads, and is affected

by rate, accuracy and expression (Literacy Hub, n.d.-b). Fluency is achieved when all other

skills in reading become automated. When a child becomes fluent in their reading, they are

able to focus on the meaning of the text (Konza, 2014). Encouraging children to read aloud

allows them to practice reading at a rate that sounds like spoken language. It is imperative

that teachers supply materials that are relevant to children’s skill level so they can read for

meaning not just accuracy. Enabling children to practice fluency also appeals to a child’s

confidence in themselves (Literacy Hub, n.d.-b). The importance of children developing large

vocabulary and engaging consistently with oral language forms is highlighted in that, the

more words a child knows and understands the more fluent their reading will become (Konza,

2014).

6. Comprehension

Comprehension is essentially the understanding of what is being read. There are

various ways this can look depending on what is being read and for what purpose (Literacy

Hub, n.d.-a). Competent readers are able to determine the purpose of reading and adjust their

reading strategies accordingly (Konza, 2014). Teaching comprehension within early reading

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comes from both reading texts and being involved in discussion surrounding the text. These

conversations need to promote thinking beyond basic retell in order to have children learn to

pose and answer questions about the text (Anderson, 2015). Educators facilitating early

reading in this way will have to lead the discussion and at times guide children towards

answers modelling the practice until children can answer on their own.

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Strategies

Shared Reading

Shared reading is a teaching strategy that demonstrates reading techniques and

behaviours (Department of Education, 2023c). This technique should always take place with

the intent to improve oral language (Queensland Department of Education, 2019). This

teaching strategy is vastly effective for supporting children’s development across the key

components necessary for them to move towards independent reading. Shared reading

provides a platform for teachers to implement Vygotsky’s theory of learning that children

learn through connecting existing knowledge to knew practices, particularly fluency and

comprehension (Brinker, 2013).

Vocabulary development is enhanced when children engage in shared reading

experiences. Early reading has been shown to enrich language development in toddlers.

Strong vocabularies are supportive of children’s reading capabilities as they progress.

Regular reading to children will help them achieve competency in reading skills earlier

(Hoyne & Egan, 2019; Konza, 2014). It is important that during this reading educators

facilitate the development of vocabulary and comprehensions kills through the use of

dialogue before, during and after engaging in text (Queensland Department of Education,

2019).

Shared reading experiences in the early years also support children’s development of

the concept of print. Children are able to recognise, through turning pages that text has a

direction and can develop and understanding of the relationship between text and meaning

(Department of Education, 2023b; Hoyne & Egan, 2019).

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It is important when engaging in shared reading experiences that while engaging in

the same text more than once can facilitate understanding, when children begin to learn letter

sounds they might look for patterns in the pictures to guess the words rather than decode the

text (Konza, 2014). Howard Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences poses that all

children learn differently (Cherry, 2023). Meaning that what one child gains from a shared

reading experience another may not. For example one child may not gain a full

comprehension from the text but rather a hands on activity; but the same child may learn to

recognise fluency from listening to the text (Brinker, 2013).

Read and Retell

Assessment of children’s reading skills are essential in supporting teachers’ decisions

in addressing instructional needs and differentiation. Read and retell is primarily used to

measure childrens understanding of texts and their overall comprehensions skills. Kintsch's

Levels of Understanding proposes the situational model as a secondary level of understanding

relevant to the information presented within the text, and the readers knowledge of this. At

this level, children are able to both generate knowledge and retrieve existing knowledge to

build understanding of concepts that have been explored (Hosp & Suchey, 2014). The

retelling of a text supports this through providing educators with an overall picture of

children’s understanding of story content and structure, and their interpretation of the text

(Cao & Kim, 2021). Comprehension extends past the understanding of what occured in the

book, it also encompasses understanding of concepts within the texts as well as factual

information that has been presented depending on genre (Department of Education, 2023a).

Read and retell is most effective when children engage with narrative texts. When children

engage in informative texts they are more likely to answer questions about what they have

learned and understood about a topic but will not likely adapt these concepts to imaginative
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play (Cao & Kim, 2021). Using story prompts within planned early learning experiences will

help children make sense of literacy concepts (Maze Media, 2000).

Recommendations

1. Integrate shared reading experiences within daily routines: In

addition to having books available for children’s engagement within the learning

space, to implement shared reading as a teaching strategy, educators should be

embedding this into their practice. How this looks within a classroom setting will vary

depending on each child’s needs, but it should be regular and meaningful (Department

of Education, 2023c; Hoyne & Egan, 2019; Konza, 2014). Reading as a group before

shared mealtimes will enable teachers to facilitate discussion around concepts within

the texts. Shared reading within routine will help cement initial concepts of print for

the children, while exposing them to new patterns of language and vocabulary.

2. Small-world play in response to texts: Within the children’s early

learning environment, teachers should aim to have at last one small world play area

set up for children to engage with. To facilitate the teaching and assessing of

comprehension, teachers should ensure these learning experiences are linked to a text

child are familiar with. These learning spaces allow children to attach existing

understandings to their play and have the opportunity to retell and interpret the story

in their own way (Main, 2022). In turn they will be able to extend and practice their

vocabulary while engaging with their peers. Teachers can use this opportunity to

observe the children’s engagements and gain an overview of their understanding of

concepts, and overall development of key components of early reading skills. These

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learning spaces allow for the teacher to engaging in one on one teaching where

needed, and it also supports hands on learners in gaining a different understanding of

the text as opposed to auditory engagement on its own (Maze Media, 2000). Engaging

in these learning experiences also allows for children to exercise their various types of

intelligences, as well as adapt their knowledge and extend their understandings

through interaction with their peers and educators (Brinker, 2013; Main, 2022)

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Conclusion

The six key components of reading are essential building blocks for children’s early

reading development. Oral language and concepts of print are the first concepts and most

impactful on children’s reading ability. Children’s language skills are indicative of learnt

reading concepts and reading capabilities (Konza, 2014). The sound of language is an

essential understanding children need to develop in order to then learn to read and understand

the alphabetic code. Listening to text and engaging in oral language experiences allows

children to expand their vocabulary which is both supportive and indicative of future reading

and comprehension skills. Learning vocabulary and sounds of language allows children to

become fluent in their reading and develop the foundations of good comprehension.

Engaging in facilitated reading experiences in the early years teaches children how to

question a text to gain a full comprehension of the content. Shared reading is a sound strategy

that can be seamlessly integrated into and early years classroom. It is only limited in that it

cannot cater to a large variety of multiple intelligences and can encourage children to rely too

much on the imagery within a text to decode and make meaning. Small world play is a

positive method of integrating age-appropriate assessment of comprehension of narrative

texts. This method of read and retell allows children to learn from both teachers and peer

interaction, allowing for a greater scope of assessment by the teacher.

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References

Anderson, P. (2015). Teaching reading in the early years. Australian Council for Educational

Research - ACER. https://www.acer.org/au/discover/article/teaching-reading-in-the-

early-years

Brinker, A. (2013). Is There a Relationship Between Reading Fluency and Reading

Comprehension?

Cao, Y., & Kim, Y.-S. G. (2021). Is Retell a Valid Measure of Reading Comprehension?

Educational Research Review, 32, 100375.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2020.100375

Cherry, K. (2023). Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences-2795161

Department of Education. (2023a). Comprehension.

https://www.education.vic.gov.au:443/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/

english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/litfocuscomprehension.aspx

Department of Education. (2023b). Concepts of print.

https://www.education.vic.gov.au:443/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/

english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/litfocusconceptsprint.aspx

Department of Education. (2023c). Shared reading.

https://www.education.vic.gov.au:443/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/

english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/teachingpracshared.aspx

Hosp, J. L., & Suchey, N. (2014). Reading Assessment: Reading Fluency, Reading Fluently,

and Comprehension-Commentary on the Special Topic. School Psychology Review,

43(1), 59–68.

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Hoyne, C., & Egan, S. (2019). Shared Book Reading in Early Childhood: A Review of

Influential Factors and Developmental Benefits. 77–92.

Konza, D. (2014). Teaching Reading: Why the “Fab Five” should be the “Big Six.”

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(39).

https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2014v39n12.10

Literacy Hub. (n.d.-a). Comprehension. Literacy Hub. Retrieved January 3, 2024, from

https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/the-big-six-of-literacy-a-guide-for-

families/comprehension/

Literacy Hub. (n.d.-b). Fluency. Literacy Hub. Retrieved January 2, 2024, from

https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/the-big-six-of-literacy-a-guide-for-

families/fluency/

Literacy Hub. (n.d.-c). Phonics. Literacy Hub. Retrieved January 2, 2024, from

https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/the-big-six-of-literacy-a-guide-for-

families/phonics/

Literacy Hub. (n.d.-d). Vocabulary. Literacy Hub. Retrieved January 2, 2024, from

https://www.literacyhub.edu.au/for-families/the-big-six-of-literacy-a-guide-for-

families/vocabulary/

Main, P. (2022). Vygotsky’s Theory. https://www.structural-learning.com/post/vygotskys-

theory

Maze Media. (2000). Small world play – Ideas to try in your Early Years setting | Learning

and Development. Teach Early Years. https://www.teachearlyyears.com/learning-and-

development/view/small-world-play

Paris, J., Ricardo, A., & Rymond, D. (2019). Understanding the Whole Child: Prenatal

Development through Adolescence.

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https://bookdown.org/nathalieyuen/understanding-the-whole-child/acknowledgements

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Queensland Department of Education (Director). (2019, September 25). 4—Shared reading.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItWVGjCqBNQ

Victorian Government. (2022, October 12). The evidence behind Three-Year-Old

Kindergarten. https://www.vic.gov.au/evidence-behind-three-year-old-kindergarten

Winch, G., Johnston, R. R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (2020). Literacy:

Reading, Writing and Children’s Literature (6th ed.). https://full-

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