Reading and Math-Birds of a Feather

By Karla D. Young and Cliff Ponder

Despite their obvious differences, reading and math have much in common. Both require an understanding of basic concepts and both use symbols that represent other things.

Math awareness begins with learning to count, then progresses to adding, subtracting, and on to advanced equations. One must understand that one-plus-one equals two before progressing to higher mathematics.

Reading begins with learning that letters are coded symbols that stand for sounds, then joining them to form words, sentences and ideas. Both reading and math require a systematic, structured approach, especially in the beginning.

Learning to read and learning to process math could both be broken down into many, many parts, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s consider only the steps involved in learning to read. There are five basic stages in the process. The Five Stages of Reading

Step 1. Word-attack skills - Words must be decoded in order to understand their meanings. Remember, letters are coded symbols. Reading involves learning the code and applying it to letters as they are grouped together to form words. Sometimes the code is quite simple, as with the sounds of single letters in short words such as bit or jam. At other times the code is complex, as in such words as augmentation, in which the a-u makes its own unique sound and t-i copies the sound of s-h. Or consider words like classicism, where the first C sounds like the letter K, and the second C copies the sound of S.

The rules governing the sound a particular letter makes in a given place are for the most part relatively simple, but are largely neglected in major reading instruction methods. For example, if only one sound of the letter A is taught, as in at, students may flounder when they see words such as wad, war, ball or foam. And they need to know why that silent A is in foam. They also need to know all nine sounds of A.

Because more than 50 crucial elements are missing from the typical reading instruction method, much of the English-speaking world is locked in a plague of semi-literacy, or in worst cases, illiteracy. A small minority will learn to read regardless of the quality of instruction, but many bright students will never learn to read well because that crucial first step was omitted

Step 2. Comprehension - The entire brain must be involved in learning to read. Specialized areas of the brain control different functions. Only after the decoding process is fully operative can the brain be freed for higher level comprehension skills. When the initial reading instruction method includes all the skills needed for decoding words, meaning and content automatically occur in a natural, orderly and efficient process.

Step 3. Evaluation - Evaluation involves a careful assessment of that which has been read and comprehended. It involves a different area within the brain than that required for decoding and comprehension. For example, the statement, “Red is green,” will be evaluated for accuracy and consequently discredited if the individual words have been read and understood.

Step 4. Application and Retention - Once the information has been read and properly evaluated, it can be applied in a meaningful way by the reader. He or she can then decide what to accept or reject and how to apply it to his or her individual needs. Some of the information may be deemed to be irrelevant or inappropriate, and may be discarded.

Step 5. Fluency - When the first four steps are functioning comfortably, the reader usually finds that reading is a pleasant and effective way to learn and experience factors that would be inaccessible without the knowledge gleaned from reading.

If someone you know struggles with reading, examine the method used to teach them. It should include all the sounds and rules in an orderly, progressive sequence. When it does, reading becomes a positive, rewarding experience.

Karla Young is a Reading Instruction Specialist serving the Temecula Valley. For more information: www.academicassociates.org.