Literacy

Reading is Thinking

Often when students (and sometimes parents) discuss what makes a ‘good’ reader, they will immediately discuss how fluently the student can read and how they never make mistakes. While being fluent and reading accurately is important, it’s only a small part of being a successful reader. As teachers, we understand that 'understanding the text' and gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning is vitally important. We also understand that it isn’t automatically learned and doesn’t always have a direct correlation with fluency and accuracy. One key idea to support readers to apply reading to read world skills is the idea that reading is thinking and thinking is the key to understanding. 

Thinking when reading is an abstract idea as it all happens in our minds. One of the challenges for teachers, is to help students understand what is going on in their heads as they read. This involves supporting students to focus on the ‘processing’ part of reading and trying to gain meaning from the texts they are reading. This is known as ‘active reading’. 

Active readers connect with their inner thoughts when reading. It’s almost like they hold a conversation between themselves and the text, which helps them make sense of what they are reading. 

Active reading is something that parents can support at home by implementing some really simple ideas. 

1# Become conscious of what you do as a reader 

The reality is that the strategies we use as adults are similar to the ones that children will use.  Thinking about how we use these strategies ourselves can really help bring clarity to how to speak about them.  The more you become aware of what you do the easier it is to explain. 

2# Make your thinking visible

If you are reading to your child, see if you can model your reading ‘thinking’.  It is never too early to start tuning children into that running conversation we have in our minds that helps us to understand the text.

3# Explain to children your strategic thinking

Being an active reader involves being tuned into your thinking as you read. That is thinking about the text as you read, monitoring for understanding and being aware when meaning is being impacted. 

The ideas contained in this article come from text written by Mardi Goran https://www.mardigorman.com.au/reading-is-thinking-and-thinking-is-the-key/

Fortnightly Segments 

Writing Challenge

If your child enjoys their writing and is keen to write for enjoyment at home, below is a prompt that you could ask your child to write about. 

Write a story where two people meet in an unusual way and become fast friends.

Optional Comprehension Activities

Summarise the book into a comic or story aimed for younger students or your classmates.