Using the Literature Based Approach to Enhance the Comprehension Levels (PART 2)

Language Based Approach

On the one hand, according to Illeris (2000), Ormorod (1995), learning refers to the process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influence and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one’s knowledge, skills, values and world views. 

Marcus Garvey, once stated in one of his many speeches, “a reading man and woman is a ready man and woman, but a writing man and woman is exact.” He also stated, that “progress is the attraction that moves humanity.” The way to achieve success and progression, I believe, is through the appreciation of education for each person in a nation. I quote, yet again, Marcus Garvey, as he speaks words of wisdom. “There is no force like success, and that is why the individual makes all effort to surround himself throughout life with the evidence of it; as of the individual, so should it be of the nation.” 

According to Reutzel and Cooter (2005), ‘fundamental knowledge for every teacher of literacy includes understanding theories of the reading process and the variety of instructional models that spring from these theories’. They even go further along to say that teachers who know how theory and practice relate are better able to see and understand connections between various explanations of the process of learning to read and the multitude of potential instructional choices for teaching children to read. 

In the same breath, is the definition for the term learning? According to Illeris (2000), Ormorod (1995), learning refers to the process that brings together cognitive, emotional, and environmental influence and experiences for acquiring, enhancing, or making changes in one’s knowledge, skills, values and world views. A child begins to learn as soon as he is born. Childhood environments that support early literacy development and excellent instruction are essential to their growth and development. It is important that learning begins at a tender age so as to ensure strong cognitive skills as they make work simpler, quicker and more proficient. Reading is said to be essential to success in society. However, if one does not comprehend what is being read, how can it lead to success? Therefore, I say that comprehension is essential to success in society. Nevertheless, the ability to read is highly valued and important because it aids us with social and economic advancement. It is imperative that steps be taken to ensure that children overcome these stumbling blocks during the primary grades. 

Both parents and teachers should consider the key elements that all children need in order to become good readers. These elements are simply, letters and sounds and how to read for meaning, as well as appropriate opportunities for reading with many type of text material. Immediate attention and focus on these areas help to correct three of the most potential challenges are known to throw children off course as they embark on their journey to become skilled readers. These challenges include difficulty to understand and use alphabetic principle, failure to transfer the comprehension skills of spoken language to reading and acquire new strategies that may be specifically needed for reading.