Term Paper on "Literacy the Pawsitive Effects of R.E.A.D.Ing"

Term Paper 4 pages (1160 words) Sources: 0

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Literacy

The PAWsitive Effects of R.E.A.D.ing

The issue of literacy within teaching and education is one that must not be taken lightly. During the elementary school years, reading is among many of the skills that students must acquire, or else suffer from a lifelong disadvantage compared to other members of society. It is not speculation that if reading skills are not acquired during a child's early formative years; studies such as the one conducted by A. Castro-Caldas (et al. 1998), published by the Oxford University Press, show scientifically that learning specific skills during childhood changes the functional organization of the brain. Findings included that illiterate subjects had more difficulty than literate subject with not just written language communication, but with oral language as well. Reading comprehension is the key to academic success in all subject areas, and academic success is the defining factor between an individual's future as a part of either "a privileged knowledge-producing class and a low-paid, low-status service class." (Gaines) In the book What Reading Research Tells Us About Children With Diverse Learning Needs: Bases and Basics (Simmons & Kameenui 1998, 1), it is well articulated that, "Reading is an enabling skill that traverses academic disciplines and translates into meaningful personal, social, and economic outcomes for individuals. It is common knowledge that reading is the fulcrum of academics, the pivotal ability that stabilizes and leverages children's opportunities to learn and to become reflective, independent learners." Poor reading skills are common among school dropouts, prison inmates, and public welfare recipients.(Simmons & Kameenui 1998, 1) However, those individuals fortunate enough to quickly and easily gain reading comprehension skills tend to take their situation for granted, and have difficulty relating to the struggling student. Federal guidelines for education, such as the highly controversial No Child Left Behind Act, attempt to stress the importance of attaining skills in academic areas on a productive timeline. However, many traditional academic approaches focus on the end goal without providing any real pedagogy for success, no framework to build achievement. In addition to students needing the instruction and practice to attain skills like reading, they also need the confidence in themselves in order to learn. Low self-esteem may compound early literacy difficulties. Fear of social stigma for being "stupid" and frustration with educational obstacles can create a vicious cycle for students who are falling behind their peers, and high levels of stress will certainly impede the learning process, and motivation to keep working hard can be hard to find. Some very successful reading instruction methods will fall short because they are not used in combination with relaxation and confidence-building techniques in a setting that will help to comfort the struggling student and allow him or her to work through literacy challenges. One method that has gained popularity in the press in recent years that may not seem to hold professional water at first glance, but is actually proving to be a highly effective method for increasing literacy among children, is the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program. R.E.A.D. was founded in 1999 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has spread to have over 1000 affiliate partners throughout the country. In this program, children read stories out loud to specially trained dogs, without fear of their audience (the dog) judging them for having difficulty with words. The R.E.A.D program has been shown to help motivate young readers and build the confidence that is necessary during the learning process, while employing reading instruction methods with many years… READ MORE

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