Decodable Text Linda Farrell Michael Hunter Oct 2021

[@pennystrait1365]

LOVE this webinar. I have watched it twice and am going to use it to try to convince our principal to use decodable readers for the lower grades (when they are learning to decode) during instruction (small groups).

[@patdunham3513]

This was great! Helps one make the distinctions. I thought this to be a very “balanced” presentation! 😉

[@jenniferharvey8696]

I’m a little annoyed by the condescending way she talks about F and P. Anyone can infer and see they used “egg” because it was similar to “apple”. This early leveled book is helping young readers to notice the difference between the articles “a” and “an”. There is value to all of this. Why must we throw the baby out with the bath water? I’ll tell you why!! Money!! I’ve been a teacher for 31 years. There are many wonderful strategies and techniques for teaching reading. Everyone learns differently. I should know because I’ve had to learn them many of them over three decades. There is no One-size-fits-all program. Just my 2 cents.

[@TheReadingLeagueWisconsin]

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We agree that there is no one size fits all program. However, when it comes to the reading brain, we all have to master the same things in order to become a reader. It is not a natural process. Some children catch on faster than others, but we are all mastering the exact same concepts. To your point, there are many wonderful books and stories in the F&P collection. The issue is not the books per see (depending on when and how they are being used), but rather the strategies that are taught. The evidence is clear when it comes to what proficient readers do. While it may feel very counterintuitive. The reality is, we actually slow the learning-to-read process down for some readers when we give them false hope of using other strategies that take their eyes away from the word. That's not my opinion and I don't share it to offend you. It's been proven time and again. We need to teach early reading in ways that most children will get their needs met the first time. The use of the 3 cues in early reading as a way to decode words creates compensators, as Kilpatrick would call them, and extends how long it will take a child to learn to read.