When children read well, yet lack comprehensionA common reading disorder goes undiagnosed until it becomes problematic, according to the results of a five-year study published online in the journal Brain Connectivity.
Dyslexia, a reading disorder in which a child confuses letters and struggles with sounding out words, has been the focus of much research into reading. That is not the case, however, with the lesser known disorder Specific Reading Comprehension Deficits or S-RCD, in which a child reads successfully but does not sufficiently comprehend the meaning of the words
According to lead investigator Laurie Cutting at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human development, a person with S-RCD will explain it like this: “I can read Spanish, because I know what sounds the letters make and how the words are pronounced, but I couldn’t tell you what the words actually mean.”
“When a child is a good reader, it’s assumed their comprehension is on track. But three to ten percent of those children don’t understand most of what they’re reading. By the time the problem is recognised, often closer to third or fourth grade, the disorder is disrupting their learning process,” Cutting said.
Researchers have been able to pinpoint brain activity and understand its role in dyslexia, but no functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI studies, until now, have examined the neurobiological profile of those who exhibit poor reading comprehension despite intact word-level abilities.
Neuro-imaging of children showed that, while reading, the brain function of those with S-RCD is quite different and distinct from those with dyslexia. Those with dyslexia exhibited abnormalities in a specific region in the occipital-temporal cortex, a part of the brain that is associated with successfully recognising words on a page. Those with S-RCD, on the other hand, did not show abnormalities in this region, instead showing specific abnormalities in regions typically associated with memory.
“That there will be defects in the brain areas concerned with memory makes sense,” says Susan du Plessis, director of educational programs at Edublox Reading and Learning Clinic. “Several studies have confirmed that reading comprehension relies heavily upon both working memory and long-term memory.
“Short-term memory holds information in the mind for only a few seconds while it is being processed. Long-term memory is where such processed information is permanently stored. Working memory is an intermediary and active memory system in the information processing area of the brain. It is an important memory system and one that most of us use every day,” explains Susan.
Sentence comprehension depends heavily upon adequate working memory. For example, working memory is required to comprehend sentences that are complex in structure such as, “The clown that is hugging the boy is kissing the girl.” It helps us interpret sentences that are lengthy, “Do every other problem on page fifteen and all of the problems on page sixteen before checking your answers in the back of the book.” We use working memory when preservation of word order (syntax) is important to correctly understand a sentence like; “It was the boy’s ball and not the girl’s that was dirty.”
“The good news is that weaknesses in cognitive skills can be attacked head-on,” says Susan. “The key is to identify the specific weaknesses, such as a poor working memory, and to strengthen these mental skills through training and practice.”
If you suspect that your child has a cognitive deficiency, Susan suggests that you get appropriate help as soon as possible. “The gap between children with and those without cognitive deficits gets wider and wider and may become more difficult, and later impossible to close,” she says.
Parenting Hub is one of South Africa’s largest online lifestyle magazines, targeted toward Parents.
We understand that there are many aspects that encompass a Mother, Father or Child and strive toward providing resources and services that accommodates this.
Our content is aimed to inform and educate families on issues starting from pregnancy through to the challenges of the teen-age years.
Latest posts by Parenting Hub
(see all)
Post Views: 33,584
Rev Up for ReadingHow does your child fare with reading? It’s one of the first skills taught at school and has far-reaching consequences throughout your child’s life.
In simple terms, literacy is the ability to read and write as well as understand and analyse the written word. Susan du Plessis, Director of Educational Programs at Edublox Reading and Learning Clinic, says that the implications of a child struggling to read is a serious one — a poor reader is inevitably a poor learner.
The PIRLS study conducted in 2006 compared the reading abilities of children in 40 countries. South African readers were placed last. Of the Grade 4 learners tested, only 13% reached the lowest benchmark, compared with 94% internationally.
Stats like this are cause for concern. The benefits of healthy reading stretch far beyond the classroom. So why is reading such a crucial skill in a modern age?
Reading builds vocabulary
Reading will help your child learn new words and build his vocabulary. Children also learn better language skills as they read — from sentence structure and good grammar, to new words not encountered in the child’s immediate surroundings. Reading also helps children to learn how stories are structured and the more kids read, the better writers they become. Many subjects, especially in high school, require written essays where good writers can obtain better marks.
Reading improves concentration and aids relaxation
Taking time out to read can help your child learn to concentrate better and focus on one task. Modern kids are so bombarded with sound, light and movement from electronic gadgets, that reading is actually relaxing for the brain.
Readers are better spellers
SMS language or ‘text talk’ — where 8 is ate and y is why — is contributing to a generation of poor spellers. Reading and spelling form a two-way street — each aids the other. In the higher grades, marks are deducted for spelling errors, so better spelling means better marks. In business, poor spelling is unprofessional… and before you hit spell check, remember, it’s never completely accurate!
Reading can be a social activity
Parents and caregivers can make reading to a younger child a special daily bonding time. Book clubs or library story time bring children from all walks of life together. They learn listening skills and then have an opportunity to articulate what they have heard and give their own opinions on the story with their peers.
Words are building blocks — even in technology
Many people believed that the birth of the Internet spelt the death of the written word, but the reality is that words and reading have become an even bigger part of our lives. Words are building blocks that are required in all walks of life — from writing a letter to a friend, to a slide presentation viewed by hundreds of people at a business conference. Being able to read and write is essential for communication in our technological age — just think of the number of e-mails sent around the world every day.
Digital devices have an important role to play in our children’s lives but parents should also encourage kids to read print books. Digital does have some advantages over print (it’s interactive and helps to develop hand-eye co-ordination), but holding a book and turning pages is a tactile experience for children. They also tend to concentrate more on reading the actual words and understanding the story than anticipating what clicking on the next icon will bring.
Reading is key in education and enrichment
While reading is crucial for learning and achieving throughout the school career and into university, reading can also enrich a child’s life outside of the classroom. Avid readers often have an excellent general knowledge. Reading is a brain exercise — the more you do it the better you get!
Parenting Hub is one of South Africa’s largest online lifestyle magazines, targeted toward Parents.
We understand that there are many aspects that encompass a Mother, Father or Child and strive toward providing resources and services that accommodates this.
Our content is aimed to inform and educate families on issues starting from pregnancy through to the challenges of the teen-age years.
Latest posts by Parenting Hub
(see all)
Post Views: 33,584
Why Reading With Your Child Is So Important – 5 Tips to Make it Even More BeneficialThere is such a sense of joy, warmth and togetherness that comes when we read with our children. It is a time when we can cuddle up together and let our minds float to the places the story takes us. This is a time for bonding with your child; a time when you are both relaxed, unhurried and un-harried.
By spending some quality bonding time doing reading together, you are also giving your child a deep-seated love of reading. Your child learns that reading opens doors to the imagination and he can learn interesting facts about his world just by reading a book. Reading is such an important life skill, that helping your child learn to read and to enjoy reading is one of the keys to helping him onto the path of success.
Here are five tips to help you and your child get the most from reading together:
- Make sure your child is sitting next to you and can see the words and pictures. Even if your child is too young to have begun learning to read, you will be improving his concept of printed words. By looking at the picture and trying to see all the details described in the story, he will be developing his visual perception in preparation for reading. If your child has already begun learning to read, you can point out some of the words he has learnt; this reinforces his learning and helps him realise how useful it really is to be able to read the different words because he sees them in the story which he is enjoying with you.
- Use the story as an opportunity to discuss aspects of his own life. Link the story to concepts he is beginning to learn, such as sharing with friends, avoiding conflict, good sportsmanship, or coping with bullies. By relating to the story, you can open discussion in a relaxed way. Talking about the characters in the story, rather than directly about him, helps your child feel safer to share his concerns. Stories do not only have to be about morals and coping skills, simply sharing views and thoughts with each other on how the characters are behaving, laughing together at their mistakes, yet noting what they could have done if they were wiser, gives you so many fun, light-hearted and relaxed opportunities to discuss life, behaviour and morals with your child.
- Paired reading. This is a great way to support your child once he has begun to learn to read. You begin reading a book which is at his level of reading. He must follow the words you read with his eyes (no pointing allowed) and then you suddenly stop reading and he has to carry on for awhile. He then stops and you have to carry on. This helps him learn to track with his eyes while you read more smoothly and slightly faster than he can. He therefore learns to improve the flow of his reading; similarly, he also learns to read with tone. You will probably find that he initially only wants to read a couple of words before stopping to make you take your turn. This is fine at first but as he develops his reading skill, you can make a rule that no-one can stop before having read a whole line, or two lines.
- When the story is finished, ask him which parts were his favourite. This helps him build his memory and comprehension. He must not feel that this is a test. He must know that you enjoyed the story as much as he did and that you are enjoying thinking back on the fun things that happened in the story.
- Find words. At the end of the story, choose about two or three words that are new to him but within his reading capability. Point them out to him and see if he can sound them out, then ask him to see how many times that word appears on the page or even on the next three pages. This builds his reading vocabulary as well as developing his visual figure-ground perception for written words. Figure-ground perception is the ability to notice the figure (or word, or letter) against the background and is very important for reading text.
Remember that children learn best when they are having fun. Spending time with you and enjoying the written word together is the best way you can instil a love of reading. Many of the children who come to me for therapy first need me to undo their fear of learning to read; they associate reading with a sense of failure. That is why I decided to write a book for parents, sharing my methods which use therapeutic strategies and fun to reduce the barriers to learning to read. For those of you interested in finding out more about my methods, go to: http://sharonstansfield.weebly.com/unique-reading-program.html
Reading is communication. It is how we communicate over distance and even time. By reading, we are able to learn from people far away or even those who died before we were born. It is a crucial life skill and every child deserves the best input to help them enjoy reading.
Parenting Hub is one of South Africa’s largest online lifestyle magazines, targeted toward Parents.
We understand that there are many aspects that encompass a Mother, Father or Child and strive toward providing resources and services that accommodates this.
Our content is aimed to inform and educate families on issues starting from pregnancy through to the challenges of the teen-age years.
Latest posts by Parenting Hub
(see all)
Post Views: 33,584
