What is reading?
"In order to wish to read, the child has to know that reading will be useful to him, he/she must be convinced that the whole world will have wonderful experiences, he/she will dissipate his/her ignorance, help him/her understand the world and direct his/her destiny"
(Quintanal Díaz, 1999)
As a teacher reading is a very important activity that involves school and family, so I´ll write some posts about this importance of this activity. This first article is about the definition of reading and the fundamental ideas that complement this definition.
Bernal Pinilla defines reading as "the action of deciphering the symbols of a message; understand their meanings; relate them to known meanings, appropriate some new element and develop them through the process of creativity. " (Bernal, 2011: 6-8). And he explains it to us in the following way:
1. Action to decipher the symbols of a message.
Image of a child deciphering symbols
The act of reading is free, and in that sense the reader exercises his will, fulfilling a wish. On the other hand, reading implies the action of recognizing the signs of the message, and in the first term, the fact of knowing them. Knowledge of linguistic symbols is usually acquired in the early stages of schooling. That is, according to Quintanal Diaz reading requires an effort on the part of the subject who intends to read.
Children tend to instinctively reject what is expensive, so it is the teacher's job to sweeten that effort and that the task of reading for the student is interesting, stimulating, natural, free, playful and enjoyable. At home, his/her family can help with the same features (we´ll dedicate another post about the importance of reading at home and tools and resources to use at home)
2. Action to understand the meanings of the message.
The action of reading goes beyond the simple decoding of symbols, which is useless without a true understanding. The reading process has a second, important stage, which consists in interpreting, assimilating, and comprehension of the written message. A process that is only achieved when the reader learns as a child to correctly decipher the signs. That is why it is the teacher's task to deliver the student in his/her infancy varied, attractive, meaningful and pleasant materials. And, of course, encourage them to deepen, to imagine, to fantasize and to relate what they read with what they know, that is helping them make connections. Making connections with their reality will active their background knowledge to build the new contents. This idea is called "scaffolding", we´ve posted an article about this. By reading and its daily practice, children will have the ability to be immerse naturally, easily and without trauma, into ever more complex texts. And more importantly, to take advantage of them and enjoy them in depth.
3. Getting familiar with known meanings.
We can affirm that reading is learned by reading, that is, with practice.
Reading is a process that feedbacks; the more reading, the better the reader gets more familiar with the new meanings to those he/she already knew. This creates the possibility of interpreting with greater clarity, ease, depth and enjoyment of the new readings.
We can affirm that reading is learned by reading, that is, with practice.
Reading is a process that feedbacks; the more reading, the better the reader gets more familiar with the new meanings to those he/she already knew. This creates the possibility of interpreting with greater clarity, ease, depth and enjoyment of the new readings.
4. Taking some new element.
Reading has a great virtue from the point of view of information. Reading gives to readers new ideas and knowledge that become part of them: each text gives us the opportunity of integrating to our cultural background new knowledge and new possibilities to analyze aspects of life that begins to know through what is read.
Reading has a great virtue from the point of view of information. Reading gives to readers new ideas and knowledge that become part of them: each text gives us the opportunity of integrating to our cultural background new knowledge and new possibilities to analyze aspects of life that begins to know through what is read.
5. Developing creativity.
During the first years of life, for children it is fundamental the contact with nature, with peers, etc... But there is no greater stimulus for the development of our creativity than reading. That puts the human being in contact with a thousand and some realities that would otherwise be impossible to meet at such a young age. Reading, in addition, allows us to unlimitedly develop imagination and fantasy, fundamental ideas of all creativity.
During the first years of life, for children it is fundamental the contact with nature, with peers, etc... But there is no greater stimulus for the development of our creativity than reading. That puts the human being in contact with a thousand and some realities that would otherwise be impossible to meet at such a young age. Reading, in addition, allows us to unlimitedly develop imagination and fantasy, fundamental ideas of all creativity.
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