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This was kindly flagged up to me by Robert Sweet Jnr (president of the National Right to Read Foundation http://www.nrrf.org ) - easy and succinct reading with references to scientific findings:
Academic Associates Reading Clinic
Scientific Evidence
After witnessing students' lives miraculously transformed by the Academic Associates approach to reading instruction, numerous amazed parents and teachers have openly wondered why schools do not generally use this approach, and whether there is any scientific research to support it. The following brief synopsis is an attempt to initiate an answer to those questions.
Using Phonics, Context and Other Cues to Guess at Words is Not Reading
These aforementioned conclusions were part of what was supposed to be implemented under the "No Child Left Behind" programs. However, the schools did not ordinarily teach "systematic and explicit" phonics, and it also was not used as a foundation for all reading. Furthermore, the kind of phonics taught was typically not "synthetic," but "analytic" phonics. "Analytic" phonics teaches to the wrong parts of the brain and acts similarly to the "whole word" method. Consequently, the reading instruction part of NCLB was a failure. As a result of this, many teachers today think a strictly phonics foundation is untenable. They opt instead for a "balanced" approach, in which graphophonemic (phonics) cues are used along with context cues, syntax cues, picture cues, configuration cues, etc., to help children guess at words. However, that is not reading; that is simply guessing. An astounding 68% of our students are unable to read at the proficient level, and three out of four children who are in "special education" programs have been unable to return to mainstream classroom reading (with deleterious consequences continuing throughout their adult years), as a result of this "balanced" approach.
hroughout this presentation of the framework, claims have been made that are founded in empirical research. Many of those claims have been summarized here, and a sample of research articles that support those claims have been listed below each (If a full reference is needed, it can be found in the References section).
This is provided in this format in the hopes that it can be used as a resource for the interested reader who would like to gather more information on a topic related to the cognitive perspective of the reading process.
Issue 40: Is it a scam?
Issue 39: What is direct instruction?
Issue 38: Response Cards
Issue 37: Cogmed
Issue 36: Interactive Metronome Training
Issue 35: Mnemonics
Issue 34: Using Scripts to Teach Conversation Skills to Students with ASD
Issue 33: Behavioural Optometry
Issue 32: The Tomatis Method as a Treatment for Autism
Issue 31: Visual Activity Schedules
Issue 30: Learning Styles
Issue 29: Functional Communication Training
Issue 28: Fast ForWord Language
Issue 27: Schema-based Instruction for Mathematics Word Problem-solving
Issue 26: Cellfield Program
Issue 25: Strategic Use of Classroom Seating
Issue 24: Specific and Contingent Teacher Praise
Issue 23: The Listening Program®
Issue 22: Irlen Tinted lenses and Overlays
Issue 21: Choosing Effective Programs for Low-Progress Readers
Issue 20: Picture Exchange Communication System
Issue 19: Sensory Integration
Issue 18: Explicit Instruction for Students with Special Learning Needs
Issue 17: Response to Intervention
Issue 16: This has been replaced by Issue 28
Issue 15: Weighted Vests
Issue 14: Precision Requests
Issue 13: Book Levelling
Issue 12: Social Stories
Issue 11: Dore/DDAT Exercise Program
Issue 10: Parents Identifying Giftedness
Issue 9: Facilitated Communication
Issue 8: Teacher Aides
Issue 7: Behaviour Chain Interruption Strategy
Issue 6: Knowing what works
Issue 5: BrainGym®
Issue 4: Curriculum-Based Measurement of Reading
Issue 3: Reading Recovery for Young Struggling Readers
Issue 2: Behavioural Momentum
Issue 1: Multisensory Environments to Reduce Challenging Behaviour
in People with Severe Disabilities
