ThatReadingThing

I’ve just come across some training notes from a couple of years ago and found an analogy that I’d forgotten about.

Think of learning to read as the downward descent from the top of a mountain. Most people get to the bottom (where all the books in the world exist) sometime during childhood. Struggling readers get caught on a ledge somewhere and most give up hope of rescue.

It’s our job, not to helicopter the stranded one off the mountain but (and pardon the potentially violent imagery), give them a good push off the ledge. You can only do this if they know for a fact that they’re all roped up and won’t be dropped. It’s not easy to get to the bottom but it’s safe and it’s possible.

The scripts you learn in training are the “shove” required.

• Say the sounds and tell me what you hear.

• How many syllables are in serendipity? Say them clearly.

• How do spell the “ee” sound in belief?