Insisting that children learn the rules that govern language while they are learning to read is hindering the child by doubling the task. Learning the rules is quite another matter than learning to read. We should allow the child to learn to read as he learned to talk, by imitation and habit formation (as indeed he will learn to read because he can learn in no other way). He will use the rules as he uses them in speech, before he learns they are rules. This is the way hyperlexic children learn to read – without learning a single rule. Their parents don”t even know their hyperlexic child is learning to read. Teaching to read should consist of the parents reading to the child from matter the child enjoys. In school the matter should be shown on a large screen with the moving image of a pointer pointing to each word as it is being pronounced. This will cause the pupil to concentrate on the word as he hears it spoken. Testing would be simply having the pupil read matter selected for the purpose.
Dean Sparks, Lucerne
