Yoga-A Boon for Mental Health

Yoga-A Boon for Mental Health

Amar Jyoti, Research Scholar, Shri JJT University, Jhunjhunu(Rajasthan)

"Yoga is not an ancient myth buried in oblivion. It is the most valuable inheritance of the present. It is the essential need of today and the culture of tomorrow."  -Swami Satyananda Saraswati

I would like to discuss here the “yog”, usually we term it as yoga but actually it is “Yog”. It is a science which let us know how to live our life in a correct way , how to keep a balance between our physical body, our mental status, our thinking  and our feelings.

At initial level it is beneficial to our physical body, where usually all of us get connected to yoga. Then , there is second stage, it helps us at the level of mental status and our feelings.

In present scenario , we observe that now a days, there are various issues in our society which causes us a great stress on our physical as well as mental health, which ultimately cause losses in various ways.

Asana is an essential  part of yoga, Now we will discuss what the “asana” is.
Asana means a state of being in which one can remain physically and mentally steady, calm, quiet and comfortable.

So, we can see that yogasanas in this context are practised to develop the practitioner's ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended length of time, as is necessary during meditation. In raja yoga, asana refers to the sitting position, but in hatha yoga it means something more. Asanas are specific body positions which open the energy channels and psychic centers. They are tools to higher awareness and provide the stable foundation for our exploration of the body, breath, mind and beyond. The hatha yogis also found that by developing control of the body through asana, the mind is also controlled.

There are some meta analyses which indicates beneficial effects of yoga internventions, and there are several clinical trials indicating relatively high quality beneficial effects of yoga for pain associated with mental health.

The  World  Health  Organization  predicts  that  depression will  be  the  second  largest  contributor  to  the  global  disease  burden, after  heart  diseases  .  Anxiety  is  also  being  diagnosed  at  a greater rate than it was in the past.

Despite these increases in diagnosis, treatment  regimens  typically  include  pharmaceutical  therapies  that  are not  sufficient  to  prevent  further  illness  or  promote  mental  well-being. Effectively  addressing  mental  health  concerns  entails  a  comprehensive approach that addresses the root of the problems. In  this  paper,  we  provide  evidence  for  yoga  as  a  form  of  health promotion,  illness  prevention  and  treatment  for  depression  and  other mental  health  imbalances.  Like  other  therapies,  yoga  is  not  a  complete solution  to  mental  health  concerns. 

In  conjunction  with  other approaches,  yoga  has  great  potential  to  lead  people  towards  greater mental well-being. i What is Yoga? T he  eight  limbed  path  of  yoga  includes:  Yama  (moral  codes), niyama  (self-discipline),  asana  (postures),  pranyama  (breath  practices promoting  life  force),  pratyahara  (sensory  transcendence),  dharana (concentration),  dhyana  (meditation),  samadhi  (state  of  bliss).    Yoga  is  an  individual activity  that  has  social  implications.  Those  who  regularly  participate  in yoga  typically  interact  with  the  world  in  calmer  and  more  reasonable y ways.  More  positive  social  interactions  and  relationships  are  one  of  the ripple  effects  of  individual  yoga  practice.  Accessible  or  complementary yoga  classes  offer  low  income  people  the  opportunity  to  experience  the benefits  of  inner  peace  and  healthier  body.  When  practices  such  as yoga are accessible to all, larger  effects  are possible. Without overstating the  impacts,  potential  consequences  of  large  scale  population  mental well-being  initiatives  such  as  this  are  less  violence  in  society,  less addiction, greater ability to be authentic with one and others. Literature Review of Mental Health and Yoga Methods.

There are various   studies in  the  area  of  yoga  and  mental  health  in  the  peer-reviewed  medical literature.  Because  this  is  a  relatively  new  area  of  research,  it  is  difficult to  compare  one  study  to  the  next  partly  because  of  sample  size variation,  differences  in  trial  length,  and  variances  in  the  kind  of  yoga. Some  studies  tested  Iyengar  (primarily  asanas)  while  others  tested Sudarshan  kriya  (patterned  pranayam  exercises,  moving  from  slow  and calming  to  rapid  and  stimulating,  followed  by  emotional  selfe.

There are various  articles  (2002-2014)  on  yoga  as  a treatment  for  various  mental  health  disorders,  including  Major Depressive Disorder (MDD),  Anxiety  Disorders,  Obsessive Compulsive  Disorder  (OCD),  Schizophrenia  and  others.  The  most significant  results  were  for  yoga  as  treatment  for  depression.  More research  is  required  for  conclusive  evidence-based  recommendations; so  far,  peer-reviewed  literature  appears  promising  for  yoga  as  mental health promotion and treatment particularly for de

Studies of yoga’s  effects  on quality of life and depression Yoga  has  been  shown  to  enhance  quality  of  life  in  people  who  are healthy  and  ill.  A  review  study  found  that  yoga  is  as  effective  or  better than  exercise  at  improving  a  variety  of  mental  and  physical  health measures  such  as  stress,  quality  of  life,  mood  states,  heart  rate variability,  pulmonary  function  and  so  on.  A  meta-analysis concluded  that  because  weight  gain  and  toxicity  are  side  effects  of various  pharmacotherapies,  yoga  may  be  an  effective  and  less  toxic auxiliary  treatment  for  severe  mental  illness.  In  one  study  yoga improved  subjective  wellbeing,  mental  health  and  executive functioning  within  prison  populations .  Yoga  improved  the  quality of  life  of  pregnant  women  in  various  studies  and  enhanced  their interpersonal  relationships .  Studies  over  the  past  15  years  have shown  that  yoga  can  improve  psychological  health  during  breast cancer  treatment  ,  as  well  as  health-related  quality  of  life  in antipsychotic-stabilized patients. In  the  treatment  of  mild  to  moderate  MDD,  promising  results indicate  that  yoga  may  be  applied  as  a  monotherapy .  Level  Two evidence  supports  the  use  of  yoga  as  an  adjunctive  therapy  .  Yoga  is  equally  as  effective  as  TCAs  (tricyclic  antidepressants)  in  severe diseases.  Yoga  in  combination  with  anti-depressants  is  better  than anti-depressants alone for depressive symptom

Conclusion
The practice  of  yoga  shows  promise  for  promoting  better  population mental  health.  It  is  acceptable,  accessible,  cost-effective  and  encourages self-reliance.  Yoga  is  an  individual  health  promoting  practice  that  can be  done  in  groups  and  supported  by  communities.  Like  other  holistic practices  such  as  tai  chi,  qigong,  meditation  and  so  forth,  it  includes  a community  component.  Practicing  yoga  together,  in  workplaces, schools  and  other  group  settings  have  shown  to  promote  population mental  health  [24].  While  yoga  does  not  address  the  social determinants  of  mental  illness  it  does  promote  a  greater  sense  of  inner peace for those who partake.

It  appears  that  deep  slow  breathing  in  combination  with  movement and  other  aspects  of  yoga  are  at  the  heart  of  yoga’s  ability  to  bring people  a  greater  sense  of  tranquility.  It  meets  the  triple  aim  of improving  health,  improving  care  and  reducing  cost.  A  recent  article questions  whether  sufficient  evidence  exists  for  family  physicians  to recommend  yoga  to  their  patients.  The  evidence-based  answer:  “Yes, yoga  can  reduce  symptoms  of  anxiety  and  depression  (strength  of recommendation  [SOR]:  B,  systematic  reviews  of  randomized controlled  trials  [RCTs]  with  significant  heterogeneity).

Across multiple  RCTs  using  varied  yoga  interventions  and  diverse  study populations,  yoga  typically  improves  overall  symptom  scores  for anxiety  and  depression  by  about  40%,  both  by  itself  and  as  an adjunctive  treatment.  It  produces  no  reported  harmful  side  effects.”  In some  cases  yoga  is  taught  for  free  such  as  yoga  clubs  in  India  and  other countries.  While  it  may  not  be  for  everyone,  through  a  disciplined approach  most  people  with  or  without  mental  health  imbalances  may feel more mental ease and relaxation through the practice of yoga.

By...Amar Jyoti Mangat, State Awardee, Lecturer in English Govt Sr Sec School Rukna Begu Distt Ferozepur   987673762

Are you happy with your life ?-Part1

Are you happy with your life ?? 

“To live a fulfilled life, we need to keep creating the "what is next", of our lives. Without dreams and goals there is no living, only merely existing, and that is not why we are here.” - Mark Twain

Are you happy with your life?

I mean really, really happy? Or do you feel that things could be better, possibly even a lot better? Life can be exhilarating, fun, and exciting, or it can be boring, challenging, and full of pain. Why is it that good things always seem to happen to some people, while others get left far behind? It may seem unfair when you feel trapped by circumstances that appear to be beyond your control, or if everything you try just doesn't seem to work out. It's so easy to become disillusioned, to lose spirit, and to just put up with second best all the time. Life can be hard, but it doesn't have to be like that. You really can change what happens to you. You can transform your life. You can achieve what you yearn for, and you can become deeply happy and truly fulfilled - providing you do the right things and in the right way.

You see, there is a reason why we don't achieve our goals in life, and why life may seem like an endless painful struggle.

In this blog you will discover why that is, and more importantly, you will discover how to change your life and achieve your goals in the fastest most powerful way possible. You will discover that rather than being "you are what you eat", really “you are what you think, feel, and do”. You will see how your dominant thoughts, emotions and actions create the circumstances of your life. And when you change your dominant thoughts and emotions, and start taking the right actions, your environment will reflect those changes and your circumstances can improve dramatically. This is the true secret to long-term success and happiness – if you want to change your circumstances, you must first make a change within yourself. And you will discover that change can be a lot easier than you may think!

To be continued .......

Importance of examinations

Most students are afraid of examinations, but Examinations are very important today. They are also very interesting.

Examinations are important because they compel students to learn. Without them most students would not learn. So they would know very little about the world. They would learn only subjects in which they are interested and ignore the other subjects which are thought to be difficult, though they are very important in the modern age.

Examinations also help us have some ideas about a person’s knowledge of certain subjects. For example, if a boy has passed the Primary Six Examination, we can at once know how much knowledge he has. Accordingly, we can have some ideas of what kind of work he can do. This is why most employers want to know what examinations a person had passed before he is given some work.
Finally, examinations are interesting because we can test how much we ourselves know. When we sit for an examination we enjoy answering what we know, though we feel sad if we are not successful in an examination.

The most exciting day in the life of a student is the day during the final examination for class promotion. He prepares himself well for about a month before the examination and still he has his fears and hopes on the day of the examination. Even a student who neglects his lessons sits up to make his eleventh hour preparation.

A boy who studies hard may feel confident once inside the examination hall for the first paper. Every student is anxious to know whether the question papers would be difficult or not, except a few who do not take their question papers would be difficult or not, except a few who do not take their lessons seriously. Most of the children eagerly look forward to the examination day.
Unlike the other days, examination days are usually quiet. Every one seems to browse his notes for the last time before going into the hall. Every minute seems precious before the bell goes as it provides the last chance to check the facts properly. Sometimes the last minute reading may help you to score marks.
It is indeed a day of excitement to every child who takes his or her lessons seriously.

Life today has become so complex that examinations have come to play an important part in one’s educational career. Examinations are considered so important that most students are afraid of them.

The ability to pass an examination is indeed a valuable quality. It shows that the student is able to express his thought and ideas to a manner others can understand. It also shows that the student has acquired a certain amount of knowledge in some branches of study. Besides, the mind of a student, even if he is dull, receives good exercise when he prepares for an examination. A student’s success in an examination, therefore, helps employers and others to assess his mental or general ability.

Some people, however, argue that examinations test only a certain kind of skill. They say that many people have a good memory and a special ability to pass examinations and achieve brilliant results, though they have no capacity for original thought or imagination. But it should be realized that today the syllabuses are so extensive that a student cannot expect to pass an examination by relying entirely on his memory. The student of today must not only have a fair knowledge of the subject matter but also be able to show his intelligence and power of reasoning, especially if he is sitting for a higher examination.

Therefore, a student’s ability to pass an examination must indicate some of his mental powers as well as his grasp of the subjects that he has studied.
If there were no examinations, most scholars would have been less informed than they are today. Examinations compel students to read as mush as they can, and as they do so, they absorb knowledge unconsciously. Further, because of examinations; teachers have to confine themselves to the syllabuses which are aimed at imparting knowledge in a systematic manner, and thus develop  mental discipline.

Examinations are therefore an important part of academic studies.

How can a teacher rejuvenate the interest of a pupil in schooling (studying) after several repetition in a class?

How can a teacher rejuvenate the interest of a pupil in schooling (studying) after several repetition in a class?

Here you will have to become creative and try one or more of the following ways to get their attention and interest.

1 – Make them see it as part of their daily life
Try as hard as you can to find a way to relate the subject to their daily lives. It will make it much more likely for them to be invested in what you are explaining. For example, if the subject is literature, try to show what they can learn from the characters’ behaviour that they can apply to their own lives.

2 – Make it fun
Yes, sometimes, some subjects are just not fun. You are well aware of it, but you still have to teach this “boring” subject to them. How about making the learning process a bit more fun? You can try to create some kind of competition, or game, that can help them to learn, or maybe even use songs or videos. Sometimes, even a funny cartoon can be what you need to make them have a laugh and never forget the subject.

3 – Show the relevance to their future careers
Students think that, at the end of the day, they are at school so they can get ready to get good jobs in the future. This is how most of the people (parents included) see school nowadays, unfortunately. So take advantage of it, and try to relate your subject to how it can be applied in a work environment. Tell them all about how doctors, engineers, IT developers, writers or dancers can use that information to become successful.

4 – Let them participate in the whole process
If you want to see your students really engaged about something, let them participate. And not only after you distribute the tasks but from the very beginning. Ask them for input on the subject that will be presented, which resources will be used and how they will be evaluated. And talking of resources…

5 – Use multiple resources
To avoid students’ sleeping on their desks during your presentation, try using multiple resources. The human voice can be very hypnotizing to some people, and others are easy distracted by it, as you know. Bring videos, music, slideshows, toys and games, tell stories, bring in a special guest for a talk.

6 – Make it personal
Try to relate the subject to your own life and circumstances. You don’t necessarily have to tell a private story about yourself, but tell them something about how you felt when you got in touch with that subject for the very first time, or how you have applied it in your life so far.

7 – Leave the exams for later
Do not start the conversation about the new subject telling them about a test on the material. Unless the assessment will be more engaging and fun (think Project Base Learning, inquiry learning, etc), this should be the final part of the process and not a source of anxiety.

8 – Change the environment
Sitting in a classroom for a whole day is hardly anyone’s ideal day, especially if you are young and full of energy.
So why not move the class to a different environment and see how it affects their learning process? Try taking them to museums, beaches, for a nature walk, or even to the school’s backyard. Even the fresh air on their face might help to keep them alert and more interested.

9 – Make it achievable
If you scare them by saying that this is a very complex subject and that they will be in trouble if they don’t manage to learn it, you are bound to fail. Students usually overreact under pressure and don't see these messages as a challenge at all. Try to take steps that help them feel they are capable of learning the material.

10 – Understand their interests
And in order to make any of the tips above work, it is mandatory that you know your students’ interests. If you know about their hobbies and goals, you may be able to better relate the subject to their lives.

Conclusion
Getting the best from your students might not be easy – but we should try to achieve it all the time, ‘boring’ subjects included. Remember that things have changed and what worked for you might not work for a class of children or teenagers nowadays. They have different demands and have to live up to new expectations, so be prepared to understand them and offer the best class you can.

Faith

I’ve come to realize that faith and reason are not natural enemies. It’s our human need for certainty and our need to “be right” that have pitted faith and reason against each other in an almost reckless way. We force ourselves to choose and defend one way of knowing the world at the expense of the other.understand that faith and reason can clash and create uncomfortable tensions—those tensions play out in my life, and I can feel them in my bones. But this work has forced me to see that it’s our fear of the unknown and our fear of being wrong that create most of our conflict and anxiety.

We need both faith and reason to make meaning in an uncertain world.I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the terms having faith and my faith in my interviews with men and women who are living the Wholehearted journey. At first I thought that faith meant “there’s a reason for everything.” I personally struggled with that because I’m not comfortable with using God or faith or spirituality to explain tragedy. It actually feels like substituting certainty for faith when people say, “There’s a reason for everything.”
But I quickly learned from the interviews that faith meant something else to these people. Here’s how I define faith based on the research interviews:

Faith is a place of mystery, where we find the courage to believe in what we cannot see and the strength to let go of our fear of uncertainty.

I also learned that it’s not always the scientists who struggle with faith and the religious who fully embrace uncertainty. Many forms of fundamentalism and extremism are about choosing certainty
over faith.
I love this from theologian Richard Rohr: “My scientist friends have come up with things like ‘principles of uncertainty’ and dark holes. They’re willing to live inside imagined hypotheses and theories. But many religious folks insist on answers that are always true. We love closure, resolution and clarity, while thinking that we are people of ‘faith’! How strange that the very word ‘faith’ has come to mean its exact opposite.”

Faith is essential when we decide to live and love with our whole hearts in a world where most of us want assurances before we risk being vulnerable and getting hurt. To say, “I’m going to engage
Wholeheartedly in my life” requires believing without seeing

Personality development of children

Personality Development of Children

Personality is the totality of everything about a person his/her physical, emotional, mental, social, ethical and spiritual make-up.

In simple terms, personality consists of the following
1. The way you look.
2. The way you dress.
3. The way you talk.
4. The way you walk.
5. The way you act.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONALITY

1. Personality is what one is: This means that personality traits are developed in each individual upto a stage in life, after that they get established on the other hand one cannot borrow any others persons; whatever is visible is what is inside a person.

2. Personality of each individual is unique: Each individual’s  characteristics are different from other individuals. Even twins are not the same in personality characteristics.

3. Personality is dynamic and not static: Personality traits, though selective present in each individual (due to the interplay of heredity and environment), get brushed up from time to time. Though there cannot be new addition to personality traits, however each trait can be brushed up as per changing times

4. Personality functions as a unified whole: each person’s personality expression is the sum total of what one has- one cannot hide one’s traits in totality while interacting with others

5. Personality is the product of both heredity and environment: An individual inherits personality traits by birth, and simultaneously those traits are nourished through upbringing. Further, the socio-cultural and economic environment ..

DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY
The aspects of personality could be developed. These aspects include self-concept, motivation, attitudes, and values

1 SELF – CONCEPT: The development of personality of an individual is to a great extent dependent upon his view about him/herself. The emergence of a positive self-concept is likely to lead to a well-developed, harmoniously developed personality. It is, therefore, important that the children are made to learn from the very beginning to develop positive self-concept which is socially desirable. The child’s perception or view of him/herself is called self-concept. Selfconcept is what the individual thinks of his/her actual self:“It is me”.. As he/she grows up, he begins to differentiate. And reacts to the world which he/she perceives. The perception of oneself changes with maturity. With the change in perception behaviour also changes. Praise and blame, rewards and punishments and the personality of the teacher influence the self-concept of children. Thus, the teacher should guide them to set realistic
goals which are in accordance with their reach to attain them. Setting unrealistic goals is likely to develop frustration and despair.

2 MOTIVATION :The term motivation refers to the “arousal of tendency to act to produce one or more effects.”Motivation is the process of arousing, sustaining and regulating activity.
A)Classroom Motivation: Students in the classroom learning need constant motivation from the teacher so that optimum use of their talents may be made for their development of motivation.Since individual children differ in regard to their specific needs according to their personality patterns and socio-economic back-ground, the teachers will have to vary their motivational techniques and employ them judiciously. In other words, every individual pupil should be led towards goal, goals should be within each pupils’s reach, and should seem attainable to him. Thirdly, he should be able to judge whether or not he is attaining his goals and how he is falling short. Fourthly, a teacher should not rigidly and strictly adhere to one technique of motivation but he should make use of all techniques judiciously and scientifically.
B) Reinforcement: Praise and Blame These may be classified as:
a) Positive Verbal Reinforcement—Following a pupil’s answer, the teacher verbally indicates pleasures at the pupil’s response by the use of words like ‘Good’, ‘Fair’, ‘Excellent’, ‘Correct’, etc.
b) Positive Non-Verbal Reinforcement—That include:  Nods and smiles.  Teacher’s friendly movements towards pupils.  Teacher’s friendly look. Teacher writing student’s response on the blackboard
c) Negative Non-Verbal—This comprises gestures—sneering, frown-ing, expression of annoyance, impatience, etc.
d) Negative Verbal—This includes comments like ‘No’, ‘Wrong’, ‘No good’, ‘poor’, ‘of course not’, etc.

3. ATTITUDES  :One of the chief objectives of education is the development of desirable attitudes in the students. The students must develop several attitudes in the students such as –attitude towards studies, self,friends, certain ideals etc. An attitude is dispositional readiness to certain institutions, persons or objects in a consistent manner which has been learned and has become one’s typical mode of response. For eg,one’s views towards food or drink, sports ,maths or democracy are attitudes. It includes certain aspects of personality such as interests, appreciation and social conduct. An attitude is learnt or adopted.

4 VALUES: A value stands for ideals men live for. They are the guiding principles of life which are conducive to one’s physical, social and mental health. Values may be defined as
What we believe-professed values
What we practice-operational values, and
What we learn from experience in order to adapt and renew traditions received from the past-traditional values. Ways and Means of Inculcating of Values (Role of Education): Relating to the inculcation of values, it would be sufficient to say that values are not taught or made to learn but the students themselves attain them. If we again and again say to the students that they should always speak the truth, telling a lie is a sin it would not make them to learn speaking the truth and not leave telling of lies. But if the teacher instead of giving such types of sermons himself follows the path of truth and the students find a teacher always speaking the truth, it would definitely have some impact on the children and it is possible that they might adopt the path of truth.

English Language learner and learning difficulty

English Language learner and learning difficulty

When a preschool child's home language is not primarily English, the ease of learning to read printed English is likely to be impeded to some extent, particularly if reading instruction in English begins before the child has acquired oral proficiency in English.

One difficulty in trying to evaluate the degree of risk associated with limited English proficiency is that cultural as well as linguistic differences are also involved and may introduce other kinds of risk factors.

Many children with limited English proficiency also have in common that their parents are poorly educated, that their family income is low, that they reside in communities in which many families are similarly struggling, and that they attend schools with student bodies that are predominantly minority and low achieving.

Not surprisingly, the other factors that have been proposed to explain the typically low levels of academic achievement among  students include many that have been cited as contributing to the risk factors facing other minority groups, including low socioeconomic status (and its many concomitant conditions), cultural differences between the home and school (e.g., regarding educational values and expectations), sociopolitical factors (including past and ongoing discrimination and low perceived opportunities for minorities), and school quality.

In summary, low English proficiency in a average child is a strong indication that the child is at risk for reading difficulty. That low reading achievement is a widespread problem among average  students even when they are instructed and tested, however, indicates that linguistic differences are not solely responsible for the high degree of risk faced by these children and that the role of co-occurring group risk factors, particularly school quality, home literacy background, and socioeconomic status, must be considered

Helping struggling Readers

Helping struggling Readers

Did you know that learning to read is a challenge for almost 40 percent of kids? The good news is that with early help, most reading problems can be prevented. The bad news is that nearly half of all parents who notice their child having trouble wait a year or more before getting help. Unfortunately, the older a child is, the more difficult it is to teach him or her to read. If a child can't read well by the end of third grade, odds are that he or she will never catch up. And the effects of falling behind and feeling like a failure can be devastating.

Early identification is crucial. If you suspect a problem, don't hesitate! Learn about reading difficulties, get your child assessed, find out what you can do to help your struggling reader, and don't give up!

Get the basic facts about what it takes for a young child to learn to read, best practices in teaching reading, the importance of oral language in literacy development, why so many children struggle, and more in this overview.

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Reading

Get the basic facts about what it takes for a young child to learn to read, best practices in teaching reading, the importance of oral language in literacy development, why so many children struggle, and more in this overview.

1. Too many children don't read well:

Thirty-three percent of fourth graders read below the "basic" level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. The "basic" level is defined as "partial mastery of the prerequisite knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at each grade." ( Reading Report Card)

2. An achievement gaps exists:

Many students enter kindergarten performing below their peers and remain behind as they move through the grades. Differences in language, exposure to print and background experiences multiply as students confront more challenging reading material in the upper grades. There is a well-established correlation between prior knowledge and reading comprehension: students who have it, get it. Students who don't, don't. The differences are quantifiable as early as age 3. For some subgroups of students, the reading failure rate is even higher than their same-age peers: 52% of Indian students, 51% of average students, and 49% of students in poverty all scored Below Basic on the NAEP assessment. High-need students have chronic difficulty in the classroom, and teachers must be prepared to meet the challenges they face.

3. Learning to read is complex :

Reading is a complex process that draws upon many skills that need to be developed at the same time. Marilyn Adams (1990) compares the operation of the reading system to the operation of a car. Unlike drivers, though, readers also need to:

⦁ Build the car (develop the mechanical systems for identifying words)
⦁ Maintain the car (fuel it with print, fix up problems along the way, and make sure it runs smoothly)
⦁ And, most importantly, drive the car (which requires us to be motivated, strategic, and mindful of the route we're taking)

Cars are built by assembling the parts separately and fastening them together. "In contrast, the parts of the reading system are not discrete. We cannot proceed by completing each individual sub-system and then fastening it to one another. Rather, the parts of the reading system must grow together. They must grow to one another and from one another."(Adams et al., 1990).

The ultimate goal of reading is to make meaning from print, and a vehicle in good working order is required to help us reach that goal.

4. Teachers should teach with the end goal in mind:

Because learning to read is complex, the most accomplished teachers learn to teach with the end goal of readers and learners in mind. Teachers working with young children learn to balance the various components of reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension in their every day teaching. The very best teachers integrate the components while fostering a love of books, words, and stories.

5. Kids who struggle usually have problems sounding out words:

Difficulties in decoding and word recognition are at the core of most reading difficulties. Poor readers have difficulty understanding that sounds in words are linked to certain letters and letter patterns. This is called the "alphabetic principle."

The reason many poor readers don't attain the alphabetic principle is because they haven't developed phonemic awareness — being aware that words are made up of speech sounds, or phonemes (Lyon, 1997). When word recognition isn't automatic, reading isn't fluent, and comprehension suffers.

6. What happens before school matters a lot:

What preschoolers know before they enter school is strongly related to how easily they learn to read in first grade. Three predictors of reading achievement that children learn before they get to school are:

⦁ The ability to recognize and name letters of the alphabet
⦁ General knowledge about print (understanding, for example, which is the front of the book and which is the back and how to turn the pages of a book)
⦁ Awareness of phonemes (the sounds in words)
⦁ Reading aloud together builds these knowledge and skills.
As a result, reading aloud with children is the single most important activity for parents and caregivers to do to prepare children to learn to read. (Adams, 1990).

7. Learning to read is closely tied to learning to talk and listen:

Families and caregivers need to talk and listen to young children in order to help them learn a lot of the skills they will need for reading. When a child says "cook" and her father says, "Would you like a cookie?" he is building her knowledge of vocabulary, sentence structure, syntax, and purposes for communication — all of which will help her become a reader in later years. When a caregiver sings rhymes and plays word games with the children she cares for, she is helping them recognize the sounds in words (phonemic awareness). Children with language, hearing, or speech problems need to be identified early so they can receive the help they need to prevent later reading difficulties.

8. Without help, struggling readers continue to struggle:

Many children learn to read by first grade regardless of the type of instruction they receive. The children who don't learn, however, don't seem able to catch up on their own.

More than 88 percent of children who have difficulty reading at the end of first grade display similar difficulties at the end of fourth grade. And three-quarters of students who are poor readers in third grade will remain poor readers in high school. These facts highlight the importance of providing a strong foundation for reading birth through age five.

9. With help, struggling readers can succeed:

For 85 to 90 percent of poor readers, prevention and early intervention programs can increase reading skills to average reading levels. These programs, however, need to combine instruction in phoneme awareness, phonics, spelling, reading fluency, and reading comprehension strategies, and must be provided by well-trained teachers (Lyon, 1997).

As many as two-thirds of reading disabled children can become average or above-average readers if they are identified early and taught appropriately. These facts underscore the value of having a highly trained teacher in every classroom.

10. Teaching kids to read is a team effort:

Parents, teachers, caregivers, and members of the community must recognize the important role they can play in helping children learn to read. The research shows that what families do makes a difference, what teachers do makes a difference, and what community programs do makes a difference. It's time for all those who work with children to work together to ensure that every child learns to read. It is our shared responsibility.