The reading disease

Vijaysimha, Indira (2009) The reading disease. Learning Curve (13). pp. 4-5.

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Abstract

“Reading is like an infectious disease: it is caught not taught. (And you can't catch it from someone who hasn't got it...) - Christine Nuttall (1983: 1927) In my own case I was infected very early and managed to infect my first born before her first birthday! No, she was not a child prodigy, nor would she have managed to pass the simplest (grade inappropriate) test for reading. But consider this: she could perform a series of actions corresponding to the text of the story, (Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit) no doubt an imitation of my own actions as I read aloud the story to the infant. In a short while she would toddle off to the book shelf stuffed with sundry books of all sorts and unerringly pick out her book. Neither of us is clear about when or how she picked up the actual mechanics of reading. We have complementary memories of experimenting with Doman's 'whole' word approach that was quickly abandoned. In the years that followed, this child seemed to go through her days absorbed in reading, managing chores with one hand while the other held a book. At meal times I invoked my mother's rule for us when we were children, “No reading while eating.” As you can see the reading disease has to be managed in order to allow vital functions to take place.

Item Type: Articles in APF Magazines
Authors: Vijaysimha, Indira
Uncontrolled Keywords: Education, Elementary education, Early childhood education
Subjects: Social sciences > Education
Divisions: Foundation Publications
Full Text Status: Public
URI: http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/606
Publisher URL: http://apfstatic.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-...

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