Reading is not a natural process. 

Humans were around for a very long time before anyone came up with the idea. It developed, little by little, over a very long period of time. Most civilizations that came up with some form of reading and writing that used characters which represented ideas, like modern day Mandarin. The only civilization that has ever come up with the idea of using symbols to represent sounds were the ancient Phonecians. That is where we get our word “phonics” and how we came about the idea of using letters to make words that we “sound out”.  

So much for the history lesson. Now, about reading. Like we said, reading is not a natural process, and it turns out that English is a very difficult language when it comes to reading. Take a look at the following example using the letters “ough”.

Tough rhymes with puff.

Though rhymes with go.

Through rhymes with blue.

Thought rhymes with taut.

That doesn’t make any sense. Other languages do better. In Spanish, the letters say the same thing every time you see them. We had a Spanish speaking mom who asked why her son was having so much trouble learning to read English. She asked if he was just being lazy since it was so simple to learn to read.

So we looked at the word “no” which is the same in both languages. She knew the pronunciation.

Next, we looked at the work “now”. She was lost, and was surprised to hear that it rhymed with “how”.

Finally, we added a “k” to the front. She said, “Is it ‘kay now’?” When she found it turned back into the same pronunciation as “no” she said, “English is crazy!”

Yes, English is crazy, and it makes the process of reading that much harder to learn.

Reading is a very complex process that involves the eyes sending signals to the occipital lobe in the brain (you actually “see” in the occipital lobe, which is located, surprisingly, in the back of your head). Your brain perceives the shapes of the letters, and then has to decide what sounds those letters combine to make, then figure out what words those sounds will turn into. Finally, those words are turned into meaning in an area of the brain called Wernicke’s area. If there is any little glitch along the way, the process of reading can be derailed.

Why do we go into all this? Because many people who have struggled learning to read think that it is a lack of intelligence on their part. In short, they report that it makes them feel dumb.

Fortunately, it has nothing to do with their IQ. The process of perceiving and decoding letters is not related to intelligence, it has to do with other parts of the brain that process visual and linguistic input. It is more like being color blind – a person who does not see red or green does not think they are not smart enough to see red or green, it is just a small part of their perception that is different. Same here. 5000 years ago, before the invention of reading and writing, people with this slight difference never even knew they had it. And it made no difference.

Nowadays, the situation is reversed. It is crucial that every person gains this skill. For some students it may take longer and it may require more effort and repetition, but the value in this skill makes it imperative.

Fortunately, it can be done. And with the right techniques of instruction, it can be done painlessly. Again, it may take time, but it should be a lighthearted and playful process that ultimately ends up with the student reading fluently and with good comprehension.