The Benefits of a Picture-free Reading Intervention Program
by Hannah MacLellan
Learning without visuals? Surely not, I hear you cry. Well, we all know that learning is far more effective when all senses are being tapped.
Multi-sensory teaching has long been established the best methodology for learning; information has a significantly better chance of embedding itself into the long-term memory, and we are much more likely to remember information if we have associated images to it. Images and visuals not only aid learning but help maintain an individual’s interest and make it more fun. Who wouldn’t want that?
About twice a year I find myself having to explain to a flabbergasted tutor why some literacy intervention programs are designed specifically without the “all singing all dancing” visuals, popping out on every square inch of the screen. These ‘clean’ programs can sometimes be viewed as “boring” by those who are used to using more visually stimulating resources, or those who just don’t get it.
Let’s use the human skeleton as a metaphor. Literacy tools, in my mind, can quite often be placed into one of two literacy intervention categories: ‘backbone’ resources and ‘ribcage’ resources.
The ‘backbone’ reading resource is the core, highly structured, cumulative, multi-sensory intervention program that places students at the right level before they start. It then guides them through activities that focus on decoding and reading for fluency and accuracy at a comfortable pace. Revisiting is key to its success, so sounds and words come up several times in different types of activities. This type of program monitors the student’s progress every step of the way.
The ‘ribcage’ resource, equally important and off-shooting from the ‘backbone’, offers a more game-like reinforcement – these programs often have fantastic colourful visuals, are noisy and fun, and can be dipped in and out of to help further underpin whatever structured ‘backbone’ program the student is following. As a specialist teacher I always made sure I had both types of resources at my finger-tips.
But when it comes to improving specifically the mechanics of reading accuracy and fluency – decoding skills, do visuals help or hinder?
They can hinder.
Here are two - that’s all we need - key reasons why picture-free design is not only beneficial, but is quite essential when it comes to ‘backbone’ reading intervention programs and the task of improving reading skills:
True decoding only happens when there are no ‘clues’
We all know that decoding skills, the ability to break down sounds, are essential for reading. Students with phonological (sound) processing difficulties often find they cannot break words down automatically when reading. Reading can therefore be hesitant, slow and downright laborious. Phonological skills, and consequently reading, can be improved by ‘jump-starting’ the part of the brain that deals with the processing of sound. The improvement comes from repetitive exercises that aid the process of matching sound to symbol, culminating in the ability to decode sounds and words more automatically. If there are images associated with the words we are trying to get a student to break down, then the process of decoding in the brain is potentially not being allowed to happen.
In other words, we cannot be sure the student has read the word purely using their decoding skills or has partly, or entirely, guessed it using the visual clue.
Less distraction
Images can help maintain interest, but a ‘clean’ screen, free from lots of popping out images and sound effects can aid concentration when it matters. Students with an attention deficit, rather than not paying attention, pay attention to everything - so having a screen that channels the eye onto one sole activity can help focus attention.
This does not mean we lose the multi-sensory aspect with these programs. On the contrary, core reading intervention programs need to be highly multi-sensory to be effective at achieving their goal.
As a side, but significant, note, a literacy intervention program used by all ages needs to appeal to an 8-year-old and an adult alike. Using images makes that a very hard job indeed.
So, when it comes to decoding, less really is more.
Hannah worked as a Dyslexia & Literacy Specialist at Dyslexia Action for many years and now works with the Units of Sound development team. She has considerable experience working with and providing advice, training and support to schools, colleges, community centers and parents. Units of Sound has a home version, Literacy that fits, which is designed to get parents/guardians supporting their child at home without all the training that is involved with most intervention tools used in schools.
by Hannah MacLellan
Learning without visuals? Surely not, I hear you cry. Well, we all know that learning is far more effective when all senses are being tapped.
Multi-sensory teaching has long been established the best methodology for learning; information has a significantly better chance of embedding itself into the long-term memory, and we are much more likely to remember information if we have associated images to it. Images and visuals not only aid learning but help maintain an individual’s interest and make it more fun. Who wouldn’t want that?
About twice a year I find myself having to explain to a flabbergasted tutor why some literacy intervention programs are designed specifically without the “all singing all dancing” visuals, popping out on every square inch of the screen. These ‘clean’ programs can sometimes be viewed as “boring” by those who are used to using more visually stimulating resources, or those who just don’t get it.
Let’s use the human skeleton as a metaphor. Literacy tools, in my mind, can quite often be placed into one of two literacy intervention categories: ‘backbone’ resources and ‘ribcage’ resources.
The ‘backbone’ reading resource is the core, highly structured, cumulative, multi-sensory intervention program that places students at the right level before they start. It then guides them through activities that focus on decoding and reading for fluency and accuracy at a comfortable pace. Revisiting is key to its success, so sounds and words come up several times in different types of activities. This type of program monitors the student’s progress every step of the way.
The ‘ribcage’ resource, equally important and off-shooting from the ‘backbone’, offers a more game-like reinforcement – these programs often have fantastic colourful visuals, are noisy and fun, and can be dipped in and out of to help further underpin whatever structured ‘backbone’ program the student is following. As a specialist teacher I always made sure I had both types of resources at my finger-tips.
But when it comes to improving specifically the mechanics of reading accuracy and fluency – decoding skills, do visuals help or hinder?
They can hinder.
Here are two - that’s all we need - key reasons why picture-free design is not only beneficial, but is quite essential when it comes to ‘backbone’ reading intervention programs and the task of improving reading skills:
True decoding only happens when there are no ‘clues’
We all know that decoding skills, the ability to break down sounds, are essential for reading. Students with phonological (sound) processing difficulties often find they cannot break words down automatically when reading. Reading can therefore be hesitant, slow and downright laborious. Phonological skills, and consequently reading, can be improved by ‘jump-starting’ the part of the brain that deals with the processing of sound. The improvement comes from repetitive exercises that aid the process of matching sound to symbol, culminating in the ability to decode sounds and words more automatically. If there are images associated with the words we are trying to get a student to break down, then the process of decoding in the brain is potentially not being allowed to happen.
In other words, we cannot be sure the student has read the word purely using their decoding skills or has partly, or entirely, guessed it using the visual clue.
Less distraction
Images can help maintain interest, but a ‘clean’ screen, free from lots of popping out images and sound effects can aid concentration when it matters. Students with an attention deficit, rather than not paying attention, pay attention to everything - so having a screen that channels the eye onto one sole activity can help focus attention.
This does not mean we lose the multi-sensory aspect with these programs. On the contrary, core reading intervention programs need to be highly multi-sensory to be effective at achieving their goal.
As a side, but significant, note, a literacy intervention program used by all ages needs to appeal to an 8-year-old and an adult alike. Using images makes that a very hard job indeed.
So, when it comes to decoding, less really is more.
Hannah worked as a Dyslexia & Literacy Specialist at Dyslexia Action for many years and now works with the Units of Sound development team. She has considerable experience working with and providing advice, training and support to schools, colleges, community centers and parents. Units of Sound has a home version, Literacy that fits, which is designed to get parents/guardians supporting their child at home without all the training that is involved with most intervention tools used in schools.
