CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
to the Study
Language by nature is an intricacy of
learnings and relearnings which extends a communicative sphere. It wanders off
the borders of linguistics even to involve almost every cognitive capability of
man who is the only wielder of it. In it’s learning, it involves four skills
namely listening and speaking on the one hand and reading and writing on the
other. While listening and speaking are the most basic and hence, the most
important language skills, reading and writing require the most attention and
conscious learning process. For Akwanya,
Reading is another very important
context of encounter with language. As in listening, encounter with language in
reading involves a range of attitudes, from reading, say, a newspaper to
reading a poem. There is a shift whereby one becomes a participant in an
activity (Akwanya, 119)
The reading skill is acquired, quite
ironically, through it’s practice. However, in the face of a poor reading
habit, teachers tend to focus on the material and make the child reread the
passages severally so that what is achieved is a memorization of a particular
passage. The implication is that such a teacher is forgetting that the reading
skill involves layers and layers of activities and intricacies that might be
the source of the reading problems.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
There is a list of things that could
conspire to deter a fluent learning of reading as a language skill. From a
pathological lack of concentration to a full blown case of dyslexia. Often when
a teacher is faced with this; a child who is having challenges reading or who
had a total aversion towards the exercise and the skill, it is often very frustrating
for the teacher. This is majorly owing to the fact that the entire educational
process is predicted upon this skill without which the learning process is
fatally stalled even in the highly potential child. And each peculiar case requires a specific
set of strategies to combat it with. This is the problem that has called the
present research work into being: to explore the use of phonics and word
recognition strategies in improving poor reading skills
1.3 Research
Questions
The practical questions of this
research work include:
1. Can phonic and other word recognition
strategies be used in improving poor reading skills.
2. To what extend can they be relied upon
in combating poor reading skills.
3. Are their specific strategies for
particular reading inabilities or does it just depend on whichever works on the
child in question.
1.4 Objectives
of the Study
Purposes of this research work include
filling up a practical gap in the educational process. The entire aims and
objectives of formal education which deductively aims at eradicating illiteracy
is often defeated by the inability to instill in a child this skill without
which he cannot be lettered. This research work aims at mapping out the various
phonic and word recognition techniques that can be employed in the improvement
of a bad reading skill. Like we mentioned in the background, it usually isn’t
result oriented making the child repeat the reading material. For instance,
sometimes merely making them go through the sample reading material and
recognizing the words and attempting to distinguish them phonetically from
others before reading the material through will help improve a child reading
skill.
1.5 Significance
of the Study
This research work is aimed at
providing alternative and working panacea to poor reading skills. Therefore,
every institutions of basic learning will find it of great importance.
Governmental school boards in their bid to draft an updated curriculum and
module can go through this research work and appropriate its finding into their
own work. Not to say the least, teacher’s trainee programmes.
1.6 Research
Hypothesis
The research we have taken up here is
based on a hypothesis: that lasting and several options are open to teachers in
tackling poor reading skills through the use of phonic and other word
recognition techniques. It is also assumed here that these options can be
tailored to each definite cause of the mentioned lacks.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
Lack of a fluent reading skill is found
usually among children and illiterate adults. However, this research work would
focus broadly on the manifestations of this inability in children with little
lights now and again on adults. This is as the case is much more diverse in
children than in adults. At any event, the phonic strategies discussed here are
predicated upon the learning dispositions of children than those of adults.
This work is divided into five chapters
with the following chapter examining previously carried out researches on
related topics and briefly addressing their inadequacies which this present
research work hopes to correct. The third chapter would tailor down the
methodology of the research while chapter four discusses the various strategies
properly.
1.8 Limitations
of the Study
Time and a controlled subjects for a
good study are the recognizable limitations experienced in the course of this
research work. The want of space is also another.
1.9 Definition
of Terms
Phonics
Phonics is the scientific study of
sounds. It is the method of teaching learners of a language how to read and
pronounce words correctly from correct pronunciation of letters to letter
groups up to the syllabic level. It tries to show learners how to associate the
graphical representation of letters and words with the sound version of those
words.
Reading
Technically, reading is one of the four
language skills where a language user tries to derive meaning or codes of
meaning from a graphical representation of thought. The aim of this skill is to
communicate through the written medium or merely to gain and understanding of
thought preserved in the written form.
References
Akwanya,
Nicholas. Language and Habits of Thought.Enugu:
New Generation Books, 2005. Print.