Reading Champs Smart Start

Rita Wirtz' Reading Champs
SMART STARTERS
Questions, Answers, and Good Beginnings for Teaching Reading

This is a new domain and is currently under construction:
This page was last updated on December 15, 2007

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This section is divided into two areas. The first contains a growing list of common Frequently Asked Questions about reading, teaching reading, and the Reading Champs program. The second area is for interactive questions and answers, where individual readers are able to ask, and receive answers to, specific questions regarding proven methods about teaching reading. All questions submitted will be answered by personal e-mail but unusual questions will be included into the second section.

This site is provided to help motivate and guide students of all ages and skill levels to prosper as readers. Its major focus, however, is the emerging or struggling younger reader.
Your comments and questions are always welcome at questions@askreadingchamps.com.

		FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT READING CHAMPS
FAQ 01	What is a Reading Champ?	"Reading Champs" are people, of any age or gender, who have the power to enrich their lives because they are more able to read, understand, and make use of any kind of text. They aren't smarter than average people, because they are average people. They just seem to be smarter because they are usually better informed! They are easy to spot because ... *Reading Champs read!* They are usually more involved in the world around them. They know the stories behind the sound bites on the six o'clock news. They read to learn. And, more important, then know how to read to learn.
FAQ 02	What is the difference between a reader and a Reading Champ?	I would have to say the difference between a reader and a reading champ is that readers read because they need to read while reading champs read because they want to read; they enjoy reading. They usually read faster than the average person, and they retain more of what they read. They build personal libraries of biographies, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and--quite often--old textbooks. They are almost never bored. They would rather read than watch TV or play video games. Reading Champs are usually better spellers and more interesting speakers. They often have higher self esteem and are more self confident. They are usually more interesting because they are better conversationalists and They are often writers as well as readers.
FAQ 03	Can anybody be a Reading Champ?	Yes!
FAQ 04	What are Reading Champ Coaches?	"Reading Champs Coaches" are people, of any age or gender, who are already readers and are willing to spend time motivating others to want to learn to read. They can be parents, classroom teachers, and even peers (friends and classmates) who have become aware that there are as many ways to read and reasons to read as there are those who either want to start learning to read or improve their reading (and even writing) skills. Like "Reading Champs" they aren't smarter than average people, because they are average people. They may seem to be smarter because they already have a skill they are willing to share.
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READERS ASK READING CHAMPS
ABOUT LEARNING CHAMPIONSHIP READING SKILLS

Q. A New Jersey mother says: Charles has learned phonics and is able to sound out words, but his phonetic processing seems to be slow. His word attack skills are significantly better but his word identification and reading fluency have not improved at the same rate.

A. You might find that common-word sight drills might help.

Obviously you already have a great deal of knowledge of Charles' reading situation but it is possible you are expecting to find a physical cause. One cause of difficulty in sight-reading words and delayed contextual fluency could be difficulty in visualizing letters in words (as may be the case in Dyslexia, "lazy eye", or an imbalance in optic focal range. This is called weak symbol imagery; the ability to visualize the identity, number, and sequence of sounds and letters within words. But at the same time, a significant number of students, even those who have well-developed phonemic awareness, can have difficulty with rapidly recognizing sounds in words, and thus are slow to self-correct their reading errors. Their spelling may be phonetically accurate, but they can't remember the visual patterns of words.

Q. A northern California father tells us: We came to America six years ago with our two oldest children, Oksana [now 14] and Vasili [now 11]. Both of them are good children and speak English better than my wife and me, but they are haveing trouble reading in school and the principal says they should be held back and tested for some learning disabilities. I don't think our children are disabled or dumb, but they are haveing problem. What can we do?

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