Children at a very young age need to be taught strategies that will help them be able to understand various practices in academics. These strategies of learning mold them into being able to self learn without any supervision. These learning procedures need to be emphasized at all levels of learning in order to ensure smooth learning process. It is important to ensure that children are not denied the opportunity to learn various methods of understanding the English language among others. These skills help students even in their later studies since they form the basis of learning.
Phonemic awareness in general is the ability to comprehend spoken language by differentiating various sounds in relation to the written words. Phonemic awareness is important mostly in the early childhood learning. A child who is phonemically aware will be able to notify the tutor, for instance that “hat” is the word that the tutor is referring to by pronouncing three separate sounds in the word. The child also understands that if the last sound is taken from “cart” the result will be “car”. Research shows that children who have precise training in phonemic awareness do better than those who have no training at all. This article is relevant in the fact that it gives the reader understanding that phonemic awareness is essential to kindergarten children in order for them to do well in the next classes. Phonemic awareness training gives children the linguistic motivation through storytelling, word games, rhymes and riddles. This follows with smaller segments of sound and then later to individual phonemes. (What is phonemic awareness?, n.d.)
Fluency is the capability to read with speed, precision and with correct expression. It is important for children to read fluently so that they may be able to comprehend what they are reading. Fluent readers make out words easily and read aloud naturally with expression. They do not focus on text processing but rather they are able to center on comprehension. Fluency is essential since it acts as a bridge between word identification and comprehension. When one is fluent does not mean they understand or comprehend, but understanding is hard when you are not fluent. When a child is always stopping to make out the meaning of words, in many cases the meaning will be distracted thus he/she will take a longer time to read and with great difficulty. When readers are fluent, they will be able to concentrate on getting the meaning while being able to evaluate, understand and draw conclusions from the text.
Comprehension is the capability to be familiar with words swiftly and with ease. This means being able to understand the text and then one can be able to read from there. Research shows that children are supposed to process text by use of phonics before being able to understand the text. There are various methods used in the modern society to help students understand what they are reading. The most common is summarizing the text you have read, the student can also observe what he/she is reading in order to figure out if it makes sense as well as evaluating the arrangement of the material by for instance underlining key points. The tutors can also use the training method of explaining the material to the students and representations to help them understand much faster. In this way, students can master the skill to be able to understand information on their own with time.
Various learning processes for children ensure their development academically. It is important that these skills are learnt in order to ensure that young children are able to achieve academic success at various stages. This will also help them to be able to enjoy their learning experience without giving excuses for failure. The academic disciplines should ensure that no students in the curriculum are denied these learning procedures especially the beginners. They should also be emphasized in the syllabus due to the advantage they impose on a child.
References
What is phonemic awareness? (n.d.). 2010, Web.