Television as aid to reading instruction

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33533, 14 May 1974, Page 14

Television as aid to reading instruction

The potential of television in teaching children to read was greatly underestimated, Dr Margaret Clark, reader in educational psychology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, told delegates to the fifth New Zealand International Reading Association’s conference in Christchurch yesterday.

“The amount of print and ‘flashcards,’ similar to those

(used in the teaching of readying in schools, that appear ion the television screen advertisements and titles entourages them to read much ■ more than we are able to iteach them,” Dr Clark said. “A child’s experience of theday reinforces this, with similar signs, placards, and advertisements in superj markets, petrol stations, and 'shops, and they are able to I link this practical reading exercise with television.” The three-day conference is being attended by more than 350 people from throughout New Zealand, and a few from Australia. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Dr Clark’s address was mainly concerned with her research in Britain into language and reading difficulties among children. “Most children learn to i read in the school, but somei Jean read by the time they get| Ito school,” she said. “Re-; ; search showed that some of| these children were very intel- ! . ligent, some were only aver- ■ I age. and at least one came' I from a home where there j J were virtually no books. “They had been motivated to read to find out informa- ■ tion, or to read books that 1 their parents hadn’t the time y to read to them, and they I were often able to work out words through the context,” she said. HOME BACKGROUND Factors such as this were ignored in present reading schemes offered in schools. “What the child’s home I has to offer is important; we ;can learn a lot from looking iat children successful at reading and their parents and [home situations, and by studying the language interactions.” Dr Clark said that she de-1 plored the lack of appreciation of skills that a child i brought to reading, as it was la very’ complex task, and very little credit was given for its