RC = D × LC × PI

As a child, I attended religious school at my family's synagogue, six hours a week. In 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, I was actually in a pilot class that specifically focused on learning prayers in Hebrew. We learned to "read" the prayers and chant them, as well. There was only one thing that we did not learn -  what the prayers meant. My classmates and I did not learn to read the prayers. We learned to decode them. On our Bar and Bat Mitzvah days, my classmates and I nervously stood on the pulpit chanting the prayers. We achieved our desire, and our parents’ desire; we had this special ceremony. It never dawned on me that I did not understand what I was saying. Of course, I did not recognize that I was one amongst tens of thousands of children who could decode but not comprehend. 

While my own personal story revolves around Hebrew, many American school children know how to decode but they do not understand what they are reading. Others have deep vocabularies but don't have phonetic abilities. Each of these weaknesses limits a child's reading ability. 

It’s not all about phonics!!

It’s not all about language comprehension!!

Too often educators misconstrue the skills that students must possess to read effectively. As educators, we simplify reading into one of two reading camps, phonics or while-reading. At this time, the perceived strengths of whole reading have been debunked. So, we think of reading as phonics, or decoding. With this concept in mind, we think we understand the whole situation. But, we do not. 

The true skills required to read effectively can be modeled with a simple formula. RC = D × LC, where RC is reading comprehension, D is decoding skills, and LC is language comprehension skills. This formula articulates that students must have both decoding and comprehension skills in order to understand what they are reading, or be effective readers. Without both of these skill sets, readers remain illiterate.

Consider an example of simple to read words that make no sense without proper comprehension. "The first baseman held the ball and put his glove on the runner." If a student does not know anything about baseball he will understand very few of these words, though he will be able to decode them. But if the student does know about the game of baseball he will form a visual image of exactly what could be happening. The student who understands this sentence can ask questions to both check his understanding and clarify the image. A student who does not understand baseball is unable to do anything meaningful with this sentence. 

Interestingly, some educators argue that students should first learn decoding and then they can learn comprehension. Others argue the opposite. However, again, both of these arguments are too simple. Instead, students should learn decoding and language comprehension intermittently. Truly, they should be working on acquisition of both of these skills as often as possible. Each of these skills, and reading comprehension as a whole, are the foundation of an educated individual. 

As somebody who enjoys thinking about educational content development, I cannot help but ponder the types of learning activities that will enable students to develop both decoding and language comprehension skills. A central principle underlies both of these skills. Students must be interested in the topic under study and want to learn. Without personal interest, it’s harder for students to develop the decoding or language comprehension skills needed to read well. 

I’m reminded of a memory from nineteen years ago. My girlfriend, her two sons, and I are sitting at a restaurant eating dinner. Evan, a first grader, is sitting and playing a contemporary video game that allows you to text with a partner. Evan is a budding reader but has not yet developed confidence in his own decoding skills. I pick up the second game set and start to text Evan - not about anything important but just to say hi and play. Soon, he is reading what I am writing and responding. He quickly masters decoding simple text. A few days later we are at a drugstore together and he is amazed that he can read labels. Evan has a personal desire to learn how to read. He achieved his objective. Similar to Evan, personal interest motivates learners to fulfill learning objectives. 

I have adapted the formula for reading comprehension to include personal interest, making the formula RC = D * LC * PI, where PI equals personal interest. For, students must be motivated to comprehend what they are reading. True motivation is an intrinsic characteristic. Consequently, I have chosen to call it “personal interest.” 

Of course, teachers need to understand the formula for reading comprehension. But, educational resource developers must as well. Educational content developers must develop content that will support students in decoding and developing language comprehension skills that appeal to their personal interests. This content must motivate them to want to learn so that they will learn.