instructional approaches

Is there an optimum way to teach reading in schools? A best approach? Studies of schools and classrooms where children are taught to read most effectively show consistently that high achieving classes are characterized by:

 • a balanced approach in which attention to word recognition skills is matched by attention to comprehension “with the consistent message that understanding and effective communication - not just word recognition - are what literacy is about”  (Taylor & Pearson 2002, p.365)