"I do not remember when I could not read"
Ben Franklin in writing to his son about his early years, commented that he had to have learned to read "very early" because "I do not remember when I could not read." Although he was not focused at the time on the implications of his experience for education, his words are nevertheless highly relevant to the teaching of reading.
As Franklin suggests, the early mastery of reading has enormous power. It invariably leads children to feel totally connected to reading, leading it to become a central, comfortable, enjoyable part of their lives.
For some children, probably Franklin was among them, all this happens independently. They simply "take to reading" and run with it. The earlier this happens, the more powerful the connection. Fortunately, children who do not independently start to read can experience the same result--but they need to be taught.
The reliance on teaching changes everything --because there is a huge difference between spontaneous learning and learning attained via teaching.
With spontaneous learning, the child is in total control. When something feels too difficult or overwhelming, he or she can simply check out for a while and then return to try again when the mood strikes. With teaching, the situation is markedly different. Then the learning is imposed and the child can be plunged into error over which he or she has no control.
To prevent this from happening, it is vital for the teaching material to be designed to take account of a number of features. It must limit error; it must offer techniques to overcome error when it does occur; it must be offered in short sessions that seem to "fly by,: and finally, it must provide a sense of continuous, clear success to the child. When these components are in place, teaching can result in the same phenomenal outcomes as occur with spontaneous learning.
