This May Be Difficult to Read: But You Really Should

by Claire N Rubman

There's no baby Einsteins in cribs anymore, our babies can't read, and no one is still hooked on phonics - so what's left? This may be difficult to read, but we haven't been selling reading skills very well... Our society has put a premium on one single aspect of the reading process - letters & sounds (or phonics). This has given the impression that 5, 4 or even 3-year-olds can become proficient readers but there is a myriad of psychological and neurological evidence that emphatically refutes this idea. It may be difficult to read that despite all your hard work, you have only scraped the surface of the learning and reading process with your child or, worse yet, that you may inadvertently have set your child up to fail... Although it may appear that even very young children can "read" words out loud (or decode), those same children often experience great difficulty extracting meaning from the printed word as they move through middle school, high school or college . Their reading skills may superficially sustain them initially, but the sad reality remains that 1 in 5 college students has to take a remedial reading class in their freshman year. This May Be Difficult to Read creates the opportunity for you to go back in time to think as a child thinks and read as a child reads . Engage in the fun, interactive examples , read the anecdotal evidence and participate in the research studies to experience reading as your child does. Armed with this new perspective, together, let's take reading into the 21st century and reinvent the reading process... Learn about brain development and the 5 comprehension skills that 5, 4 and even 3-year-olds should be focusing on instead of fixating on letters, sounds and rote memorization. Engage in 15 research studies within the book so that you can experience what your child may encounter as an early reader. This will shed some light on the many reading failures that occur throughout our educational system and help your child to avoid them. Follow the fun, 4-stage reading program to open up a world of sustainable literacy for your child that will focus on extracting meaning from the printed word. Let's use our understanding of the human brain to maximize our children's learning potential while simultaneously optimizing our precious time with our children as we create a "need to read" in their daily life. Transform your home into a developmentally appropriate ecosystem and make reading part of your daily routine with fun, easy and engaging child-centered interactions. In our harried lives, somewhere between work, dinnertime, bath-time, laundry and house cleaning, we parents deserve to have more fun with our children! As parents, we have high hopes for our children. And rightly so, but children don't beep like a microwave when they are ready to learn! They also don't signal the amount that they have learned like your car's gas gauge measures your gas level! So why not apply some sound psychological research to bolster their success and put your mind at ease. Since reading is the linchpin of all future learning, it's time to disrupt an educational paradigm that hasn't shifted in 50 years . It's time to reinvent reading!

Remember, their brains are different from our brains. They don't think, speak, or learn like we do. Let's learn from their perspective so we can appreciate why " this may be difficult to read " ...

Genres: Nonfiction

254 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2022

Reviews

[BookTrib.com]

THIS MAY BE DIFFICULT TO READ by Claire N. Rubman, Ph.D breaks down myths about reading, separates fact from fiction and works to get parents and educators on the right course to to curb the crisis of functional illiteracy in children.

Read the full review on Booktrib.com

[Raluca Ferrari · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “This May Be Difficult to Read”, author Claire Rubman offers a novel strategy for educating children to read and fostering their love for books. Dr. Rubman presents a plethora of priceless insights and techniques for parents who are committed to supporting their children’s reading journey by drawing on her broad experience as a professor, parent, and cognitive developmental psychologist.
The book starts off by debunking popular and traditional myths and laying forth ten eye-opening truths about reading. Dr. Rubman establishes a strong foundation for the transformative journey that lies ahead through this exploration, which aids parents in comprehending the complexities of the reading process.
The emphasis on reading as your child reads and thinking as your child thinks is one of the book’s most notable aspects. Dr. Rubman walks parents through the difficulties and cognitive processes their encounter when learning to read. By adopting this viewpoint, parents are better able to comprehend their child’s experience and offer tailored help to promote reading success.
It is impressive that Dr. Rubman was able to mimic the cognitive pressure felt by reading-learning children. Parents are able to understand their child’s emotions and relatable instances. The yearning for change is ignited by this immersive experience, and it motivates parents to get involved in their children’s reading development.
The book then explores five crucial missing tactics for effective reading. Dr. Rubman’s knowledge is evident as she describes these tactics and offers suggestions and steps that parents can take to put them into practice. With these resources at their disposal, parents can confidently face the difficulties and create a welcoming reading environment that promotes their child’s development.
Dr. Rubman’s emphasis on fostering “a need to read” in the home is perhaps one of the book’s most engaging features. Parents can completely transform how they approach schooling by incorporating learning into everyday activities and transforming conversations into worthwhile reading experiences. Dr. Rubman urges parents to make reading a natural outcome of play and exploration as a departure from conventional educational paradigms.
My rating for this book is 5 out of 5. I enjoyed reading Dr. Rubman’s work because of how interesting and approachable it was. Although it is clear that she is an expert in the subject, she nonetheless manages to make difficult ideas relevant so that readers from diverse backgrounds can understand and use her advice. In addition, her commitment to changing the world via her teaching is evident on every page, making for an uplifting and motivating reading experience.
In conclusion, Claire Rubman’s books are a paradigm-shifting resource that gives parents the information, tools, and inspiration they need to support their children’s reading success. Any parent hoping to change their child’s reading trajectory must read this book because of Dr. Rubman’s experience and sympathetic style.

[Checkthebook · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book WAS difficult to read, but not for the reasons the author intended. This author argues in favor of the "whole language" approach to teaching reading. (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_l...) but does so by leaving a jumble of fish and grass strewn on the ground as she sets up her red herrings and straw man arguments against the opposing methods. She decries the "No Child Left Behind" Act which was ended by Obama in 2015. She mocks the "Reading First" initiative which never got its chance, then fizzled in 2008. Are these programs really our enemy now, in 2023? She mocks phonics but then conflates it with comprehension issues. She wants to make reading fun, but how can reading be fun if kids can't read?

According to the author, "de-emphasizing decoding is just the first step!" but as a reading teacher myself I would put it quite differently: Emphasizing decoding is just the first step. Because decoding was de-emphasized 30 years ago by the "whole language" method she promotes, millions of American children were - and continue to be - underserved. And if I may have my moment on the soapbox, I have always believed that the "whole language" method only works in a situation of privilege. While it may be fine in certain home schooling situations where the parents are bookish, many kids don't have those types of parents. (The author unconsciously alludes to this in a few places, such as, "Our goal here is to create a learning environment like the environment that exists around the family dinner table. This is where we can see evidence of a frank exchange of ideas in a risk-free, non-judgmental environment." p. 130. Lots of children don't have that dinner table or anything resembling it.) According to https://www.proliteracy.org/, Children of adults with low literacy skills are more likely to have a low reading level in school by 72%.

Before any of my followers swallow this book whole, I recommend you listen to the 6-part podcast by Emily Hanford, "Sold a Story" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast.... After you listen, then decide if you have the stomach for the whole of "whole" language.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting book! It shows just what goes into learning to read. When I was young and learned to read we were taught phonics. But we just didn't sound out words. We sat in reading groups and discussed the stories we were reading. I believe that really helped our learning. Today we are too concerned with test results. I hope teachers, schools, parents, and grandparents should read this book and implement changes.

I find reading one of life's pleasures. To be able to escape into another life for a brief period. Without being able to read we cannot make informed decisions and videos can lead us astray. When making videos you still need some context which reading gives you. I think this book is a start in helping children really learn to read. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to #booktrib and #ClaireNRubman for a copy of this book.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, enlightening and thought-provoking.

[David Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a chapter that was very political, besides that the rest of the book was insightful and full of amazing tips.

[Man of letters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This May Be Difficult to Read: But You Really Should (for your child's sake) by Claire N. Rubman is a book that challenges the traditional way of teaching children to read. Rubman, a psychologist and teacher, argues that the current focus on phonics is too narrow and does not take into account the full range of skills that children need to be successful readers. She proposes a more holistic approach that emphasizes comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development.

Rubman begins by providing an overview of the research on reading development. She discusses the different stages of reading acquisition and the factors that contribute to success. She then goes on to critique the current state of reading instruction in the United States. She argues that the focus on phonics has led to a narrowing of the curriculum and a decline in reading comprehension.

Rubman then offers her own alternative approach to reading instruction. She emphasizes the importance of providing children with a rich and stimulating environment that encourages them to explore language. She also advocates for using a variety of methods to teach reading, including phonics, whole language, and literature-based instruction.

Rubman's book is a well-argued and informative resource for parents, teachers, and anyone else who is interested in improving children's reading skills. She provides a clear and concise overview of the research on reading development and offers a thoughtful critique of the current state of reading instruction. Her alternative approach to reading instruction is both comprehensive and practical.

One of the strengths of Rubman's book is her use of personal anecdotes to illustrate her points. She shares stories from her own experience as a parent and teacher, as well as stories from the lives of her students. These stories help to bring the research to life and make it more relatable to the reader.

Another strength of Rubman's book is her focus on the importance of motivation. She argues that children are more likely to succeed in reading if they are motivated to learn. She provides a number of strategies for motivating children to read, such as making reading fun, providing choices, and setting realistic goals.

Overall, This May Be Difficult to Read is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, and anyone else who is interested in improving children's reading skills. Rubman's book is well-written, informative, and practical. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to help children become lifelong readers.