We are digging deep into Acton’s Learning Design. Last week, we looked into Maths. This week, we will investigate reading. Naturally, next week we will look into writing, as reading and writing are a tight pair of language skills that are essential to navigating the modern world.

First, let’s understand what is reading. Reading, technically, is translating a series of printed patterns into sounds, which we humans interpret as a language. But how about listening to an audiobook? Is that reading? How about videos? In this day and age, where one can access large amounts of audiobooks, podcasts, and knowledge through videos, one can say that reading is emerging into “information inputs” or communications. We might even have telepathy, augmented reality, and other bizarre forms of communications soon. With all the technology innovations, why bother about reading anyway?

Reading goes back to an ancient lineage of communication before any communication technology: language and words. Our forefathers connected through stories in a campfire. Traditions, culture, myths, and history were all done from one mouth to ears and repeated through many lifetimes. The printed word changed all that. Reading extends that campfire experience into multiple dimensions. Reading opens up to more people, and across time and geographical boundaries. Reading compared to other information inputs, exist at a natural pace of the reader. Reading, when skillfully gained, is still the most effective way to digest another person’s thoughts. Skilled speed readers can understand at thousands of words per minute, and scan through materials swiftly. However, with the clear advantages of reading and many years of literacy instructions in school, it’s rare to find capable and voracious readers. With no teachers in Acton, how does it reading instruction even work?

Before we look at reading, let’s investigate how language and reading get developed. Then, from there we link to the different stages of reading across Acton Academy studios, and eventually why we specifically focus on Deep Books at the older studios of Acton Academy.

Language Development in Early Childhood

Here are three charts that will spark your curiosity:

Mandarin Chinese phonetic discrimination. Source: adapted from Kuhl et al.

Source: Hart, B., & Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experiences of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

The first chart shows that the number of neuron connections peaks at one year old, with language connections peak between 6 to 12 months. The second chart shows that most basic language acquisition—the ability to the distinct type of sounds as language—work through conversations. And passive exposures (TV and audio) has limited impact. The third chart shows that language disparity, demonstrated in child expressed vocabulary starts at 18 months old. This graph further explains literacy rates at three years old and beyond, and it correlates all the way to adulthood. I highly recommend this talk about brain development in early childhood education.

https://youtu.be/0AmZeQMeQBk

The #1 message: take early childhood education seriously, because babies and toddlers are a sponge when it comes to language (and many other things). Even for children with impaired intelligence, most will still be able to gain the ability to communicate and express themselves with words. We, humans, have evolved with brains that have special wiring for language. And we seemed best to acquire language through conversations, despite all the advancement in learning technology and intervention programs. Conversations create a learning situation where a child relate sounds to the experiences around them, and it invites immediate feedback. If you are looking for high-quality child care, a staff who has an empathetic and conversational relationship with a child even during nappy change is a better sign than swanky premises.

“Hey darling, your diaper is wet so soon. You must have had lots of milk earlier didn’t you?”

There is something more fundamental about giving each thing and experience, like the diaper change case a name. This concept is deeply rooted in our culture. It is bringing order to chaos, and light into darkness. As Dr. Peterson puts it: “As soon as you give something a name, its nature changes.” Here’s a paragraph from the Biblical series: Genesis to put this idea into full context.

“And God separated the light from the darkness. God call the light day, and the darkness he called night.” And, again, the fact that things are named is also very important. You see this later with Adam, because God gives Adam the job of naming all the animals. It’s sort of like the animals don’t actually exist until they’re named. That’s another indication of the authors of the Bible attempting to come to terms with the fact that our cognitive faculties and our ability to speak have something to do with the way that we cast chaotic potential into actuality. We can’t really get a grip on something before we have a name for it, which is why, for example, you all have names. Everything that you encounter has to have a name, because before it has a name, it’s just part of the blurry background. You could say it exists before it has a name, and that’s true, but it’s also true that it doesn’t exist before it has a name. As soon as you give something a name, its nature changes. You’ve transformed it into something that’s not so much mere potential anymore. It’s, at least, on its way to being actuality, and to being a tool. And so the act of naming is repeated continually in the first chapters of the Bible. The reason for that is this continued emphasis on the importance of consciousness, conscious articulation, and speech.

We can explore articulation, speech, consciousness, and so on. But this blog is meant to be practical :)) So, how do your child develop rich language capability? It’s evident that having a conversation is the key. But what kind? Here are three tips:

Put it in your own words
Let your child make decisions (act the words out, and vice versa)
Use language that is as precise (as you can)

Imagine playing football with a toddler. The first thing you want to do is connect the words to action. You can ask: “What are you doing now?” or “What are you trying to do?”. Notice the nature of goal setting and intention here. The goal is for the child to use their own words to articulate the present (where they are, what they are doing, what’s happening around them) and the aimed future (what they want, and where they are going). It is them exercising autonomy, making decisions and expressing intentions, and doing it deliberately by putting it in words. You can even call it a visual form of mindfulness since it’s the practice of exercising their conscious minds to the present. You might use a limited version of “kick it to me, kick it to you” or even “kick kick kick.” Try imagining or drawing the actions based on the language used. Does it accurately represent what happened?

Now, try following a pro football presenter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJTzPTC-yR0

Is Peter Drury language rich or just full of expression that embodies the football culture? Well, good news, you don’t need to be like him. What you can certainly do, is to have language that distinguishes different actions. Dribbling, crossing, passing or even chipping, and only for that hard kick—call it kicking. Then, you add further descriptions, dribble to the right, left and so on. Now, try to imagine hearing the words and drawing what happened with a version with more accurate words. Is it closer to reality? Is it a more skillful way of using words? Soon, the child will eventually use what he hears.

A child’s navigation of the world with words is metaphysical: doing God’s work of naming things in Genesis.

Once a child has developed rich language, how does it translate into reading? I will share the way we do it at Acton. There is no teaching involved, except immersed through a series of structured activities that motivates them to read. Our goal is simple: create lifelong readers.

Ideally, a child starts having positive connections with books as a baby. It’s bonding time more than actually “reading.” It encourages the child to associate books as positive things. It creates a love of using books, respecting them, and keeping them in the right place.

But we don’t have baby studios, yet. So, let’s get straight into four years old, keeping mind that they have developed reasonable amounts of conversations and have some positive relationship with books. For all studios, there are two elements of reading:

Reading books, freely, with some recommendations at their level
Building reading skill through self-correcting programs

Here’s a table on how this works across the learning studios:

Studios	Reading books	Self-correcting programs	Reference
PS	Positive exposures to books Picture books, comic books, early readers. Storytelling. DEAR! (Drop Everything And Read)	Montessori materials	Born Reading
ES	Develop a love of reading, Go up the scales Readers, badge books, and anything they look. Usually age-appropriate for fiction, and skill-appropriate for non-fiction. DEAR! (Drop Everything And Read) Book reviews & recommendations	Lexia Reading ReadTheory (usually 9+)	Book Whisperer
MS and above	Becoming a reader Deep books, Classics (sample list). Book reviews	ReadTheory Newsela	How to Read a Book TJEd

Reading in Spark (Preschool) Studio

At 4 to 6 years old, we build interest in reading through attractive picture books first. Then, it is supported by Montessori tools that equip young Eagles to practice and make connections between letters & words and sounds.

Picture books are the best starting point of reading. The good ones have little words, but attractive illustrations and deep meaning that one can reread and discuss again, and again. The challenge during this period is patience. A child might read picture books and comic books for a few years, sometimes focusing only on one topic (I’m sure everyone has a story of a dinosaur obsessed boy) and well into the Elementary studio years—That’s OK. Eventually, a child will develop the curiosity to find a connection with words. When that happens, it is all about finding and sharing books that open the world to them. During the process, we build a community of book lovers. The young Eagles share the books they love and make it part of their daily life. The Guide does the same too.

https://youtu.be/IFiTQy8JIZY

Over time, we create a culture of young book lovers who share what they read. For the early years, it’s mostly choosing books that seem cool or have pretty pictures. Slowly but surely, young Eagles will pick up books with words. As they progress further, they might pick harder books. A guide’s role then is to equip the Eagle to navigate wisely, say using the five finger rule:

Self Correction using Montessori materials

The Montessori method introduces children to letters and sound through a series of repeating actions: using sandpaper letters, letter constructing blocks, and so on. There are also games that involve building alphabets and letters, such as “I spy…” and naming games. The “curriculum” takes a constructivist approach: connecting consonants & vowels and building them into relevant words, and more words into simple sentences. Like all Montessori tools, there are elements of self-correction to the design. Self-correction promotes mastery as the learner repeat the exercise until it finds the correct approach.

At the end of PS studio, Eagles can read and comprehend basic sentences, and form positive relationships with books.

Reading in Elementary Studio (ES)

The ES reading journey goes from being able to comprehend simple instructions to take a plunge at literacy classics (yes, Harry Potter is still very popular). Eagles start to do book reviews and recommendations, and they build the habits to form a community of young readers.

We can look at ES reading into three sections. Two are deliberate, and the third is the daily life of communication within the studio. The first deliberate action is reading that’s guided using online software; the second is badge books process, and third, is the fact that an Eagle digests a lot (of words) during their average day at Acton for many of their activities.

We use Lexia Reading and ReadTheory (for older ES Eagles) for online reading software. Similar to our Math online programs, we also explore other software but consistently found these two being the most suitable. Both Lexia and ReadTheory works based on short articles and quiz. Lexia has an engaging user interface, powerful analytics and they meet where the Eagles are.

But Lexia only goes up to Grade 5. So, we complement the higher grades with ReadTheory, which has interesting articles but not attractive animations.

Eagles are free to read. However, they progress through their choice of Badge Books. A Badge Book is considered any book that is in your challenge zone and more challenging than the last book read. To earn the Badge Book Badge, an Eagle reads the book, then writes a review answering the three Great Questions:

Who was your favorite character (and why)?
What surprised you?
Would you change the ending? Why/why not?
Etc.

The aim is to encourage good books from one Eagle to the next, and challenge Eagles to take on books that are slightly higher than their current ability in an enjoyable way. Challenging might not be about the increasing level of language difficulty. It can mean trying different genres (that might seem challenging at first) or reading a book that brings a different (and challenging) perspective.

4,000 books and it’s actually not enough.

Finally, the nature of the learner-driven studios requires plenty of written communications. The Guide (and Eagle leaders too) minimize announcements as much as possible. Instead, the studio uses communication tools such as schedules, townhall meeting notes, instructions of challenges, writing appeal letters against Eagle Bucks, and so on, to allow due process and governance.

Reading in Middle Studio (MS)

We have strict admission requirements at the Middle studio. All Eagles go through a 40+ hour Onboarding Quest, and most of them enter with a reading level of Grade 6 to 7 and above. Those who are on Grade 5 will struggle through the amount and level of materials given. We accept them if they are willing to commit and have families have shown an exceptional will to support their child, and are aligned in Acton’s philosophy—encouraging their child to be responsible for their growth and learning. The reason: rigor.

The MS take the same approach as the ES in learning structure, but there is far more rigor and seriousness in their work. ActonKL Eagles who have taken ReadTheory at heart progress 2 to 3 grades a year and few have approached Grade 10 & 11, or 3 to 5 years ahead of their age. But this is the easier part of Acton’s reading programs.

The more challenging part of reading in MS and beyond is Deep Book. One can see Deep Books as an extension of ES’s Badge Books program. Deep Books are books that studio-mates agree that they are “life-changing, or “world changing.” Also, same as Badge Books, each Deep Book selected need to be at least as challenging than the previous one. Here’s a sample list. The Deep Books follow a process of pitching, reading, and review. Our MS Eagles find Deep Books challenging, as not all of them came with the love of reading or have strong reading habits. Many struggled with the review due to poor reading habits. They did not go through the training as the ES did. So, it is often an uphill battle for the first four to six Deep Books. The badge plan is to read at least four Deep Books each year, and many managed only one or two during the first year.

Guides empathize the challenges. We created visual tracking tools and HowTo tools based on Adler and Mortimer’s classic How to Read a Book. But the process of choosing the right book and convincing his tribe that it is a Deep Book belongs to the Eagles. The goal, like all the other studio, is to create a community of readers who a reading both for pleasure and as Adler puts it: “growth of the mind,” fuller experience as a conscious being.

What happens after Deep Books? The Deep Book, at a more advanced stage, has many similarities as the Great Books and Thomas Jefferson Education curriculum. You might wonder, why read Great Books / Classics? Why not modern contemporary books? The Classics survived the evolution of ideas and were vital in defining our current cultural heritage. Reading them is the only way to appreciate the original ideas and concepts from the first authors.

What can parents do?

Freakonomics Chapter 5 says that “having many books in the home” can help a child’s test scores, while “parents reading to children every day” seems to have no effect. The same applies to intervention program such as Head Start. Here’s their conclusion: it might have nothing to do with what you do, but everything to do with who you are already. But who you are, depends on what you do on yourself. So, here are two suggestions:

Reading for leisure
If you grew up in a family who reads a lot at home. The chances are that you are reading plenty, and your children reading well too. If you hardly read, you can start picking up books. You can take the similar approach as the Eagles, carve out time (think D.E.A.R!), choose books that are enjoyable first (instead of “reading because I need it”). Make a few books your friend, and see how it goes! For the simplest tip in reading: Read a page or two. Pause, and recall it in your own words. You will be surprised how much you will integrate the book in your life :))
Get a feel of Online Adaptive Program
Carve out 25 minutes, and take a pretest ReadTheory.org and perhaps a few quizzes. Reflect how your Eagle will be learning using this method.

Thank you for reading through the extended piece on Reading at ActonKL. Reading brings all of us to a much bigger campfire: “I know from personal experience that readers lead richer lives, more lives, than those who don’t read.” ― Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer.

Now, to the Weekly Updates!

Updates!

Spark (Preschool / PS) Studio

Mr. Aaron introduced another element of self-governance systems in the PS studio. After every activity, there is a reflection of the number of stars, from one to three. One is not so good, and three being “awesome”! The idea is to observe patterns and reflect anything young Eagles can do better at the end of the day.

In Free Play, there is the emergence of different games in islands, using chairs, bean bags to define particular space. The socialization is dynamic; it can be girls and boys and mixed the next day. In general, the games are becoming more complex, both in the sophistication of interactions and narrative. Often, the games are a simulation of the adult world: Christmas meals, market transactions, various transports, etc. These play interactions are the foundation of PS studio; it’s children’s natural ground to learn how to manage boundaries, deal with conflicts, exercise creativity, and grow up (a.k.a. copy adults). Oh, and the outdoor space added a new toy: goal posts!

Elementary Studio (ES)

Vega and Apsie lead this week’s Growing Curiosity project—it’s all about magic tricks! They created online instructions, by pre-recording videos so that Eagles can move at their own pace.

On Friday, Auntie Dyani, an experienced Speech therapist and one of Acton parents, did a session on Social skills. The first topic was about valuing myself and being a Best Friend to myself. The Eagles had to think about a character that they appreciated about themselves, for example: being a good friend, caring, honest, work hard, team player, etc. Thank you, Auntie Dyani, for the kind lessons and insights.

The highlight of the week was Thursday’s football. We finally found football coaches! Arvind and Ram taught the basics of football, and the Eagles were so glued in that they chose training over water breaks!

Oh, the Pomodoro method is still going strong, and it aided as a reflection tool to their weekly Challenge Donut reflection. And the Eagles now conduct their own “Caught Ya!” Grammar workshop.

If you wonder what the primary role of a Guide is? It is never to teach. It is to be a game maker of the weekly challenges, with the goal of equipping and having Eagles practicing these learning tools so that the Guides can continue to step back and allow the studio to upgrade itself in independence and maximize learning.

Middle Studio (MS)

After last week’s tribe-building Quest, they enter the second stage of tribe-building—drafting contracts. Also, the MS Eagles started the Friendship mini Quest. The idea is to explore their views of friendship and develop a Friendship strategy in three weeks. It begins with questions like:

Who are my friends?
What does friendship mean to me?
If I had an ideal friend, I’d want him or her to….

The writing Genre reflects deep reflection about the one thing that meant so much to our teenage Eagles but rarely address in any education or learning setting. At the end of the week, they shared their learnings with the tribe with mind maps.

Revisiting Contracts, Strike Process, and other Accountability processes

Friendship drives lots of things, probably influence many of your life choices more than you think!

The Biggest Puzzle of All

Friendships, magic tricks, games, feelings, and so on; Every Eagle (and likely us adults too) regardless of age are solving a big puzzle called life. It’s best to engage in life together, with solid friendships in a learner-driven community called Acton.