Book Description

Why do children learning to read English take more than two years to attain basic literacy, while children learning to read phonetic languages such as Italian achieve the same level within a year? Why are the effects of dyslexia so much more limiting for readers of English than for those reading phonetic languages? Over 40% of people in English-speaking countries are functionally illiterate, and the implications of this startling figure extend beyond the individual. Health care costs of people with low literacy are significantly higher than those with high literacy. Studies have even revealed a link between low literacy and higher rates of imprisonment. The list of social impacts goes on. Readable English: Why learning to read English is so hard and how to make it easier is a compact book bursting with big ideas. It explains in simple terms just why the English language is so hard to learn to read. It also describes a revolutionary new system called Readable English, which draws on recent developments in neuroscience and brain plasticity to help everyone learn to read, write and speak English more easily. People who are interested in the English language or the science of reading will find this book interesting. Specifically, English language educators will be introduced to a new teaching method and parents of children learning to read, struggling with reading or learning English as a second language will find this book informative and helpful. The book includes the sound for each of the phonemes in English accompanied by videos and instructions for how to make each of the sounds. It also includes the videos used for teaching Readable English, such as videos that explain to students the complexities of the English language. The program is designed to convince students that any difficulties they face with reading aren’t their fault: the problems are the fault of the language, which Readable English ‘fixes’. Based on theory and data, I can recommend Readable English in the strongest possible terms. It has the potential to transform the teaching of English. Emeritus Professor John Sweller Educational psychologist and creator of cognitive load theory