Rate at which a person can read connected discourse with full comprehension. Reading Speed is classified as a mixed measure of Gs (Broad cognitive Speed) and Grw in a hierarchical speed model.
• Reading Speed (RS), The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Model of Intelligence v2.2
Students’ enjoyment of reading, motivation to master tasks and self-efficacy in particular were highly associated with achievement.
• OECD Skills Outlook 2021
The OECD Skills Outlook 2021, published on June 15 of this year, discusses the means by which a zest for lifelong learning can be sparked and maintained. This comprehensive report sheds light on the attitudinal and environmental factors which give rise to a spirit of lifelong learning along with the kinds of skills which will be disruption-proof.
It references OECD data of learners across age groups from sources such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Programme for the International Assessment for Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
It begins with the premise that “Lifelong learning is key if individuals are to succeed in labour markets …” and that “Fast evolving technology has changed the nature of the skills required and rewarded in the labour market”. Though purely labour-market oriented education policy has been characterised as “utilitarian” and as a “vocational approach to curricular and pedagogy, viewing students not as citizens but as future earners” (Fabbian & Carney, 2021) Skills Outlook 2021 also makes reference to personal lives and the society at large.
The following are three key takeaways from this report.
First, the report underscores the importance of cultivating a reading habit from young. It states, citing research on attributes of lifelong learners, that, “satisfaction students obtain from learning and reading (enjoyment of reading)” is a general attribute which “if maintained throughout adulthood, can produce life-long benefits”. It adds the following:
• Reading has been shown to be more important than having a parent with a higher- education degree.
• Reading promotes a self-sufficient approach to learning.
• Students who enjoy reading develop greater comprehension, writing ability and general knowledge.
• Enjoyment of reading is strongly associated with personal development.
• Enjoyment of reading is the strongest determinant of how well a student performs academically.
It should be noted that the report specifically refers not to the amount of reading done but to the level of enjoyment derived. Enjoyment has to do with intrinsic motivation. This means students have to decide on their own goals or have no specific goal in mind when reading. While it may appear like open-ended comprehension and literary response exercises set predetermined paths to navigate texts rather than extend an opportunity to explore uncharted terrain, the questions set actually train students to engage meaningfully with texts. Hitherto, the approach has been to provide the questions to stimulate thinking and engagement and this is a meritorious approach because it allows a child to see further than if left to her own devices.
At the same time, to foster the joy of learning, intrinsic motivation and a general sense of enjoyment, students could be asked to come up with their own questions in response to a text. Different people can read the same text and draw very different lessons. The lessons drawn would turn in no small part on the questions asked. Given that the questions we ask depend on our individual motivations, personal context and life experiences, devolving control over questions may well increase reading pleasure.
Second, the report speaks in detail of the importance of parental involvement in students’ learning. Unsurprisingly, data from the 2018 parental questionnaire, reveals a “close relationship between their own involvement in reading books to their child during the first year of primary school and the child’s enjoyment of reading at 15.” Indeed, a parent reading to a child with warmth and affection is priceless.
The data also shows a strong association between parents who provide emotional support to their children throughout the school years including adolescence and lifelong learning attitudes. Speaking of adolescence, the report explains that certain years are crucial because they are transition years where a student experiences several changes. Such transition years could be 12-13 and 16-17 (PISA data is on 15-year-olds). It recommends that parents encourage their children to be confident in the face of difficulty because there is strong evidence that such encouragement boosts naturally, a child’s “self-efficacy, motivation to master tasks and a sense of belonging to the school community”. Indeed, as psychologists would attest, there is no power as miraculous as a parent’s unconditional acceptance and unwavering belief in a child’s potential. Far from being romanticisation, this is science. A child who is accepted wholly would accept him or herself. This is what saves from a lifetime of heartache. There are other scientific ways to increase self-acceptance such as inner resourcing.
The following are other ways parents can support their children, as stated in the report:
• Maintaining a firm stance on learning and mastering tasks
• Supporting educational successes
• Celebrating good grades
Apart from what most parents are already doing in terms of home school partnership and homework supervision, the report also specifies that parents could talk to their children, “discussing political and social issues, going to bookstores or libraries, or questioning their children on what they read for their own pleasure”.
The final takeaway and by no means the only other insight from this report, is that there should be a focus on “transversal skills”. These are, “not specifically related to a job, task, academic discipline or area of knowledge … and can be used in a wide variety of situations and work settings” (UNESCO, 2013 as cited in Skills Outlook 2021).
Such skills include, communication, teamwork, organisational ability, analytical ability irrespective of prior knowledge otherwise known as fluid intelligence (Cattel, 1963 as cited in Skills Outlook, 2021), problem solving ability, leadership skills, presentation skills and digital skills.
The report notes that teamwork, organisational ability and communication skills were “not associated with positive wage or employment returns” and that these were base requirements for the job market. Cognitive skills, decision-making and leadership were linked to higher pay but the report noted that such job openings could be fewer. Employment prospects aside, cognitive skills such as problem solving, decision-making and leadership are life skills applicable across contexts.
A common thread that runs through all three key takeaways is the ability to ask the right questions. Deep and enjoyable interaction with texts would arise from the reader asking questions of the text. Positive parental involvement might entail asking the right questions of children, for instance, how can we do better and what do you think about this. Problem solving and fluid intelligence would also require probing for understanding.
How well children do in the 21st century might depend on the questions asked of them, the questions they ask themselves, the questions they ask others and of situations they may face.
A good answer needs the right question.
The Brain Dojo
