The visual activity of reading activates the visual cortex in the back of the brain. Currently in the CI movement, reading is done far too much in level 1 classes, with the result that CI is floundering.
It is because the way the brain functions to acquire language depends on huge amounts of auditory input before reading can happen. Listening precedes reading in language acquisition. Focusing heavily on reading to provide CI in level 1 classes – which describes what CI is doing now with those overvalued little novels – is wrong.
Shouldn’t the focus of level 1 classes be to provide input to comprehensible to the area around the ears first? Shouldn’t the students be listening all the time, or as much as possible with limited amounts of reading happening in level 1 classes? That is the way the StarChart™ is designed, because it aligns with and reflects the research.
In the CI world, reading – a visual activity – has to a large extent taken over the most important daily activities of ilistening in level 1 classes. Auditory input is FAR MORE IMPORTANT in level 1 than visual input/reading. Those dumb little novels are largely to blame.
