Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is

• the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds – phonemes – in spoken words

Phonemic awareness is important because

• it improves children’s word reading and reading comprehension.
• it helps children learn to spell.

Phonemic awareness can be developed through a number of activities, including asking children to

• identify phonemes,
• categorize phonemes,
• blend phonemes to form words,
• segment words into phonemes,
• delete or add phonemes to form new words, and
• substitute phonemes to make new words.

Phonemic awareness instruction is most effective

• when children are taught to manipulate phonemes by using the letters of the alphabet.
• when instruction focuses on only one or two rather than several types of phoneme manipulation.

Phonics

Phonics instruction

• helps children learn the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language.

Phonics instruction is important because

• it leads to an understanding of the alphabetic principle – the systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds.

Programs of phonics instruction are effective when they are

• systematic – the plan of instruction includes a carefully selected set of letter-sound relationships that are organized into a logical sequence.
• explicit – the programs provide teachers with precise directions for the teaching of these relationships.

Effective phonics programs provide

• ample opportunities for children to apply what they are learning about letters and sounds to the reading of words, sentences and stories.

Systematic and explicit phonics instruction

• significantly improves children’s word recognition, spelling, and reading comprehension.
• is most effective when it begins in kindergarten or first grade.

Fluency

Fluency is

• the ability to read a text accurately and quickly.

Fluency is important because

• it frees students to understand what they read.

Reading fluency can be developed

• by modeling fluent reading.
• by having students engage in repeated oral reading.

Monitoring student progress in reading fluency

• is useful in evaluating instruction and setting instructional goals.
• can be motivating to students.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary refers to

• the words we must know to communicate effectively.

• Oral vocabulary refers to words that we use in speaking or recognize in listening.

• Reading vocabulary refers to words we recognize or use in print.

Vocabulary is important because

• beginning readers use their oral vocabulary to make sense of the words they see in print.
• readers must know what most of the words mean before they can understand what they are reading.

Vocabulary can be developed

• indirectly, when students engage daily in oral language, listen to adults read to them, and read extensively on their own.
• directly, when students are explicitly taught both individual words and word learning strategies.

Comprehension

Text comprehension is important because

• Comprehension is the reason for reading.

Text comprehension is

• purposeful.
• active.

Text comprehension can be developed

• by teaching comprehension strategies.

Text comprehension strategies can be taught

• through explicit instruction.
• through cooperative learning.
• by helping readers use strategies flexibly and in combination.