The Big 5 Components of Reading

Phonemic Awareness  This involves recognizing and using individual sounds to create words.  Children need to be taught to hear sounds in words and that words are made up of phonemes; the smallest parts of sound.  Word segmenting and blending activities provide phonemic awareness instruction and practice.

Phonics  It is understanding the relationship between written letters and spoken sounds.  Children need to be taught the sounds that individual letters and groups of letters, make.  Knowing the relationship between letters and sounds help children “decode” words.  Word building activities, Decodable Readers, Phonics Songs and Rhymes Chart, provide phonics instruction and practice.  Weekly word reading checks assess students’ phonics skills.

Fluency  It is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly.  Children must learn to read words rapidly and accurately in order to understand what is read.  Fluent readers read with expression.  Re-reading of texts, timed passages, and “Fresh Reads” are part of Scott Foresman fluency instruction and assessment.

Vocabulary Development  It is learning the meaning and pronunciation of words.  This knowledge helps the reader make sense of text, therefore, enhancing their comprehension of it.  “Amazing Words,” “Sing With Me” charts, Selection Tests, and Unit Tests, are used to teach/assess vocabulary development.

Comprehension Strategies  Are the steps good readers use to make sure they understand text.  Students who are in control of their own reading comprehension, become purposeful, active readers.  Stories on C.D., Leveled Readers, “Fresh Reads,” Selection Tests, Unit Tests, and Workbook pages provide on-going practice/assessment of comprehension strategies.