Over the past 50 years, we've gained a lot of insights about how kids learn to read. Thanks to the work of neuroscientists, psychologists, linguists, speech pathologists, teachers, and other experts, we've made big strides in understanding the reading process. Here are the ten key takaways..
Of course, it's impossible to cover all the details and nuances of thousands of studies in just ten points, but Dr. Reid Lyon does it well. Here is what we know:
Almost all children learn to speak naturally; reading and writing must be taught.
Literacy begins at birth. It is rooted in early social interactions and experiences that include regular exposure to oral language and print. Strong roots tend to produce stronger readers.
All good readers are good decoders. Decoding should be taught until children can accurately and independently read new words. Decoding depends on phonemic awareness: a child's ability to identify individual speech sounds. Decoding is the on-ramp for word recognition.
Fluent readers can instantly and accurately recognize most words in a text. They can read with expression and at an appropriate rate for their age. Reading fluency requires comprehension AND it supports comprehension.
Comprehension—the goal of reading—draws on multiple skills and strengths, including a solid foundation of vocabulary and background knowledge.
One size does not fit all: use student data to differentiate your instruction.
Direct, systematic instruction helps students develop the skills they need to become strong readers. Indirect, three-cueing instruction is unpredictable in its impact on word reading and leaves too much to chance.
These maxims apply to English Learners/Emergent Bilinguals, who often need extra support to bolster their oral language as they learn to read and write in a new language.
We should support students who speak languages or dialects other than General American English at home, by honoring their home language and by giving them expanded opportunities to engage with General American English text.
To become good readers and writers, students need to integrate many skills that are built over time.
The main takeaway is this: learning to read is a complex process that involves many skills, knowledge areas, and abilities. Each is important, but no single one is enough on its own.
Ready to bring these research-backed insights into your classroom? Explore my phonics resources, designed to support decoding and fluency, that provide purposeful practice. Always 100% UFLI-aligned. Let’s help every child unlock the joy of reading.
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