Five Essential Components of Reading
Under Reading First (Title I, Part B, Subpart 1), district and school reading programs for K-3 students must include instruction, curriculum, and assessment on:
- PHONEMIC AWARENESS—The knowledge and manipulation of sounds in spoken words.
- PHONICS—The relationship between written and spoken letters and sounds.
- READING FLUENCY, INCLUDING ORAL READING SKILLS—The ability to read with accuracy, and with appropriate rate, expression, and phrasing.
- VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT—The knowledge of words, their definitions, and context.
- READING
COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES—The
understanding of meaning in text.
 | Must
be based on scientifically based research. |
| Must
include classroom-based screening, and instructional and diagnostic
reading assessments. |
| Should provide ongoing, high-quality professional development focused on essential elements of reading. |
Under Reading First, school
and district reading programs for K-3 students also can focus on:
 | Building
students’ motivation to read. |
| Integrating
technology into students’
opportunities to learn to read. |