5 Critical Areas of Reading Instruction

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Can you name the 5 critical areas of reading instruction?

In 2000, the National Reading Panel identified 5 foundational areas which should be the focus of reading instruction:

  • Phonemic Awareness
  • Phonics
  • Fluency
  • Vocabulary
  • Comprehension
The report asserted that sound reading instruction in each of these areas helps children decode words effectively, read fluently, and understand what they read (Shanahan, 2003).  According to the researchers, educators, and parents on the panel, explicit, systematic instruction in each of these areas prevents reading difficulties in young children.  From this report, the U.S. Federal government has established educational policies aimed at providing research-based practices for reading instruction.  Each area was found to play an important role in developing strategies and skills necessary for reading achievement.  

*Phonemic Awareness is the foundation of phonics.  It is the ability to understand that spoken words are made up individual sounds, or phonemes.  This awareness helps students isolate sounds, blend, segment, and manipulate sounds in spoken words.

*Phonics teaches students how to use knowledge of alphabetic principles and letter sounds to decode or spell words.  

*Vocabulary instruction can be taught directly or indirectly.  It is most effective when multiple strategies are used and the words are age appropriate.

*Fluency is necessary for comprehension and is best taught through guided instruction.  Students who read fluently are able to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression.  

*Comprehension occurs when a reader is able to connect ideas or concepts in a text to their own prior knowledge or experiences (ACE, 2021).

The panel concluded that skills associated with these 5 critical areas should not be taught in isolation.  Rather, they are all essential elements of an effective reading program.  

How are these areas included in your reading instruction?  
Leave your comments below!  

Mrs. Lang

References:

American College of Education. (2021) Strengthening literacy: Module 2 [Transcript]. Canvas. https://ace.edu

Ehri, L. C., Nunes, S. R.,  Willows, D. M., Schuster, B. V., Yaghoub-Zadeh, Z., & Shanahan, T. (2001). Phonemic awareness instruction helps children learn to read: Evidence from the national reading panel’s meta-analysis. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(3), 250–287.




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