Beginning readers have different levels of proficiency, but many may follow a similar path as they learn new words and orthographic patterns. This may not be the case for those with the lowest levels of ability, so curriculum and instruction should take into account the needs of those who depend most on their in-school literacy experiences.
Teachers can help beginning readers master more than half of the 2,500 most frequently occurring word families by focusing on words they have already acquired in oral language and words with high concreteness ratings.
The Science of Reading shows research can be used to increase children’s reading proficiency.
Part 1 answers the question: Why is the orthography of English so important in learning to read (and critical for teachers of reading to understand)?
Part 2 provides insights from the science of reading on important aspects of a curriculum in reading acquisition.
Part 3 discusses how reading acquisition can be supported and what instructional activities can be delivered to a beginning reading class.
Part 4 is a review of the research on practices that we know do not promote reading acquisition.
With over 600,000 words in written English, which ones should English Language Arts teachers teach, and how?
Students have trouble learning and retaining lists of unconnected words. Teaching words in networks helps students form connections among the words, bolstering their understanding.
Reading is all about knowledge; it’s not just for practice. Students need the chance to read books and articles clustered around worthwhile content—topics like amazing creatures in the ocean and stories of kids who have done courageous things.
