Literacy

Below you will find short explanations of the areas of focus within reading literacy.  These areas have been listed in the order of progression that we would typically find with student development.  That is to say, if you are noticing your student struggling with fluency and with phonemic awareness then it would be in your best interest to make the phonemic awareness your primary objective. 

Reading

Letter Identification

Learning to identify letters is obviously paramount for students learning to read.  The challenge is keeping students interested until the reach automatically. 

Phonemic Awareness

This refers to the students ability to hear and distinguish sounds.  This is not the same as phonics and thus will require a different instructional tactic for those students who are struggling.  Research has shown that a child's awareness of the sounds of spoken words is a strong predictor in their later success as a reader.

Phonics

Once the student has mastered letter identification and has the ability to distinguish sounds they are ready to move on to learning  the corresponding sounds letters have and how those letter patterns change the sounds. 

Sight Words

Sight words are the words, typically dictated by the district, that are regarded as some of the most frequently occurring words in the written language and that students need to have mastered fluently.

Fluency

Fluency is the ability to read accurately, quickly and with expression.  Fluent readers have a lesser cognitive load when reading allowing for greater focus on word meaning and syntax. 

Comprehension

Comprehension is the students ability to read text, process it's meaning and understand it. 

Vocabulary

This refers to students ability to understand terms that extend beyond basic interpersonal communication skills.  Often an area of focus for English Language Learners, extending a student's cognitive academic language (in speaking, listening and reading) will increase their ability to understand academic text.