Reading Rope

Dr. Hollis Scarborough created the reading rope to explain to parents. The rope metaphor shows skilled reading is like a rope woven of many strands. At the top are multiple Language Comprehension strands-background knowledge, vocabulary, grammar semantics, verbal reasoning and knowledge about literacy itself, for example how a book is organized and the difference between fiction and non-fiction, formal and informal writing, and a letter and an advertisement. At the bottom are some Word Recognition strands-awareness of the sound structure of words, the idea that letters of the alphabet represent sounds, knowledge of which letters/patterns correspond to which sounds, and recognition of familiar words. With practice, weaving the main lower, Word Recognition strand becomes more and more automatic, until it is done effortlessly and unconsciously. At the same time, language skill development, practice and life experience allows you to weave the upper strand in an increasingly strategic way. If any of the strands are weak or not tight enough, this affects the strength of the whole rope.