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What does it take to become a strong reader?
Understanding what print is and the parts of a book.
Print Awareness-the understanding that print carries meaning and that in English it reads from left to right. It also means learning that books contain letters and words, have front and back covers, and are handled in a certain way.
Recognizing the sounds in spoken words. Phonological and phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language--including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest unit of sound (phoneme).
Connecting the sounds of speech with letters: Phonics - is a way to teach the alphabet (letter names and the sounds they make) - the idea that letters represent the sounds of spoken language and that there is a predictable relationship between letters and sounds.
Reading with accuracy and expression-Fluency is a child's ability to read a book or other text with accuracy, at a reasonable rate and with appropriate expression. A fluent reader doesn't have to stop and "decode" each word.
Vocabulary-is word knowledge-knowing what a word means. Ex: the word "door"-when a student heard the word "door" they would know what a "door" is and be able to go to a door and touch it.