Learning to read any written language involves learning what the symboms on the page represent.  Written English relies on the Latin alphabet to represent the sounds we make when we speak.  

This unit focuses on the last three components of Evidence/Scientifically Based Reading Research: Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Fluency.

This lesson presents principles and techniques for teaching new words and strategies for remembering them.

What are some words you have learned recently?  How did you learn these words?  Have you ever taken a course in vocabulary development or embarked on a program of self-study to improve your vocabulary?  What techniques did you use?  How effective was the program?  What might be the components of a vocabulary program for low-achieving reader? 

In a sense, these lessons are the core of the course.  For the most part, the previous lessons covered techniques for teaching the kinds of word-level skills and strategies that make comprehension possible or enhance it.  

These lessons present comprehension as an active process in which the reader constructs meaning.  When you are reading, what steps do you take to foster comprehension?  What are some of the reasons students might have difficulty comprehending?

Fluency means reading and writing effortlessly and efficiently.  Becoming fluent readers and writers is a developmental milestone.  Most students reach the fluent stage during third grade through a combination of explicit instruction and lots of authentic reading and writing.  This achievement is crucial because both readers and writers must be able to focus attention on meaning, not on decoding and spelling words.