Reading comprehension hinges on the ability to understand what you read, and this skill relies on the interplay of several core principles. These principles work together to enable fluent and meaningful reading.
The core principles are:
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Phonemic Awareness: Understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes). This awareness is foundational for decoding written words.
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Phonics: Knowing the relationships between letters and sounds. This allows readers to sound out words and translate written symbols into spoken language.
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Fluency: Reading accurately, quickly, and with expression. Fluency allows readers to focus on the meaning of the text, rather than struggling with individual words.
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Vocabulary: Knowing the meaning of words. A strong vocabulary is essential for understanding the text's overall message.
These four principles are interdependent. For example, a student with strong phonemic awareness and phonics skills but a limited vocabulary will struggle to comprehend complex texts. Similarly, a student with a large vocabulary but poor phonics skills will have difficulty decoding unfamiliar words. Successfully integrating these principles leads to the ability to quickly understand words, sentences, and entire paragraphs.
