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A short video defining and explaining the components of reading.

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Phonemic Awareness Activities: Silly tongue twisters

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Phonemic Awareness Activities: Silly tongue twisters

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Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue twisters. These help your students become sensitive to the sounds in words.

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Clapping syllables consist of students clapping to the syllables of each word as a classroom to enhance their phonemic awareness.

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Phonics instruction teaches the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language. To read, children need to understand the alphabetic principle - the idea that letters represent the sounds of spoken language. Decoding is when we use letter-sound relationships to translate a printed word into speech.

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Phonological skill develops in a predictable progression. This concept is important, as it provides the basis for sequencing teaching tasks from easy to more difficult. Table 1 outlines the relative difficulty of phonological awareness tasks. Table 2 is a more specific synthesis of several research reviews and summaries (Adams et al., 1998; Gillon, 2004; Goswami, 2000; Paulson, 2004; Rath, 2001) that ties specific ages to the typical accomplishment of those phonological awareness tasks.

Prerequisite to phonological awareness is basic listening skill; the acquisition of a several-thousand word vocabulary; the ability to imitate and produce basic sentence structures; and the use of language to express needs, react to others, comment on experience, and understand what others intend.

Table 1. Phonological skills, from most basic to advanced

Word awareness

Tracking the words in sentences.

Note: This semantic language skill is much less directly predictive of reading than the skills that follow and less important to teach directly (Gillon, 2004). It is not so much a phonological skill as a semantic (meaning-based) language skill.

Responsiveness to rhyme and alliteration during word play

Enjoying and reciting learned rhyming words or alliterative phrases in familiar storybooks or nursery rhymes.

Syllable awareness

Counting, tapping, blending, or segmenting a word into syllables.

Onset and rime manipulation

The ability to produce a rhyming word depends on understanding that rhyming words have the same rime. Recognizing a rhyme is much easier than producing a rhyme.

Phoneme awareness

Identify and match the initial sounds in words, then the final and middle sounds (e.g., "Which picture begins with /m/?"; "Find another picture that ends in /r/").

Segment and produce the initial sound, then the final and middle sounds (e.g., "What sound does zoo start with?"; "Say the last sound in milk"; "Say the vowel sound in rope ").

Blend sounds into words (e.g., "Listen: /f/ /ē/ /t/. Say it fast").

Segment the phonemes in two- or three-sound words, moving to four- and five- sound words as the student becomes proficient (e.g., "The word is eyes. Stretch and say the sounds: /ī/ /z/").

Manipulate phonemes by removing, adding, or substituting sounds (e.g., "Say smoke without the /m/").

Table 2. Ages at which 80-90 percent of typical students have achieved a phonological skill

4

Rote imitation and enjoyment of rhyme and alliteration

pool, drool, tool
"Seven silly snakes sang songs seriously."

5

Rhyme recognition, odd word out

"Which two words rhyme:
stair, steel, chair?"

Recognition of phonemic changes in words

" Hickory Dickory Clock. That's not right!"

Clapping, counting syllables

5½

Distinguishing and remembering separate phonemes in a series

Show sequences of single phonemes with colored blocks: /s/ /s/ /f/; /z/ /sh/ /z/.

Producing a rhyme

"Tell me a word that rhymes with car." ( star)

Matching initial sounds; isolating an initial sound

"Say the first sound in ride (/r/); sock (/s/); love (/l/)."

6

Compound word deletion

"Say cowboy. Say it again, but don't say cow."

Syllable deletion

"Say parsnip. Say it again, but don't say par."

Phoneme segmentation of words that have simple syllables with two or three phonemes (no blends)

"Say the word as you move a chip for each sound."

6½

Phoneme segmentation of words that have up to three or four phonemes (include blends)

"Say the word slowly while you tap the sounds."

Phoneme substitution to build new words that have simple syllables (no blends)

"Change the /j/ in cage to /n/.
Change the /ā/ in cane to /ō/."

7

Sound deletion (initial and final positions)

"Say meat. Say it again, without the /m/."
"Say safe. Say it again, without the /f/."

8

Sound deletion (initial position, include blends)

"Say prank. Say it again, without the /p/."

9

Sound deletion (medial and final blend positions)

"Say snail. Say it again, without the /n/."
"Say fork. Say it again, without the /k/."

Paulson (2004) confirmed the hierarchy of phonological skill acquisition in 5-year-olds entering kindergarten. Only 7 percent of 5-year-olds who had not yet had kindergarten could segment phonemes in spoken words. The production of rhymes was more difficult for 5-year-olds than commonly assumed, as only 61 percent could give a rhyming word for a stimulus. Only 29 percent could blend single phonemes into whole words. Although some young students will pick up these skills with relative ease during the kindergarten year - especially if the curriculum includes explicit activities - other students must be taught these metalinguistic skills directly and systematically.

Moats, L, & Tolman, C (2009). Excerpted from Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS): The Speech Sounds of English: Phonetics, Phonology, and Phoneme Awareness (Module 2). Boston: Sopris West.

For more information on Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) visit Voyager Sopris .

For any reprint requests, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Basic listening skills and "word awareness" are critical precursors to phonological awareness. Learn the milestones for acquiring phonological skills.

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Resources for enhancing Phonological Skills

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Resources for enhancing Phonological Skills

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Cracking the Phonics Code for Reading & Writing

No more "It just is....It just does....You just have to remember...."
"I see a Secret in that word!"
Expect to hear this on a daily basis, as anywhere there is text, there will be Secrets....and kids love finding them!

These "grown-up" reading and writing Secrets explain WHY letters make the many different sounds that they do when they get together in words, in a way that kids can easily understand.

In these simple phonics stories, letters behave like kids, which makes their sounds easily predictable, even for kindergartners.

These "secret" stories provide the logical explanations for letter sound behavior that kids' brains crave, so parents don't have to always tell them, "It just is....It just does....You just have to remember...."
(Learn more here)

For example, knowing the "secret" about why /t/ and /h/ are not allowed to sit together in words (because they always stick their tongues out at each other and say, "thhhhhhh!") is as easy for kids to remember as the behaviors of kids in their own class.

Once they know the Secret, they can immediately start using it to read and spell words. So, the next time they spot /th/, whether it's in a bedtime story or on a road sign, ask if they remember its Secret. (And if they need a little reminder, just show them the picture below! :-)

The more Secrets your child knows, the more words they will be able to read and spell.

Decoding and Encoding Words

"Is there a Secret in that word?"

Anytime your child is stuck on a word they cannot read or spell, ask them if there's a Secret in it!

If stuck on a word when READING, ask if they SEE any Secrets they know.
If stuck on SPELLING/WRITING a word, ask if they HEAR any Secret sounds in it.

Note that when writing, it's okay if your child picks the right Secret, but the wrong spelling option, as many Secrets have multiple spellings. This is normal for learners with limited text experience. (Learn more here)

Sight words also have Secrets, which means that most of the time, they can be easily sounded out and don't have to be memorized. (Learn more here.)

With really tricky words, your kids can use the Secrets they know to be word doctors, and here are some simple tricks to help them. This process is made easier in the classroom where kids have access to all of the Secret Stories® posters on the wall to help them recall the sounds (for reading) and spelling patterns (for writing).

If your child's teacher sent home a Porta-Pic, they should be referring to it whenever they are reading and writing. They are provide smaller versions of the Secret Stories® posters that students would typically reference on the classroom wall. Once they've learned the Secrets, kids can independently access the sounds they need for reading OR the spellings they need for writing, just by looking at the pictures. (Note that Porta-Pics do not contain the copy written stories or any teaching information, as they are intended only for student reference.)

Because the Secret Stories® text and graphics are copy written and trademarked, your child's teacher cannot make copies of them to send home. However, your child can still use the Secret strategies they've learned to help them read and write at home. They just might need some additional reminders to "look" and "listen" for the Secrets they know. Learn more by watching the video below.

Parent/Home Kits, Flashcards and the Remote Learning "Bundle" Pack are also available, and have been designed specifically for teaching (and using) the Secret Stories® at home. Ideally, these would be used for all "at-home" reading and writing, so as to learn more Secrets, faster. Learn more here.

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Phonics Resources for Parents | The Secret Stories

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Support your child's reading, writing and spelling instruction at home with Secret Stories® phonics resources for parents.

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Resources for enhancing Phonological Skills 

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Resources for enhancing Phonological Skills 

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This toolkit helps teachers and families understand what the alphabetic principle and phonics are and how to support a child’s development of these important reading skills.

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That's a complicated sounding term, but it's meaning is simple: the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds in spoken language. Phonological awareness is really a group of skills that include a child's ability to:

Identify words that rhyme

Count the number of syllables in a name

Recognize alliteration (words with the same beginning sound)

Segment (break) a sentence into words

Identify the syllables in a word

The most sophisticated phonological awareness skill (and the last to develop) is called phonemic awareness - the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. When playing with the sounds in word, children learn to:

Blend individual sounds to make a word

Stretch out a word into its individual sounds

Swap in a different sound to the beginning, middle, or end of a word to make a new word

Strong phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of later reading success. Children who struggle with reading, including kids with dyslexia, often have trouble with phonemic awareness, but with the right kind of instruction they can be successful. Learn some of the warning signs for dyslexia in this article, Clues to Dyslexia in Early Childhood.

Parents can make a big difference in helping their children become readers by practicing these pre-reading oral skills at home. Try some of the simple rhyming and word sound games described here.

Try these speech sound activities at home

Rhyme time

"I am thinking of an animal that rhymes with big. What's the animal?" Answer: pig. What else rhymes with big? ( dig, fig, wig)

Road trip rhymes

While you're out driving in the car, spot something out the window and ask your child, "what rhymes with tree or car or shop?" Then switch roles and have your child spot something and ask you for a rhyme. This can turn into a game of nonsense rhymes ("What rhymes with tree stump?") but that's great for practicing sounds, too!

Word families

Word families are sets of words that rhyme. Start to build your family by giving your child the first word, for example, cat. Then ask your child to name all the "kids" in the cat family, such as: bat, fat, sat, rat, pat, mat, hat, flat. This will help your child hear patterns in words.

Silly tongue twisters

Sing songs and say silly tongue twisters. These help your child become sensitive to the sounds in words.

Tongue ticklers

Alliteration or "tongue ticklers" - where the sound you're focusing on is repeated over and over again - can be a fun way to provide practice with a speech sound. Try these:

For M: Miss Mouse makes marvelous meatballs!

For S: Silly Sally sings songs about snakes and snails.

For F: Freddy finds fireflies with a flashlight.

Syllable shopping

While at the grocery store, have your child tell you the syllables in different food names. Have them hold up a finger for each word part. Eggplant = egg-plant, two syllables. Pineapple = pine-ap-ple, three syllables. Show your child the sign for each and ask her to say the word.

"I spy" first sounds

Practice beginning sounds with this simple "I spy" game at home, on a walk, or at the grocery store. Choose words with distinctive, easy-to-hear beginning sounds. For example, if you're in the bathroom you can say, "I spy something red that starts with the "s" ssss sound ( soap)."

Sound scavenger hunt

Choose a letter sound, then have your child find things around your house that start with the same sound. "Can you find something in our house that starts with the letter "p" pppppp sound? Picture, pencil, pear "

Which letter sounds do I teach first?

Reading expert Linda Farrell recommends that you begin with teaching the letter names, and then focus on the letter sounds that are closest to their letter names (such as /v/). And here's a great tip for teaching the trickier letter name-letter sound combinations - use arm motions. In this video, Linda demonstrates motions for /x/ and /y/. (From our video series Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading.)

Sound games

Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Hold each sound longer than normal.

First sounds

When you're reading together with your child, pick a word from the book and say it with emphasis on the first sound. Pick another word and compare them. "Zzz-zookeeper and rrr-rhinoceros. Can you hear what sound zzz-zookeeper starts with? Is it the same as rrr-rhinoceros?

Jump, skip, hop!

Create simple picture cards that you draw or cut out of magazines. Have your child, identify what's in the picture, and then break that word into its individual sounds. For example dog is d-o-g, three sounds (phonemes). Three sounds? You and your child do three jumping jacks, skips, or hops (followed by a high-five). You can also do this game outdoors without the cards, just call out simple words for your child.

Snail talk

Tell your child you're going to communicate in "snail talk" and they need to figure out what you're saying. Take a simple word and stretch it out very slowly (e.g., /fffffllllaaaag/), then ask your child to tell you the word. Switch roles and have your child stretch out a word for you.

"I spy" blending

Here's an easy phoneme blending game you can play while talking a walk. For blending, you can say, "I see a sign that says s-t-o-p" Then your child has to blend the sounds to guess your word - stop. (Remember to say only the sounds in the word - not the letters.) Keep the words short, moving from two to three to four sounds depending on your child's skill level.

Sound counting

Using LEGO bricks, beads, or pennies, say a word and have your child show you how many sounds the word makes. For example, top = t-o-p = three sounds, so your child would place three objects in a row. Then have them tap each object as they say the sound. Remember, your child is just showing you the sounds they hear. So the word bike would be = b-i-k (silent e) = only three sounds.

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Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for Your Kindergartener

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Phonological and phonemic awareness are important pre-reading skills, related to the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language - including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest units of sound (phonemes). Children with strong phonological awareness skills are ready to become readers.

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Phonics enhancing activities: Model finger-point reading

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Phonics enhancing activities: Model finger-point reading

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Follow the words with your finger from left to right as you read them. This will give your students the opportunity to practice word recognition as they follow along with their fingers.

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Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately, quickly, and with expression.Fluent reading builds stamina for reading lengthy or complex texts. Reading fluency serves as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

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Award-winning reading solution with thousands of leveled readers, lesson plans, worksheets and assessments to teach guided reading, reading proficiency and comprehension to K-5 students

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This toolkit helps teachers and families understand what fluency is and how to support a child's development of fluency with text.

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Fluency enhancing activities: Paired or “buddy” reading

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Fluency enhancing activities: Paired or “buddy” reading

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Have students take turns reading aloud. Educator goes first, as your reading provides a model of what good fluent reading sounds like. Then, ask the students to re-read the same page you just read. Do this for several pages. Once the students are observed to be comfortable enough, and familiar enough with the book, take turns reading page for page.

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Vocabulary plays a fundamental role in the reading process and is critical to reading comprehension. Children learn the meanings of most words indirectly, through everyday experiences with oral and written language. Other words are learned through carefully designed instruction.

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Vocabulary enhancing activities: Reading Aloud

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Vocabulary enhancing activities: Reading Aloud

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Reading aloud is a great way to expose them to new words. Choose books that are of interest to your preschooler but that use words that are slightly above their understanding. Together you can work through what they mean, by using context—the other words on the page and any pictures that might be on the page as well.

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Vocabulary enhancing activities: Practice Rhymes

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Vocabulary enhancing activities: Practice Rhymes

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Rhyming is not only fun, but it is also an easy way to get your preschooler thinking about how different words can relate to each other. How many rhyming words can your preschooler come up with? The fat cat sat on the mat. The white kite flew at night. Dr. Seuss books are a great resource for learning rhymes, such as Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham.

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Vocabulary Adventure Cards - Sesame Workshop

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Make learning new words an adventure with these digital flashcards.

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Sesame Street | Preschool Games, Videos, & Coloring Pages to Help Kids Grow Smarter, Stronger & Kinder

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By Lauren Lowry
Hanen SLP & Clinical Writer

Young children are constantly learning new words. The number and type of words they learn largely depends on the opportunities they have to hear new words used in their everyday life. A large study back in the 1990s found that some preschool children had been exposed to 45 million words by age four, while others had only been exposed to 13 million [1,2]. These differences (often referred to as the "30 million word gap") had a major impact on the size of the children's vocabularies and their later academic success.

What's the connection between vocabulary and academic success?

It may not seem obvious why vocabulary is so important for children's academic outcomes. However, the more words children know, the more information they have about the world. This results in their being able to use their understanding of words to build their knowledge. Having a rich vocabulary allows children to understand the " academic language " used in formal schooling, which involves words and grammar that are more complex than those used in other settings. Studies have also shown that children's vocabularies play a particularly important role in their reading comprehension [3].

As an early childhood educator, you are in a key position to provide a vocabulary-rich environment because almost any classroom activity and routine can be used to introduce new words.

New research about vocabulary support in preschool classrooms

A recent study looked at the times during the day when preschool teachers supported children's vocabulary development by talking about new words and what they mean [3]. They discovered that:

Vocabulary support happens mainly during teacher-led activities - teachers provided the most vocabulary support when reading and discussing books with children, and during teacher-led activities with large groups of children.

Informal activities weren't used to teach vocabulary - even though teachers spent over 50% of the day in informal activities like meals, free play, and transitions, they did not use vocabulary strategies during these activities.

Teachers provided the most vocabulary support during science - they provided some support during writing instruction and "morning meeting" (discussions about the weather, calendar, and greetings), less support during social studies, and almost no support for new vocabulary during art, reading or math instruction.

There were also big differences between the teachers in terms of how much vocabulary support they provided. One teacher talked about new vocabulary during large group activities almost 12 times more than the others. Over the school year, this would add up to 8,660 instances of vocabulary support, as opposed to 734 instances in the other teachers' classrooms.
The researchers concluded that:

children in different classrooms may be exposed to very different amounts of vocabulary instruction

there may be many more times during the preschool day that can be used to encourage children's vocabulary development

Making the most of the preschool day to support vocabulary

By making the most of preschool activities and subjects, we can ensure children have as many opportunities

By making the most of preschool activities, we ensure that children have as many opportunities as possible to learn about new vocabulary.

as possible to learn about new vocabulary. Here are some tips to help you introduce and talk about new words throughout the day [3]:

Pick the right words - preschool children are ready to learn about words that are more sophisticated than those used in everyday life. More advanced vocabulary naturally comes up during subjects like science, where words like "evaporate," "hibernate" or "decay" might be part of the curriculum. But you can introduce sophisticated words during any activity by thinking about a more advanced version of an everyday word. For example, instead of "tired", try introducing a word like "exhausted"; or instead of "happy", try "delighted" or "ecstatic".

Take advantage of informal activities like transitions, meals, and daily routines - conversations during informal activities tend to happen "on the fly", but they still offer many opportunities for new vocabulary. For example, you could discuss "raw" vegetables or the "temperature" of the food at snack time, how we need to "apply" sunblock when we go outside, or how to "lather" the soap when washing hands. New vocabulary can be incorporated into almost any conversation or activity. Remember to repeat these words after they have been introduced.

Use free play to teach vocabulary - when children are playing, it's a great time to use their interests to introduce new words. For example, when children are playing at the water table, you could take turns pouring water with them, talking about how the different "containers" hold different "amounts" of water. If you see a child assembling train tracks, you could join in with him and talk about how you can "connect" the tracks so that the train can "travel" even farther. Here's a video example of how to introduce the words "ladle" and "spatula" in the kitchen centre:

Make use of all subject areas - new vocabulary can be incorporated into any subject. For example, words like "portion," "fraction," and "measure" can be used during math instruction, and words like "create," "decorate" and "sculpt" might arise during art.

Plan in advance - coming up with a list of target vocabulary related to specific activities ahead of time can help you introduce new words, even during busy routines. Reminders like writing new vocabulary on a clipboard or whiteboard, or near the location of the routine can be helpful (such as posting "humid" and "foggy" near the children's coat hooks so you can discuss the weather as the children are getting ready to go outside).

Introduce new vocabulary with books - sometimes books have sophisticated vocabulary built right into the story, but when they don't, you can always introduce a new word during your discussion about the book. Take a look at this Book Nook article for an example.

Build children's understanding of new words with the "Shoot for the SSTaRS" strategy - this strategy summarizes the many ways you can emphasize new words to help children understand what they mean. Here are some tips to Shoot for the SSTaRS.

By making use of the many activities and subjects during the preschool day, we can provide children with as many opportunities as possible to hear sophisticated vocabulary, and this will give them the language foundation they need to be successful in kindergarten and beyond.

Many of the tips above are based on information from our programs for early childhood educators:

Learning Language and Loving It™ provides practical strategies for the classroom to help children build language and social skills using everyday activities, routines and play.

ABC and Beyond™ helps educators of preschool children promote the emergent literacy skills they need in order to learn to read and write successfully, including vocabulary.

References

1. Hart, B. & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experiences of young American children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes & Publishing Co.

2. Hart, B. & Risley, T. R. (2003). The early catastrophe: The 30 million word gap by age 3. American Education, 27(1), 4-9.

3. Dwyer, J. & Harbaugh, A. G. (2020). Where and when is support for vocabulary development occurring in preschool classrooms? Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 20(2), 252-295

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Using Early Childhood Classroom Activities to Build Vocabulary

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Studies show a strong connection between vocabulary development and academic success. Here are some tips to make the most of your preschool day to ensure that children have as many opportunities as possible to learn new words.

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Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand or connect to what they are reading, they are not really reading. Good readers are both purposeful and active, and have the skills to absorb what they read, analyze it, make sense of it, and make it their own.

Strong readers think actively as they read. They use their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, language structure, and reading strategies to make sense of the text and know how to get the most out of it. They know when they have problems with understanding and what thinking strategies to use to resolve these problems when they pop up.

Teachers can play a critical role in helping students develop their comprehension skills. Reading research has shown that comprehension instruction can help students do a better job of understanding and remembering what they read. Good instruction can also help students communicate with others, verbally and in writing, about what they've read.

What good readers do

Draw on prior knowledge. Good readers draw on prior knowledge and experience to help them understand what they are reading.

Draw inferences. In addition to understanding the literal points that the author is making, good readers are able to "read between the lines" and draw inferences about a wide range of hidden meanings, such as why events are unfolding as they do, why characters behave in a certain way, what the characters are thinking, and what might happen next.

Self-monitor. During reading, good readers learn to monitor their understanding, adjust their reading speed to fit the difficulty of the text, and address any comprehension problems they have. After reading, they check their understanding of what they have read. Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they understand what they're reading and when they don't.

Form mental images. Good readers often form mental pictures, or images, as they read. Readers (especially younger readers) who picture the story during reading understand and remember what they read better than readers who do not create a picture in their mind.

Summarize and retell. Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in the text and then put it into their own words by retelling, verbally or in writing. Instruction in summarizing can help students become more purposeful as they read and more skillful in comprehending. Summarizing can help students to:

Identify main ideas orally or in writing.

Connect the main or central ideas orally or in writing.

Learn to weed out unnecessary information.

Remember what they have read.

Can your child tell you what happened in the story?

This video is from Home Reading Helper, a resource for parents to elevate children's reading at home provided by Read Charlotte . Find more video, parent activities, printables, and other resources at Home Reading Helper .

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Comprehension is understanding what you read - the goal of reading! It is the thinking process readers use to understand what they read. Strong vocabulary, background knowledge, and an understanding of how language works are keys to comprehension.

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Preschoolers demonstrate comprehension through speaking and listening by engaging in conversation about the story, text, or experience. They are able to remember what is read, retell the story, answer questions, and talk about the story, text, or experience with support from an adult or peer.

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Resources to enhance comprehension skills

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Resources to enhance comprehension skills

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Oral Language Comprehension: Activities for Your Pre-K Child

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Pre-K children are actively absorbing spoken language and experiences to make sense of the world around them. Engaging in rich conversations about everyday things and reading lots of stories are two terrific ways to help young children strengthen oral language skills and comprehension.

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Resources to enhance comprehension skills

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Resources to enhance comprehension skills

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When talking about literacy, comprehension means understanding what we read. On the website Reading Rockets, literacy experts say: "To be able to accurately understand written material, children need to be able to (1) decode what they read; (2) make connections between what they read and what they already know; and (3) think deeply about what they have read."
Strategies for comprehension
Ways of teaching are sometimes called strategies. Comprehension strategies should do some of the following:

Teach students what they understand and what they do not.

Teach the structure of a story - beginning, middle, and end.

Teach students to re-tell a story or parts of a story.

Teach students to ask questions about a text.

Use visual organizers such as Word Walls and Story Maps.

Experts at Reading Rockets say teachers can show students the following skills:

How to guess what is going to happen in a story.

How to re-tell a story in their own words.

How to use new lesson words often and in different ways.

How to ask themselves questions about a text as they read.

These experts also suggest ways students can help themselves:

A child can use visual aids such as outlines and maps.

They can read with a friend and take turns summarizing.

As they read, they can ask themselves questions about it.

They can make mental pictures of the story. This strategy is called visualization or a "mind movie."

Parents can talk about words, stories, and books with their children. Parents can also make connections between a child's experiences and what they read in a book.
Strategy: Story Map (a visual aid)

Story maps allow students to learn the story in a visual way. Students must read carefully to fill in the map. Story maps also may be used for math, social studies, and science.

There are different types of story maps. The most basic ones focus on the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story. More advanced story maps are about other story elements, such as:
Strategy: Active Reading
As you read a book to a child, talk about the story. This strategy turns a book into a lively conversation. Do not stop too much. If you do, the students may not understand the story. Keep it fun.

Ask questions about the story. This will help the child get more involved in the story. For early learners, ask easy questions. You can point to a picture in the book and ask, "What is this?" For more advanced learners, you can ask more difficult questions. For example, "What does this character want?"

When a student answers, give them feedback. "That's right! The character is sad because he is lost." Add to what the student said. "I was lost one time. And I felt really scared."
Strategy: Sequence
Putting events in the correct order (or sequence) is a great way to understand a story.

Why teach sequencing?

It helps students of all levels to organize information. With beginning learners, you can use pictures too.

It teaches the structure of a story: beginning, middle, and end.

This strategy also tests a student's ability to re-tell a story in order or to summarizeit.

This strategy can be used with many kinds of writing. Students can sequence parts of a story or lines from a song or a poem. They can even sequence everyday activities - a math problem, or a recipe for making their favorite dish. Simply write or draw the text of a story or steps in a process. Then have students put the steps in order.
Assessment for comprehension
There are many types of reading comprehension assessments. Generally speaking, if a learner cannot do the following, they may have a problem with comprehension.

They cannot tell you the main idea.

They cannot describe the characters or setting.

They cannot explain a character's thoughts or feelings.

They cannot connect a story to real life.

They can tell you what happened in a story but not why.

They cannot re-tell the story in their own words.

They cannot tell the events of the story in order.

Apart from testing and assessment, experts suggest that teachers, parents, and caregivers should pay attention to the skills of describing, explaining, and connecting while reading with a child.

Experts add that adults should pay attention to what a child says. Comprehension may be a problem if a child says, "I couldn't follow the story," or simply, "I don't get it!"

Use these tips, strategies, and assessment methods that best serve you and your learners. Change them to fit your students and teaching situation.

I'm Anna Matteo.

And I'm Caty Weaver.
Anna Matteo wrote this article for VOA Learning English. It is part of a larger collection of Early Literacy Materials.
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Words in This Story

decode -v. to understand the hidden meaning of something

summarize - v. to express or cover the main points briefly

visualize - v. to see or form a mental image of

sequence - v. to arrange in an order

recipe - n. a set of instructions for making something from various ingredients

character - n. someone who appears in a book, movie; a representation of an individual personality in a fictional or dramatic work

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Resources
Comprehension, Reading Rockets; University of Toronto's Balanced Literary Diet; "Put Reading First - Kindergarten Through Grade 3, The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read," U.S. National Institute for Literacy; "Teaching Our Youngest," U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Early Childhood-Head Start Task Force, Washington, D.C.; "What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners?" Suzanne Irujo, Reading Rockets; "Types of Informal Classroom-Based Assessment," Reading Rockets

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Today, we will discuss strategies for comprehension and how to assess.

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Teaching comprehension skills in the classroom

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Teaching comprehension skills in the classroom

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This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for more information.

Reading comprehension - understanding and interpreting what is read - is one of the most important skills for students of all ages. Even when preschoolers are not yet able to read, they love to be read TO. A wise teacher uses before, during, and after reading a story as teaching time. Here are eight strategies for developing budding reading comprehension skills in even the youngest learners.

Before Reading

The goals of using a comprehension strategy with students before reading a story are to help them focus their attention, to activate their prior knowledge, and get them excited to read it! It is tough for students to transition to storytime, sit down, and just start reading. Teachers must "prep" them a little bit to be good listeners. There are lots of ways to accomplish this. Here are 3 strategies that work well:

Purposes of Before Reading strategies

Activate student's prior knowledge

Set the stage for reading

Get the children excited about the book!

Reading Comprehension Strategy #1 - Have a Book Talk

Book Talk Ideas

Give the children a "teaser" about what is to come

Introduce the characters and explain the problem

Invite the children to make a prediction

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems is a perfect story for engaging students during a book talk. Young children find the main character, Trixie, very relatable and can empathize with the angst that she feels when her beloved stuffed toy is misplaced. The teacher can draw students in further by bringing a favorite stuffed toy or classroom mascot to the carpet, or even bring one of their own toys from their childhood. Discuss how the toy goes everywhere, it sleeps in the bed with the owner and is very important to that person. Then, ask the students if anyone has a special stuffed animal or blanket. Ask the students to imagine, "How would you feel if your special toy got lost?" After sharing their ideas, read about what happens to Trixie. (And for students that have lost their special items, try LostMyLovey.com to search for replacements or even the item itself!)

Reading Comprehension Strategy #2 - Book in a Bag

Book in a Bag Ideas

Put together a few small props or pictures that represent the story

Pull them out one at a time and invite the children to make a prediction about the story

Preschoolers (and many older students!) are visual learners. When the teacher sits down to read a story with a mysterious bag full of objects, it is guaranteed to grab their attention! Fill a gift bag with items and pictures from the story and pull them out one at a time. As each item is revealed, encourage the students to make a prediction about the story. What is it going to be about? Here is an example for a bag of objects for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose!

Reading Comprehension Strategy #3 - Key Word

Key Word Ideas

Choose 1 important word from the story

Discuss the meaning of the word

Have students give examples of the word

Encourage children to make predictions

Introducing a "Key Word" is another way to get students thinking about the story before reading it. For example, in The Scarecrow's Hat by Ken Brown, ask students if anyone knows what swap means. Discuss how "swap" means to trade. Next, invite them to talk about things they like to swap. Then, tell them that in The Scarecrow's Hat, Chicken wants to swap something with Scarecrow. Encourage students to make predictions about what they might swap. Finally, read the story together.

During Reading

There are three strategies that teachers can use during reading. While reading aloud to children, the most important thing is the enjoyment of the book, of course. Young children benefit from being active listeners. They need to listen with their voices and their bodies in order to comprehend! Teachers can involve them by doing the following:

Reading Comprehension Strategy #4 - Incorporate Movement

Incorporating Movement Ideas

Have students use props from the story

Have students use their bodies to mimic motions in the story

Use simple musical instruments, such as shaker eggs, at key phrases

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is an all-around fantastic book for fall. It is a good example of how to incorporate movement while reading a book to young children. The Little Old Lady in the story meets 2 big shoes on the path to her cottage, and the shoes go, "Clomp! Clomp!" It is so much fun for the children to "clomp" their own shoes. They also love it when they are provided props to go with the story- shoes, pants, a shirt, gloves, a hat, and a pumpkin head. As the teacher reads, they take turns moving the props to match the story. So much fun and the students are completely engaged!

Reading Comprehension Strategy #5 - Repeated Refrain

The reading jargon for repeating a refrain or line in a book is "Choral Reading." It's a term that means the children all join in reading the repeated lines in unison. The Pete the Cat books are perfect examples of this strategy. In Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes, the repeated line is, "I love my white shoes. I love my white shoes! I love my white shoes, etc." It's so catchy that the students will have a hard time not joining in!

Just a quick note: Be sure that you get the free audio downloads to go along with your Pete the Cat books. They're just not the same without the audio!

Reading Comprehension Strategy #6 - Sequencing

Sequencing Ideas

Use pictures of story events

Have students place pictures in a pocket chart as they happen

A final "During Reading" strategy perfect for preschoolers is Sequencing. Thinking ahead to elementary school, we know that students will have to retell stories with a beginning, middle, and end. They will have to recount events of a book in order. Preschool teachers can prepare them for this essential elementary skill by giving students practice putting events in order. One way to do this is to print pictures from the story and give them to students before reading. They can then place the pictures on a felt board, pocket chart, or easel in order as the story progresses.

After Reading

We know that in order for children to understand a story well, they have to start thinking about it before reading. They might look at the pictures and make a prediction. Then, while we read, we can involve the children by encouraging them to move and read with us. Now that the book is finished, there are other things we can do to reinforce the story and extend the students' understanding.

After Reading Comprehension Goals

Reflect on the story

Make Connections

Revisit the story

Reading Comprehension Strategy #7 - Act it Out

Lots of stories lend themselves to "Acting it Out." After reading The Three Billy Goats Gruff, for example, students can play "billy goats" by using a low balance beam to make a bridge and take turns TRIP-TRAPPING across it. Adding goats to the block center encourages students who want to build a bridge there. Simple costumes, such as themed hats made from paper for "The Little Red Hen" at the dramatic play center, ensure the story's reenactments. Puppets and other toys that mimic the main characters in other centers and access to the story itself make this a simple way for students to tell and retell the story.

Reading Comprehension Strategy #8 - Compare Similar Stories

Another important elementary school comprehension skill is "Making Connections." Students can make a connection in one of three ways:

TEXT to SELF - Does this book remind you of something that happened to you?

TEXT to TEXT - Does this book remind you of another book?

TEXT to WORLD - Does this book remind you of something you know about in the world (another place, a movie, a person you know, etc.)?

When reading a story to young children, teachers can encourage them to compare the story to something else that they know about. After reading Corduroy, students might tell about their favorite stuffed animal. They can compare Lisa's love of Corduroy to their own (Text to Self). It also might remind them about the Knuffle Bunny story mentioned earlier (Text to Text). They might even remember that Corduroy was purchased in a department store, much like one they saw in an ad on TV (Text to World).

The most important thing for the students is that they gain a love of reading first. These skills take it to the next level, providing more enjoyment and understanding, valuable skills for when they move to grade school and beyond.

An Important Note:

While using reading strategies with children, it is important to keep their attention spans in mind. It is crucial to remember these strategies should not all be employed on the same day, or even on the same story. Never use more than one strategy from each section with each book, and try to make it quick! The goal is to get students thinking about the book, but most of the time and effort should be the act of reading and enjoying the story.

Looking for more information?

NAEYC has loads of articles about reading with young children right here.

For more early reading posts, check out the literacy tab on our website!

Need some printable literacy materials for the classroom? Find them here!

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This post may contain affiliate links. See Disclosure for more information. Reading comprehension - understanding and interpreting what is read - is one of the most important skills for students of all ages. Even when preschoolers are not yet able to read, they love to be read TO.

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Activities to enhance comprehension skills: Story Sequencing

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Activities to enhance comprehension skills: Story Sequencing

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After reading a story, provide preschoolers with a series of mixed-up events from the narrative. Their task is to arrange these events in the correct order. For younger children, use pictures instead of text. This activity is a great way to include reading games for kids in learning.

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Activities to enhance comprehension skills: Role Play Based on Reading

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Activities to enhance comprehension skills: Role Play Based on Reading

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Select a scene or character from a recently read story. Ask preschoolers to act it out, either alone or with friends. They can use props, costumes, or even just their imagination. For added fun, turn it into one of the reading comprehension games where they get points or rewards for staying true to the story.

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Components of Reading: Supporting ELL Students

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Components of Reading: Supporting ELL Students

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1. Read to students every day

2. Support students' comprehension as much as possible

3. Teach the alphabet when necessary

4. Teach phonics in context

5. Check comprehension frequently

7. Support native language literacy

8. Encourage reading outside of the classroom

9. Establish an English Language Learner Center

10. Make up individualized activity packs for your newcomers

You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Reading Instruction

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You can and should use what you already know to be effective, research-based reading instruction to English language learners (ELLs). However, ELLs will need additional support in learning how to read, and the strategies here will help you to provide assistance in your everyday teaching, particularly for newcomers (students who have recently arrived in the U.S.).

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Strategies for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

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Strategies for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

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Literacy Instruction at a Distance: Strategies for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

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Explicit instruction in core literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) combined with multisensory supports, are key to helping children with language-based learning disabilities thrive in a virtual learning environment. Try these ideas and online learning tools with your students.