Reading Strategies and Activities for Under-Resourced Students

In 2000, the National Reading Panel published a list of five essential components of reading instruction which were incorporated into the No Child Left Behind Act. These five components make up the reading programs of many classrooms today and are an vital part of the reading curriculum of all students including those who are under-resourced. These are the five components as listed by the the National Reading Panel:

Phonemic Awareness: the ability to notice, think about, and work with the sounds in spoken words. This is the smallest part of a word that gives it meaning.

- Skills: recognizing words beginning with the same sound

            isolating the first/last sound

            combining sounds to make a word

            breaking/segmenting words into sounds

Phonics: the ability to sound out words.

- Skills: covert letters/combinations into sounds; blend into words

            letter: sound relationships prior to words

            use parts of word families

            segment words into phonemes

Fluency: the ability to read a text quickly and accurately.

- Effective Techniques: reread a text until fluency is reached

                                 scaffolds: audiotapes, tutors, peer guidance

                                 strong relationship between skills and time spent reading

Vocabulary: the words used in speaking and writing. This includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Types of Vocabulary:

Important Words - words important to understand a concept or the text

Useful Words - words that are likely to be seen multiple times

Difficult Words - words that have multiple meanings or use figurative language

- Effective Techniques: engage in oral language daily

                                   listen to adults read

                                   read extensively on their own

Comprehension: reading to gain meaning about the topic being read.

- Effective Techiniques: graphic/semantic organizers

                                    answering questions

                                    generating questions

                                    summarizing

                                    sequencing