The timeline of literacy development varies from child to child. From what science now knows about reading, however, there are some general milestones that most children follow as they gradually learn to read. For example, children typically begin to identify words that rhyme and recognize some familiar words by the age of 5. In first and second grade, they begin to read familiar stories and sound out unfamiliar words.
What are the foundational skills of reading? When should your child develop them? In this article, we go over some of the simple facts that help parents guide their little ones into a lifelong love of reading.
What Are Foundational Reading Skills?
Foundational reading skills are the core abilities that children need to master on their way to becoming effective readers. These foundational skills are:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
Each of these skills plays an important role in the reading journey, contributing to a child’s overall literacy development. Like a pyramid, they develop and strengthen in a sequential order with the first skill—phonemic awareness—as the foundation. These skills are based on the science of reading which is the collection of evidence that reveals how the human brain effectively learns to read. For a deep dive into this evidence, read about the science of reading here!
Let’s go through each foundational reading skill and consider examples of how kids can begin using these skills at home.
1. Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds of spoken language. These are called phonemes. Phonemic awareness is an underlying precursor to reading because it helps children understand that words are made up of sounds and how to manipulate sounds in language to read and spell words. Phonemic awareness activities can be completed with your eyes closed as it is entirely sound-based.
Activities to Enhance Phonemic Awareness
To help your child develop or strengthen their phonemic awareness abilities, you can initiate some reading practices:
- Rhyming games encourage your child to identify and create rhymes, helping them distinguish between different sounds and speech segments.
- Sound matching games—where your child matches words with the same beginning or ending sounds—this practice also helps with differentiation between sounds.
- Segmenting teaches children to break words down into individual sounds.
- Blending teaches kids to blend individual letter sounds to identify words.
2. Phonics
Phonics is rooted in phonemic awareness and phonological abilities. At its core, phonics involves understanding the relationship between letters and sounds and then putting these associations into practice. Phonics is the most essential skill for decoding new words and building a strong foundation for reading.
Strategies for Teaching Phonics
- Letter-sound correspondence teaches the sounds associated with each letter.
- Decoding helps children practice blending sounds to “sound out” and read simple words.
- Decodable books are useful so that your child can successfully practice and reinforce their early phonics knowledge. Decodable books match your child’s phonics knowledge while still challenging them to learn more complex skills gradually.
3. Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read text accurately, smoothly, and with proper expression. Fluent readers can identify words quickly and accurately, without decoding each one. This allows them to focus on comprehension, which is a significant stepping stone they’ll need to cross to achieve lifelong learning.
Techniques for Building Fluency
- Repeated readings encourage your child to read familiar texts multiple times so that they grow their confidence and retain the storyline, practicing fluency.
- Echo reading—where you read a sentence and then have your child repeat it back to you, and vice versa—provides an engaging, meaningful experience. This should be an additional practice, not a go-to approach.
- Choral reading is when one or more students read together at the same time. You can practice choral reading with your child, matching your pace and expression. This should be practiced as a supplement to individual reading.
4. Vocabulary
A healthy vocabulary is crucial if an individual is to understand what they are reading. It involves knowing the meaning of words and how they are used in context.
Tips for Expanding Kids’ Vocabulary
- Read alouds expose children to new words through stories and discussions, often through context.
- Word games like “Word of the Day” can be played to introduce and practice new vocabulary.
- Conversational context often provides children with an understanding of new words. Help your child infer the meaning of unfamiliar words using context. Encourage them to ask about words they don’t know and use them contextually when you explain the meaning.
5. Comprehension
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading! It’s the ability to accurately and effortlessly interpret what is being read. Reading comprehension enables children to gain meaning from texts, which is going to be one of the most important aspects of their education.
Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension
- Ask questions using QAR (question-answer relationship) to encourage your child to make sense of the story before, during, and after reading parts of it.
- Summarize texts with your child. Have them tell you about what they have read in their own words.
- Make meaningful connections to your child’s real-life experience. This helps them connect stories and concepts to their own experiences—or to other books they have read.
Teaching Foundational Skills of Reading: Is it About Learning Style or Instruction Method?
Many parents wonder how to teach kids to read based on each child’s “learning style” (such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic). While this has been a common educational concept for decades, no research proves the concept of learning styles. In fact, no child has a fixed, inherent “style” of learning.
Instead, what research has proven is that children learn best when:
- They can sustain their attention on the topic presented.
- They are engaged and present in the lesson.
- They have plenty of opportunities for guided practice.
- The instruction they receive is systematic and direct.
The widespread belief of learning styles can be detrimental, as it often leads to wasted time and resources as educators tailor lessons to specific learning styles. Simply put, all students would benefit from learning through various methods that facilitate active engagement and curiosity.
Instead of focusing on learning styles, the science of reading emphasizes that children require a structured, systematic approach to effectively learn how to read. This approach involves:
- Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics
- Regular practice in fluency and decoding skills
- Vocabulary development through diverse reading materials
- Comprehension strategies that encourage active engagement with texts
The science of reading advocates for evidence-based practices that benefit all learners, regardless of their perceived learning style. By focusing on these foundational skills and using a variety of teaching methods, parents and educators can provide children with the tools they need to become proficient readers.
Help Your Child Learn the Foundational Skills of Reading
Curious about how to help your child develop early reading skills? For more tips on effective literacy instruction based on scientific research, check out Reading.com. Our app offers a science-backed approach to help your little one develop strong reading skills and foster a lifelong love of learning. Download the Reading.com app for a free trial today!