Showing posts sorted by relevance for query phonological. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query phonological. Sort by date Show all posts
What is Phonological and Phonemic Awareness??
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Phonological awareness is a broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language – parts such as words, syllables, and onsets and rimes. Children who have phonological awareness are able to identify and make oral rhymes, can clap out the number of syllables in a word, and can recognize words with the same initial sounds like 'money' and 'mother.'Phonemic awareness refers to the specific ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Phonemes are the smallest units comprising spoken language. Phon
emes combine to form syllables and words. For example, the word 'mat' has three phonemes: /m/ /a/ /t/. There are 44 phonemes in the English language, including sounds represented by letter combinations such as /th/. Acquiring phonemic awareness is important because it is
the foundation for spelling and word recognition skills. Phonemic awareness is one of the best predictors of how well children will learn to read during the first two years of school instruction.
Students at risk for reading difficulty often have lower levels of phonological awareness and phonemic awareness than do their classmates. The good news is that phonemic awareness and phonological awareness can be developed through a number of activities.
What the problem looks like:A kid's perspective: What this feels like to me
- Children will usually express their frustration and difficulties in a general way, with statements like "I hate reading!" or "This is stupid!". But if they could, this is how kids might describe how difficulties with phonological or phonemic awareness affect their reading:
- I don't know any words that rhyme with cat.
- What do you mean when you say, "What sounds are in the word brush?"
- I'm not sure how many syllables are in my name.
- I don't know what sounds are the same in bit and hit.
A parent's perspective: What I see at home
Here are some clues for parents that a child may have problems with phonological or phonemic awareness:- She has difficulty thinking of rhyming words for a simple word like cat (such as rat or bat).
- She doesn't show interest in language play, word games, or rhyming.
- Click here to find out what parents can do to help a child at home.
- A teacher's perspective: What I see in the classroom
- Here are some clues for teachers that a student may have problems with phonological or phonemic awareness:
- She doesn't correctly complete blending activities; for example, put together sounds /k/ /i/ /ck/ to make the word kick.
- He doesn't correctly complete phoneme substitution activities; for example, change the /m/ in mate to /cr/ in order to make crate.
- He has a hard time telling how many syllables there are in the word paper.
- He has difficulty with rhyming, syllabication, or spelling a new word by its sound.
How to help
With the help of parents and teachers, kids can learn strategies to cope with phonological and/or phonemic awareness problems that affect his or her reading. Below are some tips and specific things to do.What kids can do to help themselves
- Be willing to play word and sounds games with parents or teachers.
- Be patient with learning new information related to words and sounds. Giving the ears a workout is difficult!
- Practice hearing the individual sounds in words. It may help to use a plastic chip as a counter for each sound you hear in a word.
- Be willing to practice writing. This will give you a chance to match sounds with letters.
- What parents can do to help at home
- Check with your child's teacher or principal to make sure the school's reading program teaches phonological, phonemic awareness, and phonics skills.
- If your child is past the ages at which phonemic awareness and phonological skills are taught class-wide (usually kindergarten to first or second grade), make sure he or she is receiving one-on-one or small group instruction in these skills.
- Do activities to help your child build sound skills (make sure they are short and fun; avoid allowing your child to get frustrated):
- Help your child think of a number of words that start with the /m/ or /ch/ sound, or other beginning sounds.
- Make up silly sentences with words that begin with the same sound, such as "Nobody was nice to Nancy's neighbor".
- Play simple rhyming or blending games with your child, such as taking turns coming up with words that rhyme (go – no) or blending simple words (/d/, /o/, /g/ = dog).
- Read books with rhymes. Teach your child rhymes, short poems, and songs.
- Practice the alphabet by pointing out letters wherever you see them and by reading alphabet books.
- Consider using computer software that focuses on developing phonological and phonemic awareness skills. Many of these programs use colorful graphics and animation that keep young children engaged and motivated.
What teachers or parents can do to help at school?
- Learn all about phonemes (there are more than 40 speech sounds that may not be obvious to fluent readers and speakers).
- Make sure the school's reading program and other materials include skill-building in phonemes, especially in kindergarten and first grade (these skills do not come naturally, but must be taught).
- If children are past the age at which phonemic awareness and phonological skill-building are addressed (typically kindergarten through first or second grade), attend to these skills one-on-one or in a small group. Ask your school's reading specialist for help finding a research-based supplemental or intervention program for students in need.
- Identify the precise phoneme awareness task on which you wish to focus and select developmentally appropriate activities for engaging children in the task. Activities should be fun and exciting – play with sounds, don't drill them.
- Make sure your school's reading program and other materials include systematic instruction in phonics.
- Consider teaching phonological and phonemic skills in small groups since students will likely be at different levels of expertise. Remember that some students may need more reinforcement or instruction if they are past the grades at which phonics is addressed by a reading program (first through third grade).
I hope these ideas help and answer some questions for parents. Have a great week.
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in words. We know that a student's skill in phonemic awareness is a good predictor of later reading success or difficulty. Find out what parents and teachers can do to help children develop this critical literacy skill.
Before children learn to read print, they need to become aware of how the sounds in words work. They must understand that words are made up of speech sounds, or phonemes.
An important pre-reading skill is phonemic awareness. Children become aware that words are made up of sounds which can be assembled in different ways to make different words. Children build these pre-reading skills by practicing nursery rhymes and playing sound and word games such as learning to hear and recognize rhymed words. Tutoring, workbooks, games, or structured computer programs can help teach or reinforce these skills. Parents help in this process by providing high-quality educational materials, establishing a pattern of daily reading, creating a rich language environment, discussing your child's progress with teachers, and following up on their recommendations.
As this phonemic awareness is developed, children should become interested in how words are portrayed in print. Daily reading sessions with the children following along should help develop their understanding of print concept and feed this curiosity. This interest in decoding the words is the fuel for children learning the alphabet and phonics decoding skills. For more information on teaching phonemic awareness, read the Put Reading First report on Phonemic awareness instruction.
The "What Works?" Report found that the five key areas in learning to read are phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency.
Phonemes are the smallest parts of sound in a spoken word that make a difference in the word's meaning. For example, changing the first phoneme in the word hat from /h/ to /p/ changes the word from hat to pat, and so changes the meaning. (A letter between slash marks shows the phoneme, or sound, that the letter represents, and not the name of the letter. For example, the letter h represents the sound /h/.) Children can show us that they have phonemic awareness in several ways, including:
- recognizing which words in a set of words begin with the same sound ("Bell, bike, and boy all have /b/ at the beginning.")
- isolating and saying the first or last sound in a word ("The beginning sound of dog is /d/." "The ending sound of sit is /t/.")
- blending the separate sounds in a word to say the word ("/m/, /a/, /p/ – map.")
- segmenting a word into its separate sounds ("up – /u/, /p/.")
The phonological processor usually works unconsciously when we listen and speak. It is designed to extract the meaning of what is said, not to notice the speech sounds in the words. It is designed to do its job automatically in the service of efficient communication.
On the other hand, phonological skill is not strongly related to intelligence. Some very intelligent people have limitations of linguistic awareness, especially at the phonological level. Take heart. If you find phonological tasks challenging, you are competent in many other ways!
This fact is well proven: Phonological awareness is critical for learning to read any alphabetic writing system. Phonological awareness is even important for reading other kinds of writing systems, such as Chinese and Japanese. There are several well-established lines of argument for the importance of phonological skills to reading and spelling.
Phoneme awareness predicts later outcomes in reading and spelling.
Phoneme awareness facilitates growth in printed word recognition. Even before a student learns to read, we can predict with a high level of accuracy whether that student will be a good reader or a poor reader by the end of third grade and beyond. Prediction is possible with simple tests that measure awareness of speech sounds in words, knowledge of letter names, knowledge of sound-symbol correspondence, and vocabulary.
The majority of poor readers have relative difficulty with phoneme awareness and other phonological skills.
Instruction in phoneme awareness is beneficial for novice readers and spellers. Instruction in speech-sound awareness reduces and alleviates reading and spelling difficulties. Teaching speech sounds explicitly and directly also accelerates learning of the alphabetic code. Therefore, classroom instruction for beginning readers should include phoneme awareness activities. Phonological awareness interacts with and facilitates the development of vocabulary and word consciousness. This argument is made much less commonly than the first four points. Phonological awareness and memory are involved in these activities of word learning:
- Attending to unfamiliar words and comparing them with known words
- Repeating and pronouncing words correctly
- Remembering (encoding) words accurately so that they can be retrieved and used
- Differentiating words that sound similar so their meanings can be contrasted
Learning to read has a sequence. If a student is forced to try to learn skills that he or she does not yet have the foundation for, he or she might become frustrated and lose confidence. Parents should get a sense of what the right sequence is so that they do not inadvertently frustrate their child. Prior to learning to decode words with phonics, there are a few important pre-reading skills.
Happy Teaching-Have a great week!
6 Early Literacy Skills Predict Reading and Writing Success
Its that time of the year when I start planning and thinking how to support incoming preschoolers to kindergarten at the Big Building." These are the ideas I share with parents are they visit my program and get ready for next year.
Early literacy is everything children should know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Literacy skills begin developing in the first 5 years of life with a toddler holding and chewing on a book, to wanting a favorite book read over and over, to becoming a preschooler or kindergartner who loves to “read” a story to you from memory.
According to research performed by the National Reading Panel and other experts, young children entering school with specific early literacy skills have the greatest opportunity to become successful readers and writers. Early literacy skills include Vocabulary, Print Motivation, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills, Letter Knowledge, and Phonological Awareness. These important foundational skills are the building blocks for learning to read and write. Children having been exposed to, or having most of these skills, will benefit more from the reading instruction they receive when entering kindergarten than the child with fewer skills or no exposure at all.
Some think their child’s success in reading and writing depends on getting the “right” first grade teacher, but their success really depends on how much they learn at home about reading and writing before entering school. Early experiences with books and language are most critical for future success in literacy. Skills that should be promoted at home:
• Print Motivation — is taking an interest in and enjoying books. A child with print motivation loves being read to, plays with books, and pretends to write. Trips to the library are fun, motivational, and FREE! Exchange books with other parents with children of your child’s age. Encourage print motivation in your child by making reading a special shared time with you. Make books accessible to your child. Let your child see you enjoying reading. Talk to your child about how we use reading and/or writing almost every minute of the day.
• Vocabulary — (knowing the names of things) is the most important skill for children to have when learning to read. By the time your child enters school, he/she should know between 3,000-5,000 words. Help develop your child’s vocabulary by reading and rereading a variety of books (fiction and nonfiction) and teaching the names of all the objects in your child’s world.
• Print Awareness — is a child’s ability to point to the words on the page of a book. It includes learning that writing (in English) follows rules: print moves top to bottom and left to right, and that the person reading is someone that knows what all the letters and words say. Point out and read words to your child everywhere you see them: on signs, advertisements, labels, stores, candies, products, etc.
• Narrative Skills — help a child understand and tell a story and describe things, like what happened at a birthday party or about a trip to Grandma’s. Parents can help strengthen their child’s narrative skills by asking him/her to tell what is happening in a story or book, instead of always listening to you read. Ask your child to tell you about things he/she has done or will do that involve a regular sequence of steps: getting ready for school, what your family did/will do on vacation, how to play a particular game, etc.
• Letter Knowledge — is the ability to recognize and name letters (upper and lower case) and produce the sounds they make. Develop your child’s letter knowledge by using lots of fun reading and/or writing activities: pointing out and naming letters in a book, on a sign or on a label; drawing letters in sand or shaving cream; painting letters on paper with brushes, etc. Talk about letters and how some are similar in shape (l, H, F, E, and T or W, M, N, V). Teach the child how to write the letters in his/her name (one letter at a time) when he/she begins using a crayon to draw or “write”. As your child learns each letter, have him/her practice producing the sound the letter makes.
• Phonological Awareness — is an understanding of hearing and manipulating sounds in words. Phonological awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes (bat, cat, gnat, hat, mat, and sat), say words with sounds left out (bat without b is at), and put two word chunks together to make a word (fl + at = flat). Most often, children having difficulty with phonological awareness have trouble learning to read. An understanding of phonological awareness begins with a child’s exposure to and practice with the previous five steps. Phonological awareness is one of the final steps in preparing children for actual reading instruction that begins in kindergarten.
I hope you find these strategies helpful. I'd love to hear how you help parents understand the foundational skills needed to be successful.
The Importance of Oral Language for ELL Students in Reading and Writing
As a special education teacher, I often see firsthand the critical role that oral language plays in the development of reading and writing skills, particularly for English Language Learner (ELL) students. Oral language, which encompasses listening and speaking skills, is foundational for literacy development. For ELL students, who are navigating the challenges of acquiring a new language, a strong base in oral language is essential for their success in reading and writing.
Understanding Oral Language
Oral language involves the ability to comprehend and produce spoken language. It includes phonology (the sounds of language), vocabulary (words and their meanings), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning), and pragmatics (social language use). In essence, oral language is the bedrock upon which literacy is built. Without a firm grasp of oral language, students can struggle with decoding words, understanding texts, and expressing themselves in writing.
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| Scarborough's Rope |
Oral Language and Scarborough’s Rope
Oral language is integral to Scarborough's Reading Rope, which intertwines language comprehension and word recognition strands for skilled reading. For non-English speakers, strong oral language skills support vocabulary development, syntax understanding, and listening comprehension, all critical for language comprehension. These skills enable ELL students to decode and make sense of written text in English. By enhancing phonological awareness and verbal interaction, educators can strengthen the oral language strand, thereby supporting ELL students in weaving together the elements necessary for proficient reading in English. This holistic approach is essential for their reading success.
The Link Between Oral Language and Literacy
Research consistently shows that oral language proficiency is a strong predictor of later reading comprehension and writing ability. For ELL students, developing oral language skills in English is particularly important. Here's why:
- Phonological Awareness: ELL students need to become familiar with the sounds of English. Phonological awareness, which includes recognizing and manipulating sounds, is crucial for decoding words during reading. If a student cannot hear and produce the sounds in a word, reading that word becomes significantly more challenging.
- Vocabulary Development: A robust vocabulary is essential for understanding and producing both spoken and written language. Oral language activities, such as storytelling and discussions, expose ELL students to new words and phrases in context, helping them to build their vocabulary. This, in turn, aids in reading comprehension and the ability to express ideas in writing.
- Syntax and Grammar: Understanding the structure of English sentences is crucial for both reading and writing. Through oral language practice, ELL students learn how words and phrases are organized in English. This knowledge helps them decode complex sentences while reading and construct grammatically correct sentences when writing.
- Listening Comprehension: Listening to spoken English helps ELL students develop an ear for the language, including intonation, rhythm, and stress patterns. Listening comprehension is directly related to reading comprehension; students who can understand spoken language are better equipped to understand written texts.
- Cultural and Pragmatic Understanding: Oral language also involves understanding the social use of language, which includes cultural nuances and pragmatic rules. This understanding helps ELL students navigate different contexts, which is important for both reading (e.g., understanding characters’ intentions in a story) and writing (e.g., knowing how to address different audiences)
Strategies to Support Oral Language Development
Given its importance, it’s essential to incorporate strategies that promote oral language development in ELL students. Here are some effective approaches:
- Interactive Read-Alouds: Reading books aloud to students and engaging them in discussions about the story helps build vocabulary and comprehension skills. Ask open-ended questions that encourage students to think and talk about the text.
- Language-Rich Environments: Create a classroom environment that is rich in oral language opportunities. Label objects in the classroom, use word walls, and provide ample opportunities for students to engage in conversations, both with peers and adults.
- Explicit Vocabulary Instruction: Teach new words explicitly, using visuals, gestures, and examples to reinforce understanding. Encourage students to use new vocabulary in their speech and writing.
- Oral Language Activities: Incorporate activities such as storytelling, role-playing, and group discussions. These activities not only make learning fun but also provide meaningful contexts for using language.
- Peer Interactions: Pair ELL students with peers who are proficient in English. Peer interactions can provide models of fluent speech and offer opportunities for ELL students to practice speaking in a less formal, more supportive environment.
- Scaffolded Support: Provide scaffolded support by modeling correct language use, offering sentence starters, and gradually increasing the complexity of language tasks as students become more proficient.
Current Research
Current research underscores the importance of oral language and vocabulary development in second language learners, aligning closely with the principles outlined in Scarborough's Reading Rope. This framework, introduced by Hollis Scarborough, integrates multiple strands of literacy skills essential for proficient reading, categorized into two main areas: word recognition and language comprehension (Really Great Reading) (Landmark Outreach).
For second language learners, the upper strands of the Reading Rope, which include background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge, are particularly crucial. These elements contribute significantly to language comprehension, one of the two main components necessary for skilled reading (Prentice Blog) (Amplify).
Research emphasizes that robust vocabulary and oral language skills enable learners to decode and understand new words more effectively, which is particularly beneficial for second language learners. As these learners often need to build both their vocabulary and understanding of language structures, a focus on these areas helps improve overall reading comprehension and fluency (Landmark Outreach) (Amplify).
Moreover, evidence from the field of the Science of Reading supports the integration of vocabulary and oral language instruction into literacy education. This approach helps second language learners develop the necessary skills to decode text and comprehend its meaning simultaneously, which is essential for reading proficiency (Amplify).
The current research aligns with Scarborough's Reading Rope in highlighting the integral role of oral language and vocabulary development in the reading proficiency of second language learners. Educators are encouraged to incorporate these components into their teaching strategies to support the holistic development of reading skills in these students.
Oral language is a critical component of literacy development, especially for ELL students. It serves as the foundation upon which reading and writing skills are built. By focusing on oral language development, educators can help ELL students achieve greater success in their literacy journey. As a special education teacher, I am committed to implementing strategies that support the oral language needs of ELL students, recognizing that these skills are key to unlocking their full academic potential. Through intentional and thoughtful instruction, we can empower our ELL students to become confident, competent readers and writers.
References
Jooda, B. (2023, June 29). The Reading Rope: Breaking it all down . Amplify. https://amplify.com/blog/science-of-reading/the-reading-rope-breaking-it-all-down/
Navigating Literacy Excellence: Unveiling the Significance of Scarborough’s Reading Rope. (n.d.). Blog.prentice.org. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://blog.prentice.org/blog/navigating-literacy-excellence-unveiling-the-significance-of-scarboroughs-reading-rope
Really Great Reading. (2015). Scarborough’s Reading Rope | Really Great Reading. www.reallygreatreading.com. https://www.reallygreatreading.com/scarboroughs-reading-rope
Scarborough’s Reading Rope. (2022, October 14). Landmark Outreach. https://www.landmarkoutreach.org/strategies/scarboroughs-reading-rope/
Chat Soon-
How I use WHY to Find Root Cause
This year as my building redoes their RTI process, they put WHY at the forefront of the process.
The Root Cause is so much more than just the test scores or the informal assessment scores you get. Getting to the bottom or root cause of why a student struggles takes a team, an open mind, and time. It's hard finding the one or two things that if you provide interventions or strategies for the student takes off.
My team most works on IEP goals. With the way building schedules have come together, it is all the time we have to work on. We work as a team to find the root cause behind their struggles. This is the process we use to find a student's Root Cause. When we work through a Root Cause Analysis we follow the same steps--make sure you bring an open mind and your data.
Scenario
Problem Statement: The student struggles with decoding.
Formal Reading Assessment
Based on formal testing the student doesn’t have any decoding concerns but his Reading Comprehension score is significantly below the 12th%ile.
WHY?
I need more information.
DIBLES Scores for a 2nd grader
DIBELS shows the student knows their sounds and letters but there is something up with the oral reading fluency. There is a significant gap greater than 2.0.
WHY?
Complete:
Oral Reading Fluency error analysis shows 68% accuracy with 16 words read.
Assessing sight words show they know 41 of the first 100.
The decision was made based on what looks like a decoding weakness Phonological Processing was assessed--scores were in the average range.
What do I know now?
The student has a decoding weakness. He would benefit from a phonics highly structured phonics program.
Why??
This time I only needed three WHYS to figure out what the true problem is for the student. Sometimes you need more. On average it tends to run closer to five.
This process was completed with my team not during RTI. The decision to target phonics could have been reached without the formal testing and just with DIBELS and Sight Words.
My team uses this approach to help each other when we get stuck and need to take a step back and need more voices to look at the data.
As a special education team, we target only IEP goals and scaffold the student's skills up to access the grade-level curriculum. So the more specific we can be the better--we don’t want to waste time messing around with large messy goals that don’t end up helping the student close achievement gaps.
Go back to RTI.
How could this process be used during an RTI meeting?
Questions and dialogue are key concepts here. Talk about what the numbers tell you. Start with strengths and needs. Just the facts! Don’t interpret anything. Work through the data dialogue process as I outlined in the E-workbook: RTI Data Clarity freebie. I also included several worksheets to help teams work towards finding a student’s root cause.
Working to find the root cause of why a student is struggling is hard work. The dialogue with your team is a great way to bring in more voices. This in turns brings in more ideas that may help the student. Make sure you bring the Data Clarity e-workbook to help.
Do you similar to help your team find a student’s root cause? Feel free to brag about your success in the comments!
Are you wondering how you can use this idea with your team? Check out my free E-Workbook: RTI Data Clarity.
Chat soon,
Why?
How else are you going to figure out what the student’s needs really are!The Root Cause is so much more than just the test scores or the informal assessment scores you get. Getting to the bottom or root cause of why a student struggles takes a team, an open mind, and time. It's hard finding the one or two things that if you provide interventions or strategies for the student takes off.
My team most works on IEP goals. With the way building schedules have come together, it is all the time we have to work on. We work as a team to find the root cause behind their struggles. This is the process we use to find a student's Root Cause. When we work through a Root Cause Analysis we follow the same steps--make sure you bring an open mind and your data.
Scenario
Problem Statement: The student struggles with decoding.
Formal Reading Assessment
- Alphabet: 63%ile
- Meaning: 2nd%ile
- Reading Quotient: 16th%ile
Based on formal testing the student doesn’t have any decoding concerns but his Reading Comprehension score is significantly below the 12th%ile.
WHY?
I need more information.
DIBLES Scores for a 2nd grader
- Nonsense Word Fluency: 32 sounds; Benchmark 54 sounds in a minute; Gap 1.68
- Phoneme Segmentation Fluency: 47 sounds; Benchmark 40 sounds in a minute; Gap .85
- Oral Reading Fluency: 11 words; Benchmark 52 words in a minute; Gap 4.7
DIBELS shows the student knows their sounds and letters but there is something up with the oral reading fluency. There is a significant gap greater than 2.0.
WHY?
Complete:
- Error Analysis of ORF passage
- Assess sight words
- Does Phonological Processing need to be assessed?
Oral Reading Fluency error analysis shows 68% accuracy with 16 words read.
Assessing sight words show they know 41 of the first 100.
The decision was made based on what looks like a decoding weakness Phonological Processing was assessed--scores were in the average range.
What do I know now?
The student has a decoding weakness. He would benefit from a phonics highly structured phonics program.
Why??
This time I only needed three WHYS to figure out what the true problem is for the student. Sometimes you need more. On average it tends to run closer to five.
This process was completed with my team not during RTI. The decision to target phonics could have been reached without the formal testing and just with DIBELS and Sight Words.
My team uses this approach to help each other when we get stuck and need to take a step back and need more voices to look at the data.
As a special education team, we target only IEP goals and scaffold the student's skills up to access the grade-level curriculum. So the more specific we can be the better--we don’t want to waste time messing around with large messy goals that don’t end up helping the student close achievement gaps.
Go back to RTI.
How could this process be used during an RTI meeting?
Questions and dialogue are key concepts here. Talk about what the numbers tell you. Start with strengths and needs. Just the facts! Don’t interpret anything. Work through the data dialogue process as I outlined in the E-workbook: RTI Data Clarity freebie. I also included several worksheets to help teams work towards finding a student’s root cause.
Working to find the root cause of why a student is struggling is hard work. The dialogue with your team is a great way to bring in more voices. This in turns brings in more ideas that may help the student. Make sure you bring the Data Clarity e-workbook to help.
Do you similar to help your team find a student’s root cause? Feel free to brag about your success in the comments!
Are you wondering how you can use this idea with your team? Check out my free E-Workbook: RTI Data Clarity.
Chat soon,
6 Things to Help Early Readers
Three key research conclusions that support seeking help early are:- 90 percent of children with reading difficulties will achieve grade level in reading if they receive help by the first grade.
- 75 percent of children whose help is delayed to age nine or later continue to struggle throughout their school careers.
- If help is given in fourth grade, rather than in late kindergarten, it takes four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.
Yet identification is only the beginning. Effective and intense intervention must be offered immediately. Students who lag behind their peers must be given extra help. These groups should be fluid with students moving in and out as they master skills.
Early signs of difficulty should not be based on immaturity but data. When a kindergarten child confuses letters, associates the wrong sound with a letter, or cannot tell you a rhyme, it usually has nothing to do with social maturity. These warning signs do not necessarily mean a reading disability; these signs may indicate poor preschool preparation. They may not been exposed to letters and letter sounds, they usually catch on quickly once exposed. It is only after instruction has been provided and the child is still struggling that one can conclude there may be a more serious problem.
Key Six Pre-Reading Skills
(for children from birth through 5 years)
Print Motivation
- Being excited about and interested in books
- What can you do?
- Make sure book sharing time is fun.
- For children with short attention spans, keep it short, but read more often.
- Don’t get upset when they put books in their mouths.
- Read books you enjoy.
- Choose books about things that interest the child.
- Read with a natural, but cheerful voice.
Print Awareness
- Understanding that print on a page represents words that are spoken, knowing how to follow words on a page, and knowing how to hold a book.
- What can you do?
- Allow children to handle the book and turn pages.
- Use your finger to point out words as you move across the page.
- Pointing out signs in your environment.
- Read books with large bold print.
- Introduce the cover and talk about the author and illustrator.
Phonological Awareness
- Understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds. Hearing and playing with smaller sounds in words. Phonological Awareness comes before phonics.
- What can you do?
- Encourage your baby to babble, changing the beginning sounds.
- Sing songs. Clap along with the song. Use rhythm sticks and shakers.
- Do action rhymes.
- Learn nursery rhymes. For older children, substitute a non-rhyming word in place of the rhyming word and see if they notice the difference.
- Read books with rhyming texts.
- Play “Say it fast; say it slow.” Butterfly Butt er fly Turtle Tur tle
Vocabulary
- Knowing the names of things, feelings, concepts, and ideas. Knowing the meaning of words and connecting words to objects, events, or concepts in the world.
- What can you do?
- Any book will help with this, but choosing ones with words not used in daily conversation and nonfiction books are especially helpful.
- Label things.
Narrative Skills
- Being able to describe things and events. Being able to tell and understand stories.
- What can you do?
- Talk with children about what you are doing. Ask them “What?” or other open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.”
- Ask, “What happens next?”
- Allow young children time to respond. Be patient.
- Tell stories.
- Encourage pretend play.
- Let them help you tell flannel board stories.
- Read stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
Letter Knowledge
- Understanding that letters are different from each other. Recognizing letters and knowing that they have different names and sounds.
- What can you do?
- Let babies play with shapes.
- Allow children to handle letter shapes.
- Learn the alphabet song.
- Read alphabet books and books about shapes.
- Books where you have to find things.
- Help your child identify the first letter in his/her name. Then find that letter in books, on signs, and other things in the environment.
Stages of Reading Development Plus a freebie
Being mid-year, I find that I'm explaining why I'm selecting the text that I am. I walked into out book room and someone asked what I was looking for and I said no more than 2 words on a page with strong (if not in your face) picture support. I have a student that I've been working with on not adding to the text (she loves adding extra words to the story). The teacher in the book room pointed my to the a shelf on Level As. Knowing what text looks like at each level helps me find the right text for each group. I hope this helps you out or something you can share with parents.
Early Emergent Readers (Levels aa-C)
Readers are just beginning to grasp the basic concepts of book and print. They are acquiring a command of the alphabet with the ability to recognize and name upper- and lowercase letters. They are also developing many phonological awareness skills, such as recognizing phonemes, syllables, and rhyme.
Early Emergent readers are beginning to learn sound/symbol relationships--starting with consonants and short vowels--and are able to read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, as well as a number of high-frequency words.
Books at this level have:
• strong picture support
• carefully controlled text
• repetitive patterns
• controlled, repeated vocabulary
• natural language
• large print
• wide letter spacing
• familiar concepts
• limited text on a page
• is acquiring book handling skills and concepts of print
• is acquiring knowledge of letter names
• uses pictures to create meaning
• beginning to understand sounds of the language (rhyming, same/different, etc.)
• beginning to understand letter-sound relationships
• typically can read some environmental print (example: “stop”)
• uses one to one matching (connects spoken and written words)
• uses left to right progression
• recognizes some known words and uses picture clues and print to recognize new words
• understands the difference between letters and words
• has control of most consonant sounds
• typical titles at this level have very simple text, less than five words per page, are predictable,
• have strong picture cues
Books at this level have:
• carefully controlled text
• repetitive patterns
• controlled, repeated vocabulary
• natural language
• large print
• wide letter spacing
• familiar concepts
• limited text on a page
• is acquiring book handling skills and concepts of print
• is acquiring knowledge of letter names
• uses pictures to create meaning
• beginning to understand sounds of the language (rhyming, same/different, etc.)
• beginning to understand letter-sound relationships
• typically can read some environmental print (example: “stop”)
• uses one to one matching (connects spoken and written words)
• uses left to right progression
• recognizes some known words and uses picture clues and print to recognize new words
• understands the difference between letters and words
• has control of most consonant sounds
• typical titles at this level have very simple text, less than five words per page, are predictable,
• have strong picture cues
Emergent Readers (Levels D-J)
Readers at this stage have developed an understanding of the alphabet, phonological awareness, and early phonics. They have command of a significant number of high-frequency words.
Emergent readers are developing a much better grasp of comprehension strategies and word-attack skills. They can recognize different types of text, particularly fiction and nonfiction, and recognize that reading has a variety of purposes.
Books at this stage have:
· more complex sentence structure
· less dependency on repetitive pattern and pictures
· familiar topics but greater depth
· beginning to use knowledge of letter sounds to solve unknown words
· uses language, memory, pictures, and print as major cues to read and understand text
· is able to predict what comes next
Early Fluent Readers (Levels K-P)
At this stage, reading is more automatic, with more energy devoted to comprehension than word attack. Readers are approaching independence in comprehending text.
These readers are experiencing a greater variety of text and are able to recognize different styles and genres. Independence often varies with the type of text being read.
Books at this stage have:
· Longer sentences
· More text per page
· Richer vocabulary
· Greater variation in sentence pattern
· Less reliance on pictures
· More formal and descriptive language
· Analyzes new words and checks them against what makes sense and sounds right
· Uses meaning to begin to self-correct
· Uses known words and word parts to figure out unknown words
· Begins to retell the major points of the text
· Decreases the use of finger pointing as fluency and phrasing increase
· Uses prior knowledge and own experience to make meaning
Fluent Readers (Levels Q-Z)
Readers have successfully moved from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Their reading is automatic and is done with expression and proper pauses. Their energy is devoted to understanding, and they have good command and use of the various comprehension strategies.
These readers read a wide range of text types and do so independently. They will continue to refine and develop their reading skills as they encounter more difficult reading materials. But for the most part, they are capable of improving their reading skills and selection of materials independently through increased practice.
Books at this stage have:
· Less familiar, more varied topics
· Challenging vocabulary
· More complex sentences
· Varied writing styles
· More description
· Reads silently; reads fluently when reading aloud
· Initiates topics for discussion about books
· Begins to use comprehension strategies (retelling, monitoring for meaning, making connections, making mental images, making/revising/confirming predictions, questioning, determining importance, inferring, summarizing, synthesizing, critically evaluating) across genre and subjects
· Consistently develops new strategies and new knowledge of texts as he/she encounters greater
variety of texts
· Is in a continuous process of building background knowledge and realizes that he/she needs to
bring his/her knowledge to his/her reading
· Sustains interest and understanding over long texts and reads over extended periods of time
· Notices and comments on aspects of the writer’s craft
Building Students Word Power with Picture Books
Yes, many things like manners, listening skills, or having stories read aloud start at home but it is no longer to the degree it was before lock down.
Kids were are home. They talked less, didn't interact with the peer group they have at school and spent too much time on technology and not reading or talking as much as they counterparts the year or two earlier. So, what can we as teachers do to help students build their vocabulary and oral language?
These picture books are a fun way to build vocabulary effortlessly. Little kids like big words!
Creating a vocabulary-rich classroom through picture books isn’t just delightful—it’s essential. Research shows that early vocabulary development strongly predicts future reading comprehension and academic success. Picture books offer a perfect launchpad: they expose students to Tier 1 and Tier 2 vocabulary in context, reinforced through engaging visuals and repeated story structures. (If you are looking for more information on the vocabulary tiers-check out this post.)
For second language learners, picture books bridge the gap between unfamiliar words and meaning by pairing new vocabulary with illustrations and story cues. This visual scaffolding supports language acquisition and helps students use words in real-world contexts. Similarly, students with special education needs benefit from the structure and repetition embedded in high-quality read-alouds, which aid in retention, understanding, and expressive language skills.
And let’s not ignore testing pressure—vocabulary knowledge is a significant predictor of performance on standardized assessments. Students can’t demonstrate understanding of reading passages if they don’t understand the words in the questions. Picture books build this critical word base in a low-stress, high-engagement format.
Here are a few of my student’s favorite books from read-alouds through the year.
The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds is a gentle, inspiring picture book that celebrates the power and beauty of language. It follows a boy named Jerome, who loves collecting words—short and sweet ones, multi-syllabic marvels, and words that roll off the tongue or make people feel something.
Jerome carefully stores his words in scrapbooks, sorting them by sound, meaning, and feeling. But one day, his collection spills—literally—and he discovers that sharing words can be even more powerful than collecting them.
This book is ideal for K–3 classrooms looking to:
- Introduce Tier 2 vocabulary in a meaningful context
- Spark curiosity about language
- Encourage students to “collect” their own favorite words
- Support ELLs and students with IEPs with accessible text and rich illustrations
Research shows that exposure to and intentional instruction around Tier 2 vocabulary has a strong impact on reading comprehension and academic achievement. “The Word Collector” provides an emotional and conceptual anchor for that learning.
Bonus idea: Use this book to launch a classroom word wall, personal “word jars,” or a writing center full of “favorite words.” It’s a heart-filled way to grow not just vocabulary, but a love of words themselves.
Rhyme Crime by Jon Burgerman
Rhyme Crime by Jon Burgerman is a wildly fun and silly picture book that blends rhyming, mystery, and wordplay into one laugh-out-loud read-aloud. The story follows a mischievous thief who doesn’t steal things—he steals words and replaces them with silly rhyming substitutes! A hat becomes a cat, a cake becomes a snake, and chaos ensues across town.
This book is a vocabulary and phonological awareness dream for K–3 students. It reinforces Tier 1 vocabulary while helping students recognize and generate rhyming word pairs—key building blocks in early literacy. The bold, cartoon-style illustrations provide clear visual context for each swap, making it especially accessible for English Language Learners and students with special education needs.
"Rhyme Crime" invites prediction, engagement, and giggles—plus it naturally supports lessons on:
- Rhyming and phonemic awareness
- Vocabulary building through contrast
- Word relationships and sentence structure
It’s also a perfect mentor text for writing extensions: have students create their own “rhyme crimes” and illustrate the hilarious outcomes! This high-energy book makes language play irresistible—and sneakily educational.
Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier
Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier is a brilliant and imaginative alphabet book that plays with language in a way that's both educational and hilarious. Each page features a clever wordplay: by removing one letter from a word, a completely new word—and often a surprising new meaning—is revealed. For example: “Without the A, the BEAST is BEST.”
With bold, whimsical illustrations by Kris Di Giacomo, the book invites students to think critically about spelling, phonics, and how letters work together to create meaning. It’s a fantastic way to build Tier 1 and Tier 2 vocabulary, reinforce alphabet knowledge, and stretch students’ word awareness in a creative, memorable way.
Perfect for grades K–3, this read-aloud sparks curiosity and laughter, making it a wonderful anchor for literacy centers, word study lessons, and even writing extensions. It’s especially helpful for emergent readers, ELLs, and students with learning differences, since the visual context supports understanding.
Bonus: It ties in beautifully with lessons on word manipulation, rhyming, or even early decoding skills—making vocabulary development feel like a game!
Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos
Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos is a clever, laugh-out-loud picture book about a unique dinosaur who loves using big, bold, bountiful words. Unlike his stegosaurus brothers who are simple and to-the-point ("Hot," "Hungry"), Stegothesaurus is bursting with descriptive language ("Blazing, blistering, broiling!") and thrives on expressing himself in triplets of synonyms.
His love for language leads him on an adventure where he meets another word-loving dino... or so he thinks. A surprise twist reveals that not everyone with fancy words has friendly intentions!
This book is a vocabulary goldmine, especially for Tier 2 words and synonym recognition. It's ideal for K–3 read-alouds and perfect for ELA lessons focused on word choice, descriptive writing, and building expressive language. Bonus: it’s especially supportive for ELLs and special education students when paired with visual cues and discussion.
Teachers and students alike will enjoy the humor, vivid illustrations, and playful exploration of language.
Dear Deer by Gene Barretta
Dear Deer by Gene Barretta is a playful and pun-filled picture book that explores the world of homophones—words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. Told through letters between Aunt Ant and her nephew Deer, each page is packed with silly sentences that make homophones hilariously clear. For example: “The moose loved mousse” and “The bear had bare feet.”
This book is a Tier 1 vocabulary powerhouse with a fun twist—it builds phonemic awareness and highlights the importance of context in understanding meaning. It’s perfect for K–3 students learning to decode and make sense of English’s many quirks.
Why it works in the classroom:
- Encourages students to think critically about word meaning
- Provides opportunities for visual support through punny illustrations
- Supports ELLs and students with learning differences by combining humor, repetition, and pictures to reinforce meaning
- Pairs well with lessons on spelling, homophones, and word choice
Activity idea: Have students create their own illustrated homophone pairs or write silly letters like Aunt Ant’s. “Dear Deer” turns tricky language into laughter—and memorable vocabulary learning!
Snowman at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Snowman at Night by Caralyn Buehner is a whimsical, rhyming picture book that imagines what snowmen do after dark. With vivid illustrations by Mark Buehner and rhythmic text, the story follows snowmen as they slip away from their yards to go sledding, drink cocoa, and play snowman games when no one’s watching.
Though playful and imaginative, the book is rich with Tier 1 and Tier 2 vocabulary—words like gathered, scurry, sipping, and groan. Its rhyming structure and strong visual cues make it ideal for K–3 read-alouds, especially for:
- English Language Learners, who benefit from predictable sentence patterns and image-supported comprehension
- Students with special education needs, who often respond well to rhyming, repetition, and fantasy elements
- Vocabulary instruction tied to seasonal themes
Why it’s a great classroom tool:
- Boosts descriptive language and action verbs
- Sparks discussion and inferencing (“Why do the snowmen melt the next day?”)
- Supports phonological awareness and oral fluency through rhyme
Extension idea: Have students write their own “at night” stories imagining what classroom objects, animals, or characters do after hours. It’s a great cross-curricular connection to writing, winter science, or imaginative thinking!
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by WIlliam Steig
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig is a classic, award-winning picture book that masterfully weaves together rich vocabulary, emotion, and magical realism. The story follows Sylvester, a young donkey who finds a magic pebble that grants wishes. When danger strikes, he makes a wish that turns him into a rock—and suddenly, he’s unable to wish himself back.
This beautifully told tale is ideal for K–3 read-alouds and packed with Tier 2 vocabulary such as astonished, vanished, desolate, and grief. The advanced yet accessible language makes it a perfect scaffolded read for vocabulary development, especially when paired with illustrations and discussion.
Why it's powerful in the classroom:
- For second language learners: Context clues and expressive illustrations help decode unfamiliar words
- For special education students: Emotional depth and clear narrative structure support comprehension and empathy
- For vocabulary growth: The text introduces sophisticated words in meaningful, memorable ways
- For writing extension: Students can brainstorm their own "what-if" magical object stories or rewrite the ending
The book also touches on deeper themes like family, fear, and hope—making it not just a vocabulary booster, but a powerful conversation starter. Plus, it’s a Caldecott Medal winner, so you know it brings both heart and literary merit to your classroom.
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe is a beautifully illustrated African folktale rich in culture, character development, and vocabulary. The story, inspired by a traditional Zimbabwean tale, centers on two sisters—kind, humble Nyasha and proud, selfish Manyara—who both seek to marry the king. As they journey to his city, each daughter's true nature is revealed through their choices and how they treat others.
This book is a treasure trove of Tier 2 vocabulary, including words like displeased, journeyed, generosity, and summoned, all introduced in meaningful, narrative context. Its elevated language and formal tone provide excellent exposure for K–3 students ready to stretch their comprehension.
Why it’s a classroom favorite for vocabulary instruction:
- For ELLs: The rich illustrations and clear character actions support deeper understanding of unfamiliar words
- For students with special education needs: The predictable folktale structure and visual cues make abstract vocabulary more accessible
- For test-readiness: The story mirrors the type of complex narrative often found in standardized test passages, making it great for modeling comprehension strategies
Extension ideas:
- Create character trait charts using Tier 2 vocabulary
- Write compare/contrast pieces about the sisters using descriptive language
- Explore cultural context and geography for cross-curricular connections
- This timeless tale beautifully reinforces that character is revealed through action, all while enriching your students’ word banks.
Picture book read-alouds are invaluable for elementary students' vocabulary and oral language development. By exposing children to a rich diversity of words within engaging narratives, read-alouds naturally expand their lexicon beyond everyday conversation. Furthermore, the interactive nature of read-alouds, often involving discussions and questions, encourages students to articulate their thoughts, practice new vocabulary in context, and develop stronger communicative skills. Ultimately, consistent engagement with picture book read-alouds lays a crucial foundation for literacy by fostering a love of language and equipping students with the verbal tools necessary for academic success and effective communication.
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