According to the National Reading Panel, there are five major components of reading. Think of these as the ingredients for a cake. If you leave one out, the result falls flat.

A high-quality foundational reading program must include all five components, taught explicitly and in a systematic manner (whoa, that's a mouthful!).

Here is the reality: If you are using a curriculum to teach your child the foundations of reading, and it doesn't include a phonological awareness component, it will not be effective for a struggling reader.

Why "Phonics-Only" Isn't Enough

This is exactly why there is often an uproar about "phonics-only" programs!

• The Rule: Students need to be taught that spoken language can be manipulated (Phonological Awareness) before teaching them sound-symbol relationships (Phonics).

• The Fix: Reading aloud to children and playing rhyming games are great ways to build those initial Phonological Awareness skills! Even better if all of that is included in a comprehensive reading program. 

I used to collect reading baseline data using only fluency assessments. Big mistake! 🤦🏾‍♀️

Fluency assessments are fantastic... if the student has already mastered their phonics skills. But using a fluency check on a student who hasn't learned decoding rules (like vowel teams or diphthongs) is like asking someone to run a marathon before they can walk.

Here is the correct sequence for teaching these components (The Direct Instruction Way):

1. Phonological Awareness ( & Phonemic Awareness): The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words.

2. Phonics: Decoding instruction that teaches sound-symbol relationships (We do not rely on the "whole-language" guessing approach here!).

3. Fluency: Reading with accuracy, speed, and expression.

4. Reading Comprehension: The shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."

5. Vocabulary: Understanding new words found in complex, higher-order texts.