Similar Posts
Targeted Intervention Builds Stronger Readers
Using the Components of Literacy as a Guide The framework for our blog is based upon The Cognitive Model created by Michael C. McKenna and Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl (2009). The ultimate goal of reading is comprehension. However, comprehension is contingent upon mastery of a series of critical components (i.e. fluency in context, oral language…
Fluency Series Part 1: The Bridge from Decoding to Comprehension
Beyond the Need for Speed If someone would have asked us about fluency as brand new teachers, we might have responded with the notion that fluency is when a student reads with expression at a decent rate. While this is partially accurate, fluency is so much more than “a need for speed” and the…

What Is a Consonant Digraph and Why Is It Important?
Consonant digraphs are two consonants next to each other that work together to make one sound. The most common digraphs that beginning readers need to recognize are wh, ch, ph, sh, th, and ck. Why do I need to teach about consonant digraphs if my students already know their letter names and sounds?
Fluency Series Part 2
A Guide for Implementing Repeated Readings to Support Fluency Part 2 of our Fluency Series is aimed to help educators provide intervention for those readers who need fluency support. How do I decide which students require fluency intervention? When analyzing a recent running record, consider the following:
Turn the Question Around—TTQA
A Jumpstart to Written Response How great does it feel when a student’s eyes light up and she announces, “I know just what to do!”? This happened one day when I was teaching written response. We had been working on Turn the Question Around, also known as TTQA, for the past week. After guided practice,…

Why is Teaching Vocabulary Important for Reading?
Vocabulary is one of five fundamental parts of structured literacy. As Gough and Tunmer’s ‘Simple View of Reading’ illustrates, it is as important for students to develop vocabulary knowledge as it is for them learn how to decode words. Combining a student’s ability to decode with a robust vocabulary leads to increased comprehension. Emily Hanford…