5 Pillars of Reading

Phonemic Awareness and Phonics are two pillars that are often used interchangeably, but they are different. Explain what the difference is between the two and provide an example for each.

Ms. S always starts her day with an engaging read-aloud. She often uses the opportunity to point out letter-sound relationships as she encounters them in the book. While she is teaching phonics, provide some suggestions to help her reframe this instruction to ensure it is being taught explicitly and systematically.

Limited vocabulary plays a huge role in poor reading comprehension. Explain how these two pillars impact each other and give one example of how you can explicitly teach vocabulary that can improve comprehension.

Considering that comprehension is the end goal of reading, explain how each of the other 4 pillars aid in allowing students to reach the goal of comprehending what they have read.

Literacy instruction occurs in the classroom in different and dynamic ways. While the aim is for our instruction to be structured, sometimes this lives as a stand-alone block, while other times it is integrated into units of inquiry. Choose one pillar you feel is most effectively taught in a stand-alone literacy block and one you believe can be taught effectively within a unit. Explain your rationale.

All 5 pillars of reading should be present in all grade levels; however, there is a heavier focus on different pillars in different grades. Choose one grade level and explain where you think a heavier focus would be and provide reasoning for your selection.