Let’s begin this discussion with a technical definition of a sight word. A sight word is any word that you can automatically and accurately recognise and associate with the correct pronunciation and meaning. It is not a word that must … Continued
There is an abundance of research demonstrating the importance of reading to children from a very young age. They learn about the structure of books, it increases their vocabulary and exposes them to concepts and ideas that they might not … Continued
The number one reason that students perform poorly on comprehension assessments is that they can’t decode (see for example Gentaz et al.’s 2013 research). So, teaching students how to decode (i.e., read) always needs to be the starting point. However, … Continued
Once students have mastered decoding, reading with prosody is another skill that needs to be mastered. Prosody means reading smoothly, at an appropriate speed with expression and intonation that reflects the content of the text. Assessing prosody is an important … Continued
Higher order level comprehension requires you to evaluate and infer. However, these are very difficult skills to teach students. Modelling can often be a powerful means of helping students understand the thinking process underpinning comprehension. Thinking Aloud 1. Plan ahead. … Continued