It's Time to Move the Needle on Reading Achievement

Recently, the Simple View of Reading, a formula based theory related to the relationship between reading comprehension and word level reading (decoding) and language comprehension, has come back to the forefront of reading instruction conversations. If you are not familiar with the Simple View, Reading Rockets has a great article explaining the components and aspects of this theory. The Simple View does not negate the fact that there are five aspects of reading development and instruction; nor should a key takeaway be that teaching comprehension strategies is not important (see these points from Shanahan https://shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/why-following-the-simple-view-may-not-be-such-a-good-idea).

Comprehension strategies are important. Even so, I have been relieved to see a revival of the concept that comprehension is correlative to decoding and language comprehension, because it brings back in focus the concept of language comprehension which has led us to look further at vocabulary instruction.

Vocabulary Instruction

Often, when we think about learning or teaching vocabulary, we think of a list of terms and a bunch of lines where we had to look up the word and write the definition. I’m not sure about you, but after a while, I know my brain had the hang of copying down the definition while totally thinking of other things. I know many of my students do.

Another philosophy has always been that the more students read, the more vocabulary they will naturally learn. It is true that more reading helps build vocabulary – but it can also end up as just another task to complete. Tasks which do not always lead to comprehension or generalization, particularly for students with language processing challenges.

Readers need to be able to decode the words of text to determine what strategies may be needed or may be most effective. They need to determine if the words they are reading are known to them and if they can apply meaning in the context in which it is used. Decoding without context, once we get above a 1st or 2nd grade level, becomes extremely unreliable on its own. For example, we must have and understand the given context to know how to read the following words and apply meaning effectively.

• polish – Do you need to polish your shoes, or are you enjoying a polish sausage?

• present – Do you have to present an idea to your boss, or do you need to determine what present to get your mom for her birthday?

• lead – Do you need to lead a sing-along, or are you concerned about lead paint in your home?

• read – Did you need to read the book, or is it something you have already ready?

• live – Do you have live plants, or do you need to determine where you can afford to live?

Without the needed background knowledge, it is possible that the reader would not be able to apply an effective reading strategy to assist with comprehending the sentence or passage.

In 2000, the National Reading Panel included that “reading vocabulary is crucial to the comprehension processes of a skilled reader”. The Common Core State Standards include standards specific to vocabulary, or language acquisition. Such an emphasis indicates that vocabulary continues to be identified as an important area of instruction. I find that the numerous students with dyslexia are also a huge reason for why we need to plan for quality vocabulary instruction. 1 in 5 students have a form of a learning disability. Learning disabilities are language-based disabilities. Language comprehension is a big piece of the formula for reading performance and comprehension. Many of these 1 in 5 students have never been diagnosed with a learning disability, so they move through the school system completely under the radar while their language comprehension can be one of the key factors keeping them from reaching their potential. I frequently argue that not addressing this category of learner effectively is one large reason the “needle” of reading achievement has not moved even with shifts in reading instruction and more attention to the science of reading.

We can do better. We will move that “needle”. Now is the time!