Seven skills essential for reading.

The goal of every reader is not only to tackle every word in a book but also to understand what it was they just read – reading comprehension. At SCORE!, we have broken down the process into seven key areas, based on the work from the National Reading Panel, to help your child achieve reading comprehension.

Reading Pyramid

1. Phonemic Awareness is the foundation of reading because it is the ability to understand that words are made up of sounds.
2. Phonics is the ability to identify letters and their specific sounds.
3. Decoding is where your child will begin to sound
   out words.

   Word Identification, Fluency, and Vocabulary all work together.

4. Word Identification is the ability to see a word and know what it is.
5. Fluency is when your child can read text quickly and accurately.
6. Vocabulary is the combination of Word Identification and Fluency, or reading accurately and knowing what the word means.
7. Comprehension is the end result of all the pieces of the pyramid where your child is able to actively construct meaning from the words just read.

The bottom line is that by the time your child reaches the top of the pyramid, she will not only be able to read, but she'll also have the comprehension skills to truly understand what is being read.