Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

Unit 1: Elements of Reading Foundations and Building Upon Students' Language Knowledge

In Unit 1, we first provide an overview of the four major recommendations in the Foundational Skills Practice Guide, each of which we consider in one unit of this course. We then consider, through classroom videos and participant discussion, the many components involved in teaching children to read, and the many skills children need to master to become successful readers. We then turn to the first recommendation from the Practice Guide, which is to further students' speaking and listening vocabulary, language use, and comprehension skills.

Unit 2: Phonological Awareness and Letter-Sounds

In Unit 2, we explore Recommendation 2 in the Foundational Skills Practice Guide, develop awareness of the segments of sound in speech and how they link to letters.

We will begin by reviewing the recommendation and core content, phonological awareness and the alphabetic principle. We will let you experience this content as your students would, by playing "games" with sounds and letters. Next, we will see it in practice by viewing some teachers facilitating their students' developing phonological awareness and knowledge of letter-sound connections. We will then discuss some related debates about instruction. You will have the opportunity to hear from our expert panel and try this out with your own students.

Unit 3: Word Decoding, Recognition, and Writing

In Unit 3, we explore the Recommendation 3 in the Foundational Skills Practice Guide, teach students to decode words, analyze word parts, and write and recognize words.

We will begin by reviewing the recommendation and core content, strategies for teaching students to decode words from simple to complex. We will let you experience this content as your students would, by playing "games" with word patterns and parts. Next, we will see it in practice by viewing lessons aimed at teaching these decoding and word analysis skills. We will then discuss some related debates about instruction. You will have the opportunity to hear from our expert panel and try this out with your own students.

Unit 4: Reading Connected Text to Support Fluency and Comprehension

In Unit 4, we explore the Recommendation 4 in the Foundational Skills Practice Guide, ensure that each student reads connected text every day to support reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

We will begin by reviewing the practice guide and core content, emphasizing ways to support children as they read connected text. These approaches will help children apply and extend the word-identification knowledge they are building during instruction that draws on the previous units. We will let you experience this content as your students would, by playing "games" in which you reflect on your own self-monitoring and strategic word recognition when reading connected text. Next, we will see it in practice by viewing examples of teachers implementing instructional practices that support children's fluent reading. We will then discuss some debates about reading instruction. You will have the opportunity to hear from our expert panel and try this out with your own students.