Report of the National Reading Panel TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its

Report of the National Report of the National

Reading PanelReading Panel

TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ:TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ:An Evidence-Based AssessmentAn Evidence-Based Assessment

of the Scientific Research Literatureof the Scientific Research Literatureon Reading and Its Implicationson Reading and Its Implications

for Reading Instructionfor Reading Instruction

In 1997, congress askedIn 1997, congress asked The National Institute The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)(NICHD) to work with theto work with the U.S. Department of Education in establishing a in establishing a National Reading PanelNational Reading Panel that would evaluate that would evaluate existing research and evidence to find the best existing research and evidence to find the best ways of teaching children to read. The 14-ways of teaching children to read. The 14-member panel considered roughly 100,000 member panel considered roughly 100,000 reading studies published since 1966, and reading studies published since 1966, and another 15,000 published before that time; another 15,000 published before that time; from this pool, the panel selected several from this pool, the panel selected several hundred studies for its review and analysis. hundred studies for its review and analysis.

The National The National Reading PanelReading Panel

The National Reading The National Reading Panel (NRP) issued a Panel (NRP) issued a report in 2000 that report in 2000 that responded to a responded to a Congressional mandate Congressional mandate to help parents, teachers to help parents, teachers and policymakers and policymakers identify key skills and identify key skills and methods central to methods central to reading achievement. reading achievement.

The panel found that a combination of The panel found that a combination of techniques is effective for techniques is effective for teaching children to read.teaching children to read.

Reading instruction should include Reading instruction should include these five areas:these five areas:

1.1. Phonemic awarenessPhonemic awareness

2.2. PhonicsPhonics

3.3. FluencyFluency

4.4. Vocabulary InstructionVocabulary Instruction

5.5. Text ComprehensionText Comprehension

Phonemic awareness Phonemic awareness

Phonemic AwarenessPhonemic Awareness is the knowledge that is the knowledge that spoken words can be broken apart into smaller spoken words can be broken apart into smaller segments of sound known as phonemes. segments of sound known as phonemes. Children who are read to at home—especially Children who are read to at home—especially material that rhymes—often develop the basis material that rhymes—often develop the basis of phonemic awareness. Children who are not of phonemic awareness. Children who are not read to will probably need to be taught that read to will probably need to be taught that words can be broken apart into smaller words can be broken apart into smaller sounds. sounds.

Why Phonemic Awareness?Why Phonemic Awareness?

Phonemic Phonemic Awareness improves Awareness improves children’s word children’s word reading and reading reading and reading comprehension. It, comprehension. It, also, helps children also, helps children learn to spell.learn to spell.

Phonemic Phonemic AwarenessAwareness

• Provide explicit and Provide explicit and systematic instruction systematic instruction focusing on only one or two focusing on only one or two phonemic awareness skills, phonemic awareness skills, such as segmenting and such as segmenting and blending blending

• Link sounds to letters as Link sounds to letters as soon as possiblesoon as possible

• Use systematic classroom-Use systematic classroom-based instructional based instructional assessment to inform assessment to inform instructioninstruction

What Students Need to Learn How We Teach It

• That spoken words consist of individual sounds or phonemes

• How words can be segmented (pulled apart) into sounds, and how these sounds can be blended (put back together) and manipulated (added, deleted, and substituted)

• How to use their phonemic awareness to blend sounds to read words and to segment sounds in words to spell them

• Phonemic awareness instruction is more effective when children are taught to use letters to represent phonemes and to apply their knowledge of phonemic awareness when reading and writing

• Explicit phonemic awareness instruction helps all beginning readers, including those having reading difficulties and English language learners

• Explicit phonemic awareness instruction helps preschoolers, kindergartners, and 1st graders (including English language learners) learn to spell

Research EvidenceResearch Evidence

(National Reading Panel, 2000)

Phonics Phonics

PhonicsPhonics is the knowledge that letters of the is the knowledge that letters of the alphabet represent phonemes, and that alphabet represent phonemes, and that these sounds are blended together to these sounds are blended together to form written words. Readers who are form written words. Readers who are skilled in phonics can sound out words skilled in phonics can sound out words they haven't seen before, without first they haven't seen before, without first having to memorize them. having to memorize them.

Why Phonics?Why Phonics?

Phonics leads to an Phonics leads to an understanding of the understanding of the alphabetic principle – alphabetic principle – the systematic and the systematic and predictable predictable relationships relationships between written between written letters and spoken letters and spoken sounds. sounds.

Phonics and Word Phonics and Word StudyStudy

Accurate and rapid identification of Accurate and rapid identification of the letters of the alphabet the letters of the alphabet

The alphabetic principle (an The alphabetic principle (an understanding that the sequence understanding that the sequence of sounds or phonemes in a of sounds or phonemes in a spoken word are represented by spoken word are represented by letters in a written word)letters in a written word)

Phonics elements (e.g., letter-Phonics elements (e.g., letter-sound correspondences, spelling sound correspondences, spelling patterns, syllables, and meaningful patterns, syllables, and meaningful word parts)word parts)

How to apply phonics elements as How to apply phonics elements as they read and write they read and write

Provide explicit, systematic phonics Provide explicit, systematic phonics instruction that teaches a set of instruction that teaches a set of letter-sound relationsletter-sound relations

Provide explicit instruction in Provide explicit instruction in blending sounds to read wordsblending sounds to read words

Include practice in reading texts that Include practice in reading texts that are written for students to use their are written for students to use their phonics knowledge to decode and phonics knowledge to decode and read words read words

Give substantial practice for children Give substantial practice for children to apply phonics as they spell wordsto apply phonics as they spell words

Use systematic classroom-based Use systematic classroom-based instructional assessment to inform instructional assessment to inform instructioninstruction


• Explicit, systematic phonics is significantly more effective than alternative programs that provide unsystematic or no phonics instruction

• Explicit, systematic phonics is significantly more effective with children of different ages, abilities, and SES backgrounds

• Phonics instruction improves word reading skills and text comprehension, especially for kindergartners, first graders, and older struggling readers



Fluency Fluency

FluencyFluency is the ability to recognize words is the ability to recognize words easily, read with greater speed, easily, read with greater speed, accuracy, and expression, and to better accuracy, and expression, and to better understand what is read. Children gain understand what is read. Children gain fluency by practicing reading until the fluency by practicing reading until the process becomes automatic; guided oral process becomes automatic; guided oral repeated reading is one approach to repeated reading is one approach to helping children become fluent readers. helping children become fluent readers.

Why Fluency?Why Fluency?

Fluency provides a Fluency provides a bridge between word bridge between word recognition and recognition and comprehension. comprehension. Fluent readers can Fluent readers can focus their attention focus their attention on what the text on what the text means. means.

FluencyFluency

How to decode words (in How to decode words (in isolation and in connected isolation and in connected text)text)

How to automatically How to automatically recognize words recognize words (accurately and quickly with (accurately and quickly with little attention or effort) little attention or effort)

How to increase speed (or How to increase speed (or rate) of reading while rate) of reading while maintaining accuracymaintaining accuracy

Provide opportunities for guided Provide opportunities for guided oral repeated reading that oral repeated reading that includes support and feedback includes support and feedback from teachers, peers, and/or from teachers, peers, and/or parentsparents

Match reading texts and Match reading texts and instruction to individual studentsinstruction to individual students

Apply systematic classroom-Apply systematic classroom-based instructional assessmentbased instructional assessment to monitor student progress in to monitor student progress in

both rate and accuracyboth rate and accuracy


Repeated reading procedures that offer guidance and feedback are effective for improving word recognition, fluency, comprehension, and overall reading achievement through Grade 5



Vocabulary InstructionVocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary instructionVocabulary instruction is teaching new is teaching new words, either as they appear in text, or by words, either as they appear in text, or by introducing new words separately. This introducing new words separately. This type of instruction also aids reading type of instruction also aids reading ability. ability.

Why Vocabulary Why Vocabulary Instruction?Instruction?

Beginning readers use Beginning readers use their oral vocabulary to their oral vocabulary to make sense of the words make sense of the words they see in print. they see in print. Readers must know Readers must know what most of the words what most of the words mean before they can mean before they can understand what they understand what they are reading. are reading.

VocabularyVocabulary

The meanings for most of the The meanings for most of the words in a text so they can words in a text so they can understand what they readunderstand what they read

How to apply a variety of How to apply a variety of strategies to learn word strategies to learn word meanings meanings

How to make connections How to make connections between words and conceptsbetween words and concepts

How to accurately use “new” How to accurately use “new” words in oral and written words in oral and written languagelanguage

Provide opportunities for students to Provide opportunities for students to receive direct, explicit instruction in receive direct, explicit instruction in the meanings of words and in word the meanings of words and in word learning strategies learning strategies

Provide many opportunities for Provide many opportunities for students to read in and out of schoolstudents to read in and out of school

Engage children in daily interactions Engage children in daily interactions that promote using new vocabulary that promote using new vocabulary in both oral and written languagein both oral and written language

Enrich and expand the vocabulary Enrich and expand the vocabulary knowledge of English language knowledge of English language learnerslearners

Actively involve students in making Actively involve students in making connections between concepts and connections between concepts and wordswords


• Knowledge of word meanings (vocabulary) is critical to reading comprehension (Learning First Alliance, 2000; National Reading Panel, 2000)


• Words are typically learned from repeated encounters, rather than from a single context or encounter

(Beck & McKeown, 1991)

Text Comprehension Text Comprehension InstructionInstruction

Reading comprehension strategiesReading comprehension strategies are are techniques for helping individuals to techniques for helping individuals to understand what they read. Such understand what they read. Such techniques involve having students techniques involve having students summarize what they've read, to gain a summarize what they've read, to gain a better understanding of the material. better understanding of the material.

Why Text Comprehension Why Text Comprehension Instruction?Instruction?

Comprehension is the Comprehension is the reason for reading. If reason for reading. If readers can read the readers can read the words but do not words but do not understand what they understand what they are reading, they are not are reading, they are not really reading. Text really reading. Text comprehension is comprehension is purposeful and active. purposeful and active.

Text ComprehensionText Comprehension

How to read both narrative How to read both narrative and expository textsand expository texts

How to understand and How to understand and remember what they readremember what they read

How to relate their own How to relate their own knowledge or experiences knowledge or experiences to textto text

How to use comprehension How to use comprehension strategies to improve their strategies to improve their comprehensioncomprehension

How to communicate with How to communicate with others about what they others about what they readread

Explicitly explain, model, and teach Explicitly explain, model, and teach comprehension strategies, such as comprehension strategies, such as previewing and summarizing textpreviewing and summarizing text

Provide comprehension instruction Provide comprehension instruction before, during, and after reading before, during, and after reading narrative and expository textsnarrative and expository texts

Promote thinking and extended Promote thinking and extended discourse by asking questions and discourse by asking questions and encouraging student questions and encouraging student questions and discussionsdiscussions

Provide extended opportunities for Provide extended opportunities for English language learners to English language learners to participate participate

Use systematic Use systematic classroom-based classroom-based instructional assessment instructional assessment to to inform instructioninform instruction


• Instruction of comprehension strategies improves reading comprehension of children with a wide range of abilities



• Many children require explicit word recognition instruction integrated with rapid processing of words, spelling skills, and strategies to improve comprehension

(Fletcher & Lyon, 1998)

No Child Left BehindNo Child Left Behind

The panel's findings, released in April 2000, The panel's findings, released in April 2000, and other reading research, provided the and other reading research, provided the basis for thebasis for the No Child Left Behind ActNo Child Left Behind Act, , which which was signed by the President in December was signed by the President in December 2001. The Act calls upon states to set basic 2001. The Act calls upon states to set basic reading standards for local school systems, reading standards for local school systems, and to test students to assure they have met and to test students to assure they have met those standards.those standards.

ReferencesReferences

• Put Reading First Put Reading First www.nifl.govwww.nifl.gov

• http://www.nifl.gov/http://www.nifl.gov/

partnershipforreading/presentations/partnershipforreading/presentations/

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Report of the National Reading Panel TEACHING CHILDREN TO READ: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its