Scientifically based reading research provides the foundation of both the federal Reading First program and Governor Bush’s Just Read, Florida! initiative. As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, Reading First defines reading as a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires skill and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print. Reading also involves the ability to decode familiar words and the ability to read fluently. Reading requires sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension, the development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print, and the development and maintenance of motivation to read. (Part B, Subpart 1, Reading First, of Title 1, of Public Law 107-110 (2001), pp. 204-205.)
Reading research indicates that there are five essential and inter-related components of effective reading instruction to enable children to master skills in order to become proficient, successful readers. Explicit and systematic instruction must occur in these five areas:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Reading Fluency
- Vocabulary Development
- Reading Comprehension Strategies
These following resources discuss
- Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read, September 2001. The Partnership for Reading: National Institute for Literacy; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and U.S. Department of Education. EXR0007B. Available in print and online as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file or an HTML page. This booklet summarizes for teachers what researchers have discovered about how to teach children to read successfully. It describes the findings of the National Reading Panel Report and provides analysis and discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness; phonics; fluency; vocabulary; and text comprehension. Each section suggests implications for classroom instruction as well as other information.
- "Effective Reading Instruction" Chart. This chart, designed by Eileen Pracek, provides an easy-to-use summary of the "Put Reading First" book.
- "The Florida Challenge". This executive order from the office of Governor Jeb Bush established the Just Read Florida program.
- "Just Read Florida!". This is the official website for the Just Read Florida initative.
