Many of us who teach literacy are now shifting our practices to better align to the science of reading. We’re using evidence-based practices like systematic and explicit phonics instruction. Now what? It’s time to take our implementation of science of reading practices to the next level. Let’s consider how we can more fully align to the science around a few key themes that can sometimes be overlooked.
We might start by asking how well we are attending to each of these areas: supporting language development, using effective instructional groupings and cultivating a wider science of reading culture within our schools. We’ll walk through important questions to ask ourselves for each, then identify ideas and resources to help ourselves answer them more strongly.
Question 1: Am I applying the science of language comprehension, too?
We know that students’ reading comprehension builds from their prowess at both word decoding and language comprehension. Remember the simple view of reading? It tells us that those improvements in teaching phonics and decoding that many of us have committed to are critically important. But sometimes, too narrow a focus on these skills can mean that some of us risk neglecting the kind of language comprehension support our students need. That means supporting growth in vocabulary, sentence syntax and broader knowledge.
We can structure opportunities for students to talk about new topics and experiences. Think about the use of field trips, virtual or real: what phrases will be new in talking about art in a museum? Consider thematic play centers for younger kids: what kinds of words and interactions are common in the veterinary clinic? A simple research-based routine for giving students language opportunities is the turn-and-talk routine, where varying the prompt a teacher offers makes the routine highly adaptive.
To best support language comprehension, we can’t forget about the value of written texts. Even before kids can read them, books offer experience with written language, which tends to use a wider vocabulary and richer syntax than our average spoken conversations do. Use interactive read-alouds, including work with the read-aloud routine. When kids are decoding these written texts for themselves, make sure some of those texts are intentionally selected for their rich role in building content knowledge — aim for sets of texts that deepen learning in a history or science topic, for example.
Rich written text usually means new vocabulary words. Teaching key vocabulary words can certainly improve students’ comprehension of a text, but just locating a definition is not enough. The science is clear that we need to get kids engaged with thinking about a target word more deeply. More active processing is what helps, and that looks like this: unpacking a word’s uses, connecting the word to other words with shared roots or affixes or using the word in writing.
Question 2: Am I specifically supporting multilingual learners, including tapping directly relevant research?
When we neglect the language comprehension part of the science of reading, one group of students tends to be underserved most: multilingual learners. Fortunately, we have a substantial research base that centers specifically on this population. Our federal Institute of Education Sciences offers an easy entry point into this research. These are a few highlights:
It is not effective to limit classroom language to English only. The science is clear that supporting kids’ emerging bilingualism is an asset, ultimately advantageous for reading comprehension, even specifically in English. Supporting a child’s home language development doesn’t require a bilingual teacher; remember that our students can talk to peers and their own families as additional resources. As teachers, we can invite families to try these linked research-backed strategies from IES to develop their child’s language skills at home. If families want to support a home language besides English, point out the toggle halfway down the page that says “Choose language.”
Sometimes people imagine that supporting language comprehension should only happen in certain parts of the day. But what about giving kids chances to orally process word meanings right during our systematic and explicit phonics instruction? Imagine how you could use a turn-and-talk moment to get kids thinking aloud together about what we mean by a long vowel sound versus a short one. Think about bringing in realia: a real jug of juice and a real jar of jam. Engage kids in talk, perhaps including how the relevant words and letter sounds compare in Spanish. Get kids sharing their own knowledge. Who has ever used a cot, and could you tell us what it is like?
Finish reading this article at www.nwea.us/6-ways-to-level-up.
John Luke Bell is NWEA Senior Content Designer, Literacy; and Cindy Jiban, Ph.D. is NWEA Principal Academic Lead, Early Learning Content Design.
John Luke Belljohn.bell@nwea.org
Cindy Jiban, Ph.D.Cindy.jiban@nwea.org