The Science of Reading has reshaped how we approach literacy instruction, providing evidence-based guidelines for effective reading programs. Research consistently highlights the importance of teaching five key skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Readable English takes these findings to heart, providing a systematic and explicit approach to reading instruction that ensures every student can succeed.
Understanding the Science of Reading
The Science of Reading draws from decades of research and large-scale studies to identify the most effective teaching methods for reading. The National Reading Panel, a group assembled by the U.S. Department of Education in the 1990s, reviewed thousands of studies to pinpoint the five "key reading skills" that should be explicitly taught to all students. These skills are:
- Phonemic Awareness - the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words.
- Phonics - understanding the relationship between letters and sounds.
- Fluency - the ability to read text smoothly and accurately.
- Vocabulary - knowing the meanings of words.
- Comprehension - understanding and interpreting what is read.
The panel concluded that teaching these components explicitly and systematically is crucial for all learners, particularly for those at risk of reading difficulties.
How Readable English Supports the Science of Reading
Readable English is designed to align with the Science of Reading. It breaks down the complex task of reading into manageable steps, ensuring that students master each component before moving on to more advanced skills. Here’s how Readable English addresses each of the key reading skills:
- Phonemic Awareness and Phonics: Readable English ensures that students can decode and recognize every word by making each word phonetically transparent. The program’s structure helps learners connect letters and sounds systematically.
- Fluency: Through daily, teacher-led lessons, students practice reading aloud with accuracy and speed. This approach boosts fluency, which in turn supports overall reading comprehension.
- Vocabulary and Comprehension: The program’s structured lessons don’t just focus on decoding but also include vocabulary-building exercises and comprehension strategies to help students gain a deep understanding of the text they read.
The Power of Systematic and Explicit Instruction
One of the core principles of the Science of Reading is that reading skills should be taught systematically and explicitly. This means that teachers should introduce new concepts in a clear, organized manner, with plenty of practice before moving on to more difficult material.
Readable English implements this approach in several ways:
- Teacher-directed lessons – Teachers guide students through each lesson, ensuring that concepts are clearly explained and practiced.
- Sequenced learning – The program follows a structured, 30-week plan that introduces skills step-by-step.
- Frequent reviews and progress monitoring – Regular check-ins and quizzes ensure that students master each skill before progressing, and progress monitoring assessments (conducted in Standard English) track student progress according to normative ORF measures.
Orthographic Mapping: A Key to Word Recognition
A critical element of the Science of Reading is orthographic mapping, which is the process of connecting sounds to letters and mapping them into a learner’s mental dictionary. Readable English supports this process by ensuring that every word is decodable, helping students efficiently build their mental lexicon. This is particularly beneficial for English learners and students with reading challenges, as it provides consistent, predictable support in decoding.
How Readable English Empowers Teachers
Readable English is designed to be a comprehensive, easy-to-follow program for teachers. The lessons are pre-planned and scripted, with clear instructions and demo videos. This makes it simple for teachers to implement and ensures high-quality, consistent instruction.
The program encourages high levels of teacher-student interaction and provides multiple opportunities for practice. Through a “learn, drill, practice” format, students build and reinforce their skills in a systematic way, ensuring mastery of each concept before moving on to more complex material.
Setting Students Up for Success
Readable English brings the Science of Reading to life by providing a structured, evidence-based approach that helps all students - especially those at risk - build strong reading skills. Whether you're looking to improve phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension, Readable English offers a proven pathway to success.
By aligning with the best practices outlined in decades of reading research, Readable English is helping educators unlock the full potential of their students, ensuring every child can become a confident, fluent reader. Ready to transform your students' literacy journey? Contact us to start the conversation.
