September 15, 2007 

There are 5 components of the reading process stated by the National Panel of Reading. These components must be explicitly taught in the early grades in order to develop fluent readers. Below is an explanation of each component and how NCS plans to teach each of these in grades K-3.

PHONICS —the relationship between a specific letter and its sound, only as it relates to the written word. It is used when a reader comes across an unknown word. Phonics is used in writing, or encoding text. Students use phonics to sound out words in order to spell them correctly.

• Kinder - Neuhaus Reading Readiness program, Houghton Mifflin English, Fluency First (2 nd semester only)
• 1st And 2nd - Neuhaus Language Enrichment program, Wright Group Gear Up guided reading series taught in small groups, Houghton Mifflin Spelling and Vocabulary, Neuhaus Scientific Spelling method, Fluency First
• 3rd —Neuhaus Language Enrichment program, Houghton Mifflin Spelling and Vocabulary, Neuhaus Scientific Spelling method, Fluency First

PHONEMIC AWARENESS - the knowledge that words are made up of a combination of individual sounds. It is the ability to blend sounds successfully into words and, in turn, take them apart again.

• Kinder - Neuhaus Reading Readiness program, Houghton Mifflin English
• 1 st and 2nd - Neuhaus Language Enrichment program, Wright Group Gear Up guided Reading series taught in small groups, Neuhaus Scientific Spelling method
• 3rd - Neuhaus Language Enrichment program, Neuhaus Scientific Spelling method

VOCABULARY - understanding that the words on the page correspond to the words they encounter every day in spoken English. As a child's reading level improves, so does the number of words he or she needs to know. Study in content areas, such as science and social studies, adds to a child's vocabulary development.

• Kinder - Oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Fluency First (2 nd semester only), Bible, science, social studies, listening centers
• 1st and 2nd - Oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Fluency First , Wright Group Gear Up guided reading series taught in small groups, trade books, Bible, science, social studies, Accelerated Reader program, Houghton Mifflin Spelling and Vocabulary, supplemental reading, Language Enrichment Oral Language, listening centers, Scholastic News (1 st grade) , Weekly Reader (2 nd grade)
• 3rd - Oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Fluency First , novel units, trade books, Bible, science, social studies, Accelerated Reader program, supplemental reading, Houghton Mifflin Spelling and Vocabulary, Language Enrichment Oral Language, Scholastic News

COMPREHENSION - the interaction that happens between the reader and the text to create meaning. Comprehension arrives from the inner dialogue that occurs in the child's mind. It is intentional and involves several learned strategies.

• Kinder - Oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Neuhaus Reading Readiness story retelling, Fluency First (2 nd semester only), shared reading, listening centers, Bible, science, social studies
• 1st and 2nd - listening centers, oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Fluency First , Wright Group Gear Up guided reading series taught in small groups, trade books, Bible, science, social studies, supplemental reading, Accelerated Reader program , Language Enrichment story retelling, Scholastic News (1 st grade), Weekly Reader (2 nd grade)
• 3rd - oral reading by teacher or guest readers, Fluency First , novel units, trade books, Bible, science, social studies, supplemental reading, Accelerated Reader program, Language Enrichment story retelling, Scholastic News

FLUENCY - the ability to read text accurately and smoothly. Fluent readers use good expression when reading aloud. They use intonation and proper pacing much like they do when they are speaking. This skill is taught by repeated oral readings of text on an appropriate level.

• Kinder - Fluency First (2 nd semester only), listening centers, Bible memory verses
• 1st and 2nd - Fluency First , Bible memory verses, Wright Group Gear Up guided reading series taught in small groups, Neuhaus Language Enrichment program
• 3rd - Fluency First , Bible memory verses, Neuhaus Language Enrichment program, novel units