What are the five key components of reading instruction?

The five key components of reading instruction are foundational aspects that help develop a child's reading abilities comprehensively. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words, which is essential for learning how to read. Phonics involves the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, enabling children to decode words effectively.

Fluency is the capacity to read text smoothly and accurately at an appropriate pace, which is critical for understanding the material. Vocabulary development focuses on building a child's word knowledge, which is necessary for comprehension and overall language development. Lastly, comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret text, encompassing the active engagement with reading material and critical thinking about it.

This combination of components ensures that teaching reading is holistic, addressing not only the mechanical aspects of reading but also the understanding of what is read, which is vital for language and literacy development in early childhood education.