Reading Basics for All Teachers: Supporting the Common Core guides teachers as they provide literacy instruction in every subject area. The components of the reading process are analyzed and provide the reader with an understanding of foundational reading skills as well as the shifts in literacy instruction. With the increased importance of complex texts and the use of textual evidence in support of comprehension, every teacher needs to be prepared to champion literacy development. Each chapter analyzes one of the strands of the literacy process. The characteristics and impact of oral language, phonological awareness, decoding, phonics and word analysis, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension are addressed in depth. The strands that students must master to become proficient readers are examined in each chapter. Classroom visits and literary connections help the reader visualize the strands’ impact on instruction. Then the overarching why is addressed by analyzing research supporting the instruction in each of the strands. Assessments and activities are incorporated to support the understanding and implementation of each strand in order to move readers from theory to practice. As readers tie the strands of reading together to form an understanding of the entire process, they will see how their instructional practices can impact effective literacy instruction in every subject area.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1- The Literacy Mosaic Literary Connection Classroom Visit Literacy Development Literacy Development as a Physiological Process Literacy Development as a Linguistic Process Literacy Development as a Cognitive Process Literacy Development as a Psychological Process Literacy Development as a Social and Cultural Process Creating the Literacy Mosaic Planning for Instruction What Makes Text Complex? References Chapter 2- Oral Language Classroom Scenario Literary Connection Oral Language Continuum Language Difficulties Assessing Oral Language Informal Assessment SOLOM Language Organizes Thought K-12 Language Development Oral Language Activities Telephone Game Book Talks Text Detectives Jigsaw Rate the Characters Reporter Brain Dump Say it Another Way Read Aloud Toe the Line References Chapter 3- Phonological Awareness Classroom Visit Literary Connection What is Phonological Awareness? Teacher Knowledge Survey Answers Continuum of Phonological Awareness Assessments Phonemic Awareness Activities Sound Counting (Elkonin Boxes) Change or Take Away Game Rhyming Word Games Syllable Say Game The Long and the Short of It Game Phoneme Match Phoneme Race Sound Chain Word Tiles References Chapter 4- Decoding, Phonics, and Word Analysis Literary Connection Classroom Scenario What is Decoding? Literary Connection What is Phonics? Types of Phonics Instruction Phonics Knowledge Teacher Knowledge Survey Answers Where Should Phonics Instruction Begin? Grapheme-Phoneme Relationships Vowel Combinations Making Multiple Sounds Morphemes Syllabic Instruction Assessments Passage for Phonics Assessment – Student Copy Passage for Phonics Assessment – Teacher Copy Phonics Activities Syllable War Build a Word Winning Vowel Teams Add to a Word Suffix Race Wrapping Up the C Sh Checkers Divide and Conquer References Chapter 5- Fluency Classroom Visit Literary Connection What is Fluency? What Research Says Assessing Fluency Oral Reading Fluency Oral Reading Rate by Grade Hudson, Lane, and Pullen Checklist Fluency Activities Speed Read Alphabet Match Make the Match Sound Match Speed Read Treasure Chest Say it Louder! Find the Phrase Group Them Radio Announcer Reader’s Theater References Chapter 6- Vocabulary Classroom Visit Literary Connection Vocabulary Knowledge Types of Vocabulary Vocabulary Tiers Vocabulary Assessment Informal Cloze Tests Maze Tests Vocabulary Knowledge Scales Vocabulary Activities Snowball Fight Race to the Apex! Word Sorts Autumn Leaves Seven Most Important Words Frayer Puzzles Conversation Vocabulary Homophone Match Multiple Meaning Word Spoons Sticking Together Quick Draw References Chapter 7- Comprehension Classroom Visit Literary Connection Factors that Impact Comprehension Text Reader and the Text Common Core and Comprehension Instructional Shifts Close Reading Identifying Appropriate Texts Quantitative Factors Qualitative Factors Feature Overlap Scaffolding Comprehension QARs Text-Dependent Questions Literacy Practices Read Alouds Shared Reading Guided Reading Word Study Writing Before, During and After Reading Before Reading During Reading After Reading Assessment Formal Assessments Informal Assessments Progress Monitoring Comprehension Assessments for Classroom Use Oral Retelllings Content-Area Reading Inventory Comprehension Activities Cubes Indirect Characterization Give One- Get One Inference Venn Diagrams Word Splash RAFT Shape Up Review ABC Organizer Semantic Feature Analysis Concept Map References Chapter 8- The Literacy Mosaic References