The Keystone State Reading Association recognizes that reading is a complex process, the purpose of which is to construct meaning from text. Acquisition and control of this process is accomplished differently and at varying rates depending upon the styles and capabilities of each learner. "There is no single method or single combination of methods that can successfully teach all children to read. Therefore, teachers must have a strong knowledge of multiple methods for teaching reading and a strong knowledge of the children in their care so they can create the appropriate balance of methods needed for the children they teach." (International Reading Association, 1999)

The Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening directly state that comprehension is the key reason for teaching reading. Students must be explicitly taught a variety of before, during, and after reading skills and strategies that enable them to demonstrate the four reading stances (initial understanding, developing interpretation, responding personally, and responding critically) required by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA). Most children learn best when skills and strategies are presented and practiced in a meaningful context. Such instruction should foster both the ability and the desire to read increasingly complex materials. Programs or techniques that do not engage students in authentic, meaningful literacy activities are doing children an injustice.

Currently, there is an emphasis on the "readiness skills" of phonological awareness (including phonemic awareness), the alphabetic principle, and automaticity with sight words and letter-sound associations. While these skills are important to successful decoding and encoding, they are, in fact, learned best as a consequence of effective reading instruction that supports reading acquisition. This is a reciprocal process that occurs as children receive instruction in word study, and as they are afforded opportunities to practice these skills using authentic, instructionally appropriate text. These "readiness skills" are not the only components nor should they be the components receiving the greatest emphasis in a literacy program. The acquisition of these skills is only part of the complex process of learning to read.

Classroom teachers require ready access to a variety of instructional materials, methodologies, and assessments to effectively teach all students to read. Differentiated instruction must be provided based on identified student strengths and needs, and assessments that inform instruction must be ongoing. Proficient reading is sustained and enhanced by extensive opportunities to read interesting materials. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers have available an adequate supply of books at a range of levels appropriate for all children in their classrooms. Teachers may need the support of reading specialists in working with students who have significant problems. They may need the assistance of volunteers or aides to provide experiences with language for disadvantaged children. Most importantly, the support of parents must be enlisted, and parent-training initiatives must be a part of every school’s literacy plan.

Assuring that all children meet the local, state, and national literacy standards is a tremendous undertaking that demands the investment of everyone — educators, parents, the community, and the students themselves. Only with all participants working together toward the same goal, i.e., to develop students who read for meaning, can we be sure that no child is left behind.

Burns, M. S., Griffin, P., and Snow, C. (Eds.) (1999). Starting out right: A guide to promoting

children’s reading success. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Learning First Alliance. (1998). Every child reading: An action plan of the Learning First

Alliance. Washington, DC: Author.

International Reading Association. (2000). Teaching all children to read: The roles of the

reading specialist. Newark, DE: Author. International Reading Association. (1999). Using multiple methods of beginning reading 

instruction: A position statement of the International Reading Association. Newark, DE: Author.

International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education

of Young Children. (1998). Overview of learning to read and write: Developmentally

appropriate practices for young children. Newark, DE: Author.

Report of the National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-base

assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington, DC: Author.

Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young

children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

©2008 Keystone State Reading Association

Last Modified 07/17/2008    Website Coordinator: Eric C. MacDonald