The Five Essential Components of Literacy
Phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension
Diego Taylor, EDU512, Gwynedd Mercy University, Professor Reilly, April 2022
Guidance for Teachers & Parents
Skills Competencies
Phonemic Recognize rhyming words.
Awareness
Blending sounds.
Recognize when two or
more words begin with the
same sound (alliteration).
Count syllables in spoken
words.
Isolate and pronounce
initial sounds.
Segment single-syllable
spoken words
into phonemes.
Phonics Develop beginning phonics
and word skills.
Associate some letters
with their names and
sounds.
Identify familiar words and
environmental print.
Differentiate between
short and long vowels.
Blend diagraphs .
Strategies for Teachers
Read aloud rhymes, songs,
and rich language texts to
build phonological awareness.
Provide opportunities for children
to experiment and play with the
sounds that words make through
rhymes, nonsense words, poems,
music, and chants.
Provide opportunities for children
to tap and clap out the syllables of
names or words.
Play rhyming and sound games.
Provide materials for exploration
of sounds like matching pictures
and sorting pictures.
Promote reading the room
strategy, such as searching for
letters and words in
environmental print.
Provide charts and morning
messages for children to read
independently.
Create learning centers that focus
on letters, sounds, words, and
creating simple sentences.
Use print and digital-text
materials for functional purposes.
Word a Study Notebook.
Strategies for Parents
Play language games with
your child. For instance, say
a word, perhaps her name,
and then change it by one
phoneme: Jen-Pen, Jen-
Hen, Jen-Men.
Read rhyming books to and
with your child.
Tell your child the sounds
in a word (start simple!)
and ask them to guess the
word you are making. Say,
/b/ /i/ /g/, guess my word!
BIG!
Teach your child the letters
by utilizing ABC books,
charts, cards, clocks,
magnetic letters, floor
mats, puzzles, lampshades,
bedsheets, and programs
for tablets and computers.
Vocabulary Use new vocabulary in the
context of dramatic play,
daily routines, and
classroom conversations.
Begin to use new
vocabulary when asking
questions or describing
situations or objects.
Connect prior
understandings to
unfamiliar words.
Recognize words or
phrases that are
unfamiliar.
Fluency Recite rhymes, songs, and
familiar text while tracking
with a finger or pointer.
Apply knowledge of
letters, words, and sounds
to read simple sentences.
Assemble letters to form
words and words to form
sentences and (pretend)
to read the words or
sentences back.
Analyzing text to identify
and understand individual
reading.
Comprehension Respond to a question
with an answer or details
related to the topic being
discussed.
Encourage children to ask
Follow two-step directions. questions to find out more
information.
Introduce vocabulary in the Read aloud books that
context of topics when using expand vocabulary
storybooks, finger plays, songs, or knowledge.
poems.
Read aloud books that
Model how use of picture cues demonstrate synonyms,
can help one determine the antonyms, and
meaning of new words. homophones.
Provide concrete materials in
learning centers to assist children
in connecting prior knowledge to
new words or phrases.
Provide purposeful and playful Have them tell you a
exposure to a variety of printed “story.”
materials.
When your child starts
Read aloud books to develop bringing books home from
fluent, phrased reading. school, have her read to
you. If it doesn’t sound
Read and re-read text daily. good (mistakes, choppy
reading), have her read it
Provide learning centers and a again.
classroom library where learners
can interact with emergent reader
text.
Provide a variety of opportunities
for children to engage in pre-
reading (e.g., morning messages,
charts, etc.).
Encourage children to restate Ask “who,” “what,” “how,”
comments made by other “when,” and “where”
children. questions.
Engage children in
conversation about topics
of interest daily.
Embed opportunities for children
to “turn and talk” to share ideas
on a topic.
Resources
https://www.pakeys.org for teachers
https://www.fountasandpinnell.com for teachers

https://www.readingrockets.org for parents