Instruction in phonics and word recognition
closely complements and coincides with instruction
related to other standards, strands, and domains of
the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy. These include concepts
about print, phonological awareness, and fluency.
In addition, learning to spell (L.K–1.2), as discussed
previously, contributes to progress in decoding as
children encode language; that is, as they work
to put their thoughts into printed language. And,
instruction in phonics and word recognition supports,
and is supported by, children’s acquisition of
vocabulary (RL/RI.K–1.4, L.K–1.5, Standards 4–5).
Teachers coordinate spelling, phonemic awareness,
decoding, word recognition instruction (and to a
certain extent, vocabulary, especially as children
move through the grades) because these skills are
interdependent and mutually supportive. They make
accuracy in decoding a high priority, and they ensure that students have ample opportunities to
practice newly acquired skills in authentic contexts.
It is important to note that letter-sound and spelling-sound correspondences are not accessible
to all students. Spoken and signed languages are less likely to share formal properties, such as
phonological structure, than two spoken languages (Stokoe, Croneberg, and Casterline 1965; Brentari
2007). Students who are deaf and hard of hearing need to understand the metalinguistic structure of
American Sign Language, and then apply this understanding to the structure of English. For example,
students who are deaf who use a visual language learn that fingerspelling is a critical link in word
learning (Haptonstall-Nykaza and Schick 2007). Because there is not a direct relationship between
American Sign Language and English text, teachers employ strategies that have been shown to be
effective in making this connection.
Students who are deaf and do not have auditory access to spoken language face challenges
when asked to orally pronounce words because they cannot hear themselves or spoken language
models in their environment. Rather than focus on the pronunciation of words, teachers monitor the
comprehension of words for students who are deaf through American Sign Language as they are
reading.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read with accuracy, appropriate
rate (which requires automaticity), and prosody (that is,
expression, which includes rhythm, phrasing, and intonation).
Accuracy is given the highest priority in the grade span.
Fluency develops when children have multiple opportunities
to practice a skill. Decodable texts, discussed in the previous
section, provide the opportunity for beginning readers, and
wide reading, discussed earlier, provides the opportunity as
children gain independence with the code.
Although fluency is important when children read aloud
written text (including their own) for an audience, such as
their peers or family members, the primary importance of
fluency is that it supports comprehension. Children who are fluent, automatic decoders have the
mental energy to attend to meaning making. Children work toward fluency with grade-level text in
Teachers coordinate spelling,
phonemic awareness, decoding,
word recognition instruction (and
to a certain extent, vocabulary,
especially as children move through
the grades) because these skills
are interdependent and mutually
supportive. They make accuracy in
decoding a high priority, and they
ensure that students have ample
opportunities to practice newly
acquired skills in authentic contexts.Although fluency is important
when children read aloud
written text (including their
own) for an audience, such
as their peers or family
members, the primary
importance of fluency is that
it supports comprehension.Transitional Kindergarten to Grade 1 Chapter 3 | 161