Critical Elements of Classroom and Small‐Group Instruction Promote Reading Success in All Children

Abstract

The components of effective reading instruction are the same whether the focus is prevention or intervention: phonemic awareness and phonemic decoding skills, fluency in word recognition and text processing, construction of meaning, vocabulary, spelling, and writing. Findings from evidence‐based research show dramatic reductions in the incidence of reading failure when explicit instruction in these components is provided by the classroom teacher. To address the needs of children most at risk of reading failure, the same instructional components are relevant but they need to be made more explicit and comprehensive, more intensive, and more supportive in small‐group or one‐on‐one formats. The argument is made that by coordinating research evidence from effective classroom reading instruction with effective small‐group and one‐on‐one reading instruction we can meet the literacy needs of all children.