IDEA 2004 mandates that students must be provided with reading instruction that includes the five essential components (or sub-skills) before being identified as disabled and in need of special education. Understanding these sub-skills is now a critical part of special education advocacy.
In the first session of this two-part workshop, each of the five components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in conjunction with writing and oral language development) will be described in the context of a graphic that depicts the reading process. This provides critical information about a child’s reading profile by linking it with five components of reading that must be addressed within the instructional program. This information, along with data and observation, clarifies how the child’s reading instruction should be designed in terms of discovering which of the five sub-skills, or components of reading, might be emphasized temporarily more than another, “tilting the balance” in a “balanced reading program,” both through special ed and general ed classes.
The second session will provide guidance in choosing specific materials, programs, and resources in each of the five components of reading for a given type of student. It will begin to address some criteria for choosing one over another, for example, looking at some of the most commonly used core, supplemental and intervention programs. Finally, it will outline other sources of information helpful to parents and advocates in securing appropriate reading instruction for students.