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What is SoR?

The Science of Reading (SoR) research is a comprehensive body of studies focused on understanding how individuals learn to read and the most effective methods for teaching reading. This multidisciplinary field integrates insights from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and education to unravel the complexities of acquiring the skills necessary for reading..

SoR emphasizes the importance of explicit, systematic instruction in key areas. They are: 

• phonemic awareness
• phonics
• fluency
• vocabulary 
• comprehension

Phonemic awareness involves recognizing and manipulating the sounds in spoken words, while phonics teaches the relationship between these sounds and their written symbols. Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression, and vocabulary development is crucial for understanding any text. Finally, comprehension strategies enable students to make sense of and engage with what they read.

Research in this field has shown that these components are interrelated and essential for reading proficiency. Implementing SoR principles in classrooms leads to more effective reading instruction, ensuring that students develop strong foundational skills and a lifelong love of reading.

What does this look like in Secondary Classrooms?

Implementing the Science of Reading (SoR) in middle and high school classrooms can significantly enhance literacy outcomes for students. At these educational levels, SoR principles adapt to the more complex texts and advanced comprehension skills required for academic success across various subjects.

While phonics instruction and fluency are still necessary for below grade level readers, the other components of SoR are still so important to helping students to read the increasingly more complex texts that they see at these higher levels. For on-grade-level middle and high school students, Science of Reading (SoR) methods focus on enhancing fluency, building vocabulary, and strengthening comprehension to ensure they can handle the increased complexity of secondary-level texts

Fluency at this stage involves reading with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. In the classroom, this can be developed through activities such as partner reading, where students read aloud to each other, and repeated readings of the same text to build familiarity and confidence. Teachers might also incorporate performance-based reading activities, like reader’s theater, where students practice reading scripts to improve fluency while engaging in expressive reading.

Vocabulary instruction becomes more advanced and discipline-specific. Teachers can use strategies such as pre-teaching critical vocabulary before reading assignments, using semantic mapping to show relationships between words, and encouraging the use of context clues within texts. Interactive word walls and vocabulary journals help students actively engage with new words. Teaching morphology—understanding roots, prefixes, and suffixes—enables students to decode unfamiliar words more effectively. Additionally, a systematic method for teaching students new words regularly is recommended.

Comprehension strategies in secondary classrooms are focused on critical thinking and deeper analysis as texts become more and more complicated. Techniques such as annotating texts, summarizing paragraphs, and discussing inferences and predictions are crucial. Teachers might employ Socratic seminars or literature circles to encourage discussion and deeper engagement with texts. Graphic organizers can help students break down complex texts and understand main ideas and details. Inferring strategies, both at the text level and deeper, more global level are imperative and help students to think deeply about what they read. Additionally, integrating cross-curricular reading activities encourages students to apply their literacy skills in all subjects. This allows for a more holistic educational experience.

By incorporating these SoR methods, teachers can help on-grade-level middle and high school students enhance their reading fluency, expand their vocabulary, and develop strong comprehension skills, preparing them for academic challenges and lifelong literacy. And, likewise, these methods can help bridge the gaps for students that are missing foundational skill sets.

Check out these resources for more information or check out this free #SoRin2ndary Toolkit with a breakdown and links to ALL of the tips you could ever need!