Reading comprehension levels in the U.S. have fallen below many other countries, driving a need for educators specializing in reading education. According to the National Literacy Institute, the U.S. ranks No. 36 in literacy. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) reported that “not even half (43%) of fourth graders in the U.S. scored at or above a proficient level in reading.” Research into how best to teach children to read has resulted in improved instructional practices and further study of reading comprehension.
Educators who want to transform student learning while pursuing career advancement in literacy can become reading specialists through the online Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Reading program offered by Arkansas State University (A-State). With two different tracks available, Professional Practice or Advanced Perspective, this program builds on educators’ strengths to help them achieve their goals and promote literacy.
Defining the Science of Reading Comprehension
For more than 20 years, reading experts — including cognitive scientists, developmental psychologists and linguists — have studied how we learn to read, according to Keys to Literacy. The resulting body of knowledge “has helped debunk older methods of reading instruction that were based on tradition and observation, not evidence.”
The science of reading is a collection of research-testing theories on how children best learn to read. Teaching reading relies on five major elements:
- Phonemic awareness: the ability to identify individual sounds in words
- Phonics: understanding how letters and groups of letters form sounds and spelling patterns
- Fluency: the ability to read words, phrases, sentences and stories correctly
- Vocabulary: knowing what words mean and how to say and use them correctly
- Comprehension: the ability to understand a text
New research continues to provide insight into how we learn to read, so the science is always evolving. There is no program, intervention or product that you can buy to solve reading comprehension issues. Instead, it’s an approach to teaching based on the research.
Starting Early Benefits Students
Fluency is not the same as comprehension. Keys to Literacy notes that comprehension instruction should begin “at the same time that early elementary students are developing oral language, phonemic awareness and phonics skills.”
Recognizing words and being able to read sentences and paragraphs correctly does not mean that a student comprehends what they have read. Teaching reading comprehension requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the needs of a wide range of readers. To do this, educators should utilize more than one research-supported instructional practice. There are often synergies in instructional practices, such as comprehension strategy instruction, teaching text structures and building knowledge through vocabulary.
Comprehension Strategy Instruction
Keys to Literacy notes that comprehension strategy instruction starts with the teacher gradually guiding students in the use of comprehension strategies such as “comprehension monitoring strategies, use of graphic organizers and semantic maps (including story maps), question answering and generating by students, and summarization.” Some students seem to absorb these strategies naturally, while many others benefit from being instructed in how to think before, during and after reading.
Teaching Text Structure
Teaching text structure has proven effective for students of varying grade levels and abilities. When teachers describe expository text structures, they give students an organizational framework that helps them identify the key ideas and details in what they are reading.
Building Knowledge With Vocabulary
The academic content knowledge and cultural understanding that students develop through day-to-day activities affect their reading comprehension. To help students either activate their prior knowledge or provide some new background knowledge, teachers can help students by using an activity before reading that will improve their comprehension of the text. Previewing vocabulary before reading the selected text helps students learn unfamiliar words and boosts comprehension.
Advancing Your Career as a Literacy Leader
There are a variety of career opportunities for those who want to become an advocate for literacy in their school and community. For example, Advanced Perspective Track students in A-State’s online Ed.S. in Reading program can pursue roles as curriculum directors, ELA/reading curriculum leaders, literacy leads, researchers and adjunct university professors.
For educators who want to pursue a post-graduate degree in reading as a content specialist, the Professional Practice Track in A-State’s program offers career opportunities as a reading specialist, literacy coach, literacy specialist and school/district professional development provider.
Both tracks are ideal options for future education specialists, especially in courses like Principles of Literacy Cognition. Regardless of the track students pursue, A-State’s fully online program provides an accelerated and flexible path for educators who want to advance their career goals in reading and literacy.
Learn more about A-State’s online Education Specialist in Reading program.