05/15/2023
Yes 👏 Sometimes it’s not as easy as it sounds though.
used to think that having my students "read" leveled books from the very beginning was what they needed to build comprehension.
I was sure that those boring decodable books would HINDER comprehension, not help it.
What I didn't understand was that decoding needs to become automatic so that students can free up their brains for comprehension.
My students couldn't become automatic decoders without practice ... and they weren't getting the kind of practice they needed with those leveled books!
My students NEEDED to read quality decodable books (yup, quality decodables exist - who knew?).
.. And while kids are working on automaticity, we can build vocabulary and comprehension through quality, interactive read alouds. ❤️
