Introduction embracing science and balance
Shift 1 Rethinking how reading comprehension begins ; Clearing up some confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 Reading comprehension begins with print ; Misunderstanding 2 Understanding spoken language and understanding written language are two different things ; Misunderstanding 3 If children have strong oral language, they have most of what they need to learn to read ; Misunderstanding 4 Successful comprehension in beginning reading texts means that reading comprehension is on track ; A Short Summary of the Science ; Recommendations for Making the Shift
Shift 2 Recommitting to Phonemic Awareness Instruction ; Clearing Up Some Confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 Phonemic awareness develops naturally ; Misunderstanding 2 Phonemic awareness and phonics are the same thing ; Misunderstanding 3 Once children know all their letters and sounds, they will be able to read ; Misunderstanding 4 Phonemic awareness is mostly a readiness or prereading skill ; Misunderstanding 5 Intentional phonemic awareness instruction takes a lot of time or fancy resources ; A Short Summary of the Science ; Recommendations for Making the Shift
Shift 3 Reimagining the Way We Teach Phonics ; Clearing Up Some Confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 Learning to recognize letters is just like learning to recognize any other object ; Misunderstanding 2 Strengthening phonics instruction means purchasing a program ; Misunderstanding 3 Phonics isn't really worth teaching because English is unpredictable and its spellings are unreliable ; Misunderstanding 4 If you have a strong scope and sequence and solid instructional routines, you have systematic instruction ; Misunderstanding 5 Learning phonics is boring ; A Short Summary of the Science ; Recommendations for Making the Shift
Shift 4 Revising High-Frequency World Instruction ; Clearing Up Some Confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 Sight words are the same as high-frequency words ; Misunderstanding 2 High-frequency words can't be decoded ; Misunderstanding 3 Children just need to memorize irregularly spelled high-frequency words as whole units ; Misunderstanding 4 The best way to learn high frequency-words is to practice reading, writing, and/or chanting the letters over and over ; Misunderstanding 5 If you can read a word, you know it ; A Short Summary of the Science ; Recommendations for Making the Shift
Shift 5 Reinventing the Ways We Use MSV (3 Cueing Systems) ; Clearing Up Some Confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 We need to avoid telling students to "sound it out." ; Misunderstanding 2 When they are problem solving, children should first ask "What would make sense?" ; Misunderstanding 3 Children don't need to use all of the print to read ; Misunderstanding 4 The primary reason to teach children to decode is to problem solve the word in the moment ; A Short Summary of the Science ; Recommendations for Making the Shift
Shift 6 Reconsidering Texts for Beginning Readers ; Clearing Up Some Confusion ; Misunderstanding 1 Decodable texts are loaded with problems ; Misunderstanding 2 Predictable texts make learning to read easier ; Misunderstanding 3 Using meaning as the go-to source of information will teach children to comprehend ; Misunderstanding 4 As long as kids are spending time with books every day they wilt become better readers ; A short summary of the science ; Recommendations for making the shift