Everyone needs to be able to read with proficiency. With our 7 Sound Steps to Reading program, it's possible. Proficiency means reading with comfort, comprehension, and appropriate speed. Reading proficiency is the cornerstone of academic success. A student who is not a proficient reader will struggle in school and consistently fall behind. They will get further behind each year.
Educators and administrators know that achieving reading proficiency by the end of third grade is critical. Nevertheless, about two-thirds of our fourth graders are not proficient readers. This statistic has not significantly improved since 1990. That is when testing by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) began. Research by reading scientists suggest that we can alter this reality, but we need to change the way we teach reading.
5 Foundational Skills in 7 Sound Steps
Reading scientists agree that there are 5 foundational skills for reading well. They also agree that these skills
are sequential in nature. Anyone, of any ages, at any reading level, can improve as long as the teaching method provides instruction for the development of all five foundational skills. 7 Sound Steps to Reading focuses on these 5 building blocks of proficiency: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.
7 Sound Steps to Reading consists of 7 sequential steps, each focusing on one or more of the 5 foundational skills. The steps are systematic, structured, and stepwise. Each one builds on the one before. The steps are also self-paced and flexible for individualized learning. Each student can work at his or her own speed and can start or stop anywhere he or she is comfortable. The learner may also go forward and back through the steps at will as often as necessary, building greater skill and stronger foundations for the symbol/sound connection known as phonemic awareness.
Phonemic Awareness and Phonics
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words are made up of individual sounds, and those sounds are represented in writing by letters. Thus, the first step to develop phonemic awareness is to learn the alphabet. The alphabet is Step 1 in our program. The alphabet is Step 1 in our program. We include uppercase and lowercase letters and writing instructions.
Once a student knows the alphabet, the best way to cultivate phonemic awareness is through a program of systematic, structured phonics. The word “phonics” comes from the Greek word for “sound.” Phonics is a system of rules connecting letters to predictable speech sounds. Phonics is the second of the 5 foundational skills. It is introduced in Step 2 and expanded through Step 5. In this step, the student learns all 44 sounds that make up English words.
44 Sounds in 7 Steps
It takes some effort to learn through the 44 sounds in this step, but there is mounting evidence that it is the best method for learning to read. English is an alphabetic language, and English words are phonetic about 85% of the time. Thus, most words can be sounded out even if the student has never seen them before. A student learns to “sight read” unfamiliar words because they understand that the letters are a “code” for sounds. Once a student understands the phonetic code, he or she can “decode” most new words. With practice, the decoding practice becomes automatic…like breathing…or riding a bicycle.
Plus, because our program starts with the alphabet in Step 1 and sounds in Step 2, any student, even a preschooler, who completes the first two steps will have the basic skill for learning to read. In fact, the first two steps are meant to comprise the Primer lever of 7 Sound Steps to Reading, and they are for new readers of any age, reading level, or language background, creating a “sound” foundation for Step 3.
Primer Level—Steps 1 and 2—for PreK and K, and New Readers of Any Age
Step 1—Learn the Symbols
These first two steps form the Primer Level of 7 Sound Steps to Reading. This step focuses on the alphabet as the first step in developing phonemic awareness. New readers and those with special needs should begin at Step 1. Others should at least review this step. Here you will learn the names and shapes of the 26 letters and 52 symbols of our alphabet. There are options for reviewing the symbols, and we have provided instruction in how to write the letters.
Beginning readers and students with special needs should carefully trace each letter shape while saying the name of the letter. Downloadable practice pages are provided for this reason. This reinforces learning and engages different learning styles. In Step 2, students learn to distinguish between the name and the sound of each symbol.
Step 2—Learn the Sounds
The focus of Step 2 is phonemic awareness and introducing phonics. This section teaches the 44 sounds and their phonics rules, broken into small groups with a logical progression of symbols and sound types. Students should trace letters saying the sound of the letter rather than its name.
Step 2 also introduces the concept of elision, so students can begin to practice sliding one sound into the next. Practice of simple phonetic words and “non-words” is included, using only the sounds and the concepts presented so far. Sight words, reading practice, and a page of rules and definitions reinforce the principles in this step.
This is the critical step in developing phonemic awareness, and it is a great deal of information. Students should go as slowly as necessary through this step, going forward and back as often as needed. Everyone is different. A student will have a developing phonemic awareness by the completion of Step 2, as well as a growing sight word vocabulary and even a little grammar.
Early Elementary Level—Steps 1-4—for Grades 1 and 2 or Equivalent
Step 3: Learn the Syllable
Step 3 introduces the syllable. It begins the serious focus It begins the serious focus of applying phonics training to words. The syllable is the fundamental unit of English communication and a great tool for phonics instruction. Understanding the syllable is a crucial part of being able to decode and understand larger, more complicated words.
Using only one-syllable words, Step 3 introduces the syllable as: a word or word part that has one vowel sound which creates one “beat of speech. One-syllable practice words are grouped by specific vowel sounds to reinforce the symbol/sound connection. A secondary focus is building skill at elision (sliding one sound into the next), an important part of expression.
By the end of Step 3, students are reading practice sentences made up of one-syllable words, allowing them to experience actual reading success in decoding and comprehension.
Step 4—Learn the Subdivision and Stress
Step 4 introduces the subdivision of words along with word stress. Its goals are to extend phonics application to multi-syllable words, build vocabulary, and introduce proper expression. To progress from words of one syllable to larger words, a student must learn to accurately subdivide. Proper subdivision reduces a multi-syllable word to a series of one-syllable word parts, giving students a better chance to decode.
Correct pronunciation is also needed if the student is going to learn to read with fluency and comprehension. Word stress is a feature of English that is critical to correct pronunciation, and it can affect meaning and function if altered. Subdivision and stress are valuable tools for unlocking unfamiliar words. Each time a student successfully decodes an unfamiliar word, it becomes a new part of his or her vocabulary.
Beginning with Step 4, students will begin to read larger passages of text in a section called “Reading for Meaning,” This is the first step in building comprehension through vocabulary and context clues.
By completion of Step 4, students have successfully navigated decoding words of two, three, and four syllables. They have studied word endings (-s, -y,-ed and -ing) and know how to create them when needed. Also, they have also learned the most spoken vowel sound in English, the schwa, ǝ. They are well prepared to move on to Step 5 for more phonics, more vocabulary, and more fluency.
Elementary Level—Steps 1-5—for Grades 3 and 4 or Equivalent
Step 5— Learn the System of Latin
Steps 1 through 5 comprise the Elementary Level steps and are intended for student up to grade 4 or equivalent reading skill. Every student who successfully completes the first 5 steps should be able to read at grade level with proficiency.
Step 5 focuses on the system of roots, prefixes, and suffixes that English borrowed from Latin. This system gives English virtually unlimited variations in word choice with a high degree of word comprehension. This step moves logically through roots, prefixes, and suffixes. After which, it explores changes in word tense, function, meaning, and spellings.
Words borrowed from other languages are common in English, and Latin is not the only source. For greater vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency, students will learn words from additional languages before leaving Step 5.
Intermediate Level—Steps 1-6—for Grades 5 and 6 or Equivalent
Step 6— Learn the Syntax, Sentence, & Sight Words
Steps 1 through 6 make up the Intermediate Level steps. They are for students through grade 6 or equivalent reading skill. Step 6 explores the sentence and syntax as the next steps toward fluency and comprehension. The purpose of this step is to bridge newly acquired reading ability to other language arts skills—especially thinking and writing. It is also to reinforce a student’s foundational skill of vocabulary and supplementary skill of using context clues for greater comprehension, fluency, and expression.
At this point, students are moving comfortably through words to take in larger, more “comprehensive” units of communication. Our communication hierarchy looks like this:
letters/phonemes > words > phrases & clauses > sentences > paragraphs.
While students have been reading the sentence since Step 2, they will now learn its significance. The sentence is the first level of communication that conveys a coherent message. For fluency and comprehension, students should understand the definition of the sentence and its construction. For this reason, small segments of grammar have been included in previous steps. Along with the definition of the sentence and the explanation of its two basic parts, students learn the four types of sentences, their structures, and their forms of punctuation.
The ability to read is not an end in itself; it leads to literacy, which is commonly defined as “the ability to read and write.” However, we all know it is much more than that. “To read and write” doesn’t just mean to be able to form letters. True literacy means to take meaning from written words as well as to be able to put our own thoughts into effective communication.
Advanced Level—Steps 1-7—for Grade 7 and Beyond
Step 7—Learn the Style Features of English
Steps 1 through 7 are the Advanced Level for students of 7th grade and beyond. This step focuses on the ultimate goal of reading, which is comprehension, even when reading for pleasure. It’s difficult to enjoy a book that you don’t understand. It’s even more difficult to learn from a book that you don’t understand. For this reason, comprehension is critical.
Why are figures of speech in a program of reading instruction? These are, after all, just devices, the “bells and whistles,” that add variety, color, and personality to an author’s writing. Yes, that is just why they are in this program.
In general, figures of speech are nonliteral devices. They say what they don’t mean and don’t say what they do mean. It can make the writing interesting but confusing as well. Maximizing students’ comprehension and fluency requires they understand at least some of these figures of speech.
Step 7 includes a number of “basic” figures of speech that students of this age will definitely encounter in their reading. Being familiar with these devices is critical to full comprehension. The greater the mastery of these types of devices, the more a student will read with speed and accuracy, with greater understanding and retaining more.
Achieving Proficiency
And that is the goal: students adept at the 5 foundational skills of reading—phonemic awareness, phonics,
vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. We’re not suggesting that it’s easy. It takes time and practice. However, at some point, it becomes quick and automatic, like breathing…or riding a bicycle! That’s proficiency!
Students will have only just begun to achieve their potential, but they will be able to decode most new words and get information and meaning from what they read. Vocabulary will continue to grow, and other skills—spelling, thinking, and writing—will also improve. The more each student reads, the more improvement and growth he or she will experience.
How quickly can you achieve proficiency? That depends on where he or she starts and how consistently he or she progresses through the work. Everyone is different, but everyone can improve their reading skills through this program. Preschoolers, students with special needs, even adults can learn to read more effectively this way. They just have to be willing to work consistently, be confident, and don’t quit.
Sometimes, change takes time.
We hope every struggling reader finds his or her way to 7 Sound Steps to Reading to improve their skills, renew their enthusiasm for learning, and enjoy academic success and lifelong reading.