The Building Blocks of Reading: 5 Foundational Reading Skills Every Teacher Should Know
Post #1 in the “Starting Strong: A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Reading” Series
Foundational reading skills are the heart of effective literacy instruction. They’re the building blocks that help every child grow into a confident, capable reader. Without a strong foundation, students can struggle to decode words, understand what they’re reading, and develop a lifelong love of books.
When I first started teaching, I didn’t realize just how important these skills were. I thought teaching reading was as simple as handing kids books and encouraging them to “sound it out.” But then I discovered the science behind learning to read—and the five pillars of reading instruction—and everything clicked. I finally understood what my students needed to thrive, and it completely transformed the way I taught.
This post is your guide to understanding and teaching foundational reading skills. Whether you’re a brand-new teacher or a seasoned educator looking to refresh your approach, we’ll break down the five essential components of reading instruction and show you how they work together to create strong, independent readers.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Where do I even start with teaching reading?” or “How can I make sure my students are mastering the skills they need?”—you’re in the right place. Let’s dive in and explore how to help every child become a skilled, confident reader.
How the Five Pillars Work Together to Build Foundational Reading Skills
To teach reading effectively, you must have a rock-solid understanding of Foundational Reading Skills. The five pillars of reading instruction—Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension—are the core components that guide every part of literacy development. These aren’t just instructional buzzwords; they’re research-backed skills that every student needs to master to become a strong, independent reader.
Whether you’re a new teacher or an experienced educator reexamining your literacy practices, understanding these pillars is the first step toward teaching Foundational Reading Skills with confidence. Below, we’ll explore each pillar, explain its role in building Foundational Reading Skills, and provide practical tips for teaching it effectively.
1. Phonemic Awareness: The Starting Point of Foundational Reading Skills
What it is:
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds—called phonemes—in spoken words. It’s all done without print. Think of it as tuning your students' ears before they ever pick up a pencil or a book.
Why it matters:
Phonemic awareness is the first step in developing Foundational Reading Skills. It helps students break down the sounds of spoken language before they tackle reading and writing. Without a solid grasp of phonemic awareness, students often struggle with later tasks such as decoding and spelling.
Research shows that phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of long-term reading success. When children can identify the sounds in words, they are better prepared to connect those sounds to written letters through phonics.
It’s the very first layer of reading development—kids must hear and work with sounds before they can match them to letters.
It’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term reading success. Students who struggle with phonemic awareness often struggle with decoding and fluency later on.
Tips for Teaching Phonemic Awareness:
Play simple oral games like “What’s the first sound in map?”
Practice segmenting and blending sounds with words students already know.
Keep it playful and quick—no print needed! Use your fingers, chips, or even movement to represent sounds.
Bonus Insight:
Short, daily phonemic-awareness activities can have a long-lasting impact. Even spending just 10 minutes a day on sound recognition and manipulation can significantly develop students’ Foundational Reading Skills.
➡️ What’s Next: Stay tuned for our next post in the series: “Why Phonemic Awareness is the Key to Reading Success.” We’ll show you how to teach these skills effectively and introduce tools like Orthographic Mapping Sheets and Phonics Word Ladders to build phoneme-grapheme connections.
2. Phonics: Building the Bridge Between Sounds and Letters
What it is:
Phonics is the process of connecting letters to sounds and using those connections to decode words. It's how kids learn to “crack the code” of written language.
Why it matters:
Phonics helps students transition from recognizing sounds to reading words. Without phonics, many students are left guessing at words or relying on memory, which hampers their reading progress. A systematic and explicit approach to phonics instruction builds accuracy, confidence, and fluency—key components of Foundational Reading Skills.
Without phonics, students are left guessing. Decoding gives them access to text.
Systematic phonics instruction—taught in a logical sequence—helps students gain confidence and accuracy in reading.
Tips for Teaching Phonics:
Explicitly teach letter-sound relationships using a structured sequence.
Provide decodable texts so students can immediately apply what they’ve learned.
Blend and segment words daily using word lists, whiteboards, or sound boxes.
Bonus Advice:
The key to teaching phonics as part of Foundational Reading Skills is consistency. Plan daily lessons that introduce, practice, and review specific phonics patterns for systematic progression.
➡️ Coming Soon: In Post #3 of the series, “Phonics Made Simple: A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Letter-Sound Relationships,” we’ll break down the most effective ways to teach phonics and share free resources like Phonics Word Lists and Short Vowel CVC Lessons.
3. Fluency: The Key to Building Confident Readers
What it is:
Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression. It’s not just about reading fast—it’s about reading in a way that sounds like spoken language and makes sense.
Why it matters:
Fluency bridges the gap between word recognition and comprehension. When students become fluent readers, they no longer need to focus all their mental energy on decoding words. Instead, they can shift their attention to understanding what they’re reading. Fluency is also a confidence-booster—students who read smoothly are more likely to enjoy reading and see themselves as successful readers.
Fluent readers can focus on comprehension instead of getting stuck decoding every word.
It’s the bridge between word recognition and understanding.
When kids read smoothly, they build confidence and are more likely to enjoy reading.
Tips for Teaching Fluency:
Use repeated readings of familiar texts to build automaticity.
Model fluent reading aloud—your tone, pacing, and phrasing make a difference.
Try partner reading or echo reading to give students extra practice with support.
Teaching Secret:
Fluency is built over time. By giving students consistent opportunities to engage with texts at their instructional level, you’ll help them secure this essential part of their Foundational Reading Skills.
4. Vocabulary Enriches Comprehension
What it is:
Vocabulary is the collection of words students must know to communicate effectively—both by understanding and using them.
Why it matters:
A strong vocabulary is the foundation for understanding and enjoyment in reading. Students cannot comprehend what they read without knowing the meaning of key words. Vocabulary isn’t limited to general communication—it’s especially critical for success in academic areas like science, math, and history.
A strong vocabulary supports comprehension. Students can’t understand what they read if they don’t know what the words mean.
It’s especially important in content areas like science and social studies.
Vocabulary also helps students express themselves more clearly in speaking and writing.
Tips for Teaching Vocabulary:
Pre-teach key vocabulary before reading a new text.
Use visuals, real-life examples, and context clues to bring new words to life.
Foster curiosity by creating a “wonder word wall” or inviting students to notice new words during read-alouds.
Pro Tip:
Anchor new vocabulary words in meaningful contexts. Repeated exposure over time—both in reading and conversation—is a proven way to help students retain new words.
5. Comprehension: The Ultimate Goal of Foundational Reading Skills
What it is:
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading—making meaning from the text. It’s what we’re working toward with every other pillar.
Why it matters:
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading instruction—it’s what makes reading purposeful and rewarding. Successful comprehension requires students to bring together all the foundational skills they’ve learned, from decoding words to understanding their meanings. This is where reading becomes a tool for curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
Students need to go beyond decoding to understand, connect, and think critically about what they read.
Good comprehension skills empower students to learn from text, not just read it.
It’s what makes reading purposeful and rewarding.
Tips for Teaching Comprehension:
Ask open-ended questions that spark discussion and reflection.
Use graphic organizers like story maps or main idea charts to help students organize their thoughts.
Practice summarizing, predicting, and retelling to deepen understanding.
Teaching Reading with the Science of Reading: Practical Tips
Now that you understand the five pillars of reading instruction, you might be wondering: How do I actually bring all of this into my classroom?
Here’s the good news. You don’t have to reinvent your literacy block! The key is aligning your routines with what the Science of Reading tells us about how kids learn to read. Let’s break it down:
✅ Begin with Strong Phonemic Awareness Routines
Phonemic awareness is your launch pad. Spend 5–10 minutes each day on oral sound activities—no letters needed! Try:
Sound isolation: “What’s the first sound in run?”
Segmenting: “Say the sounds in lap.”
Blending: “What word is /s/ /u/ /n/?”
These quick, high-impact routines are perfect for morning meetings or small groups—and lay the groundwork for phonics success.
✅ Build Systematic Phonics into Your Daily Schedule
Don’t leave phonics to chance. Teach letter-sound relationships in a clear, consistent order.
With UFLI or any structured literacy program, each day should include:
Explicit instruction of a new sound or pattern
Blending practice with word lists
Dictation and encoding practice
Application through decodable text
📎 Need help getting started? Grab my free sample from my Phonics Lessons and Intervention Plan at the end of this post.
✅ Use Decodable Texts that Match Your Phonics Scope
Kids should be reading what they’ve been taught. That’s where decodable books come in.
Look for texts that align with your current phonics focus. For example:
If you’re teaching short /a/, use stories with words like cat, map, and jam
Reinforce high-frequency words you’ve taught, like was or you
Decodable texts give students the confidence to apply their learning and see themselves as readers.
✅ Practice Fluency with Repeated Readings and Modeling
Once kids can decode, they need practice to become fluent.
Try these:
Reread the same decodable passage over a few days
Read aloud to model prosody and phrasing
Invite students to echo read or partner read
Fluency isn’t built in a day, but with consistent exposure, it grows steadily.
✅ Teach Vocabulary through Direct Instruction and Context
Kids won’t just pick up vocabulary. They need intentional instruction.
Choose 3–5 keywords before a read-aloud
Use visuals or act them out
Talk about the words during and after the story
Vocabulary grows best when kids see and use new words in meaningful ways.
✅ Guide Comprehension with Structured Discussions
Finally, remember that reading isn’t just about saying the words. It’s about understanding them.
Ask text-based questions that require thinking, not guessing
Use graphic organizers to help students map their thinking
Model how to summarize or make inferences
Even our youngest readers benefit from rich conversations about books.
By intentionally building these strategies into your day, you’ll be teaching reading the way the brain learns best. That’s what the Science of Reading is all about—and it’s how we help every child become a confident, skilled reader.
🎯 Want ready-to-use resources aligned to these tips? My Science of Reading Phonics Intervention materials are available now in my Resource Shop and TPT store.
💬 Quick Check-In:
I’d love to hear from you!
Which reading pillar do you need the most support with this week?
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
👉 Drop your answer in the comments below or reply to the weekly email—I read every one!
Get the Tools to Start Strong
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
When I first learned about the five pillars of reading instruction, I remember feeling equal parts excited and overwhelmed. I wanted to do it right, but I needed tools that were simple, structured, and ready to use. That’s exactly why I created these resources: to help beginning reading teachers feel confident and supported as they align their instruction to the Science of Reading.
Here are a few favorites to help you get started:
🎁 Option 1: Free Phonics Intervention Sample
Looking for a Science of Reading structured intervention? This free sample from my Phonics Lessons and Intervention Plans is perfect for Tier 2, small group, or catch-up support. It includes word mapping, blending lines, decodable practice, and lesson prompts to take the guesswork out of planning.
👉 Click here to download your free sample
🎁 Option 2: UFLI-Aligned Decodable Readers
Using UFLI in your classroom? These UFLI-Aligned Decodable Readers are built to match your exact scope and sequence. No more searching for the “right” texts. Just grab, print, and teach with confidence.
👉 Click here to explore the decodables
📖 Want to see the five pillars in action?
Don’t miss this related post: 5 Pillars of Literacy in Action: Lessons That Teach Reading.
What’s Next in the Series?
Feeling excited to dig deeper into each pillar? You’re in the right place.
This post gave you the big picture, but now we’re zooming in. In the next two posts, we’ll walk step-by-step through the first pillars of reading instruction so you can feel more confident and more equipped to teach them.
Here’s what’s coming next in the Starting Strong: A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Reading series:
✅ 2. Phonemic Awareness: The First Step in Reading
Post Title: Why Phonemic Awareness is the Key to Reading Success
What You’ll Learn: What phonemic awareness really is, why it’s essential to early reading, and how to teach it using no-print, easy-to-implement routines. We’ll also share tools like Orthographic Mapping Sheets and Phoneme Segmentation Activities to get you started.
✅ 3. Phonics 101: Teaching Letter-Sound Relationships
Post Title: Phonics Made Simple: A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Letter-Sound Relationships
What You’ll Learn: How to teach blending, decoding, and mapping phonics instruction to your scope and sequence. You’ll get sample Phonics Word Lists, Complete Phonics Lessons, and tips for using decodables the right way.
So whether you're a brand-new teacher or just ready to reset your instruction using the Science of Reading, these next posts will guide you one step at a time.
Make sure to join the email list so you don’t miss when each post (and free download!) goes live.
Final Thoughts
Teaching reading isn’t just about handing kids books and hoping for the best. It’s about building a strong foundation—one that’s rooted in research, guided by the Science of Reading, and supported by proven practices.
When you understand the five pillars of reading instruction, you’re no longer guessing. You’re teaching with purpose. You’re giving students the tools they need to become confident, capable readers for life.
Whether you're a beginning reading teacher or you're hitting the reset button on your literacy instruction, this is where it all begins.
🎯 Ready to start strong?
👉 Download your free phonics intervention sample
👉 Explore the UFLI-Aligned Decodables
Let’s build skilled readers—one lesson, one strategy, one pillar at a time.
Together, we’ve got this. 💛
