Phonics instruction alone doesn’t make great readers or the title of literate. Phonics offers them the tools to unlock reading and spelling. Many early literacy programs are phonics-based- but kids need books in their hands and surrounded by language.
They need to be surrounded by words and be moved by them at a young age. We want to be wide readers. Kids need to be exposed to literacy all over the place- in books, have books read to them, listen to books, listen to the lyrics, tell and make up jokes, talk about books, have them “read” the signs around you (environmental print), etc.
Literacy is about making meaning. There are plenty of people who can decode words, but they don’t mean anything to them. That’s not reading. If you aren't making meaning and connections, you are decoding and not reading. Let's make reading inviting, safe, a place for learning and connects, and not a checklist or chore.
Here are some great ways to incorporate some wide reading into your home or classroom.
