The science of reading supports early literacy by providing evidence-based strategies focusing on which foundational skills?

• A. Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension
• B. Spelling and handwriting only
• C. Listening comprehension alone
• D. Moral reasoning and social-emotional learning only

Answer: (A)

The science of reading identifies five key building blocks that support early literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each piece plays a distinct role. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in spoken language, which is essential for decoding print. Phonics links those sounds to written letters, enabling children to convert printed words into spoken language. Fluency, the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression, helps students recognize words automatically so they can focus on meaning. Vocabulary knowledge gives learners the word meanings needed to understand text and to support decoding and comprehension. Finally, comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is read, which is the ultimate goal of literacy.

Other options leave out important elements. Spelling and handwriting are valuable literacy skills but do not comprise the full set of foundational reading components identified by the science of reading. Listening comprehension alone misses the decoding and word-knowledge needs that support reading, and moral reasoning or social-emotional learning, while important for overall development, are not the foundational reading skills emphasized by this evidence base.