Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade

We checked this card's citation and the finding we state against the source's own page or record in October 2026.

What it found

A What Works Clearinghouse panel made four recommendations for teaching early reading. It rated the evidence Strong for teaching the sounds in speech and how they link to letters, and for teaching students to decode, analyze word parts and write and recognize words; Moderate for daily reading of connected text; and Minimal for teaching academic language.

The recommendations and the panel's ratings

1. 1. Teach academic language skills, including inferential and narrative language, and vocabulary knowledge. Minimal evidence
2. 2. Develop awareness of the segments of sounds in speech and how they link to letters. Strong evidence
3. 3. Teach students to decode words, analyze word parts, and write and recognize words. Strong evidence
4. 4. Ensure that each student reads connected text every day to support reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Moderate evidence

What kind of study it is

Design

Practice guide

Weight

Each recommendation counts by the panel's own rating: Strong as a synthesis, Moderate as a trial, Minimal as context.

Who

School-age children (K–12)

Read it

ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/21 · ERIC record ED566956

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Cited in the Library

• Science of reading
• Phonemic awareness instruction
• Repeated reading for fluency
• Systematic phonics vs balanced literacy: what the research says