Building Strong Readers: Key Literacy Skills and What to Do If There's a Weakness

If you’ve ever looked around your classroom and felt overwhelmed by the sheer range of reading needs, you’re not alone. Some struggle with decoding, others with fluency or comprehension, and some struggle with all three—and it can feel impossible to know where to start. The good news is that when we learn to be both diagnostic (pinpointing exactly where a student is stuck) and prescriptive (choosing the right next step), the path forward becomes much clearer.

In this post, we’ll break down 7 key reading skills every child needs and share what to do if you spot a weakness in each one. In the weeks to come, we'll be diving further into each skill with specific activities and resources to support your students.

(Also, be sure to scroll to the end of the blog post to download a FREE Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet. It's all the information from this blog post in a handy, one-page reference sheet!)

1. Basic Reading Skills

Definition:
Basic reading includes the foundational skills necessary to begin reading, such as print awareness, letter knowledge, and concepts of print (e.g., understanding that text is read from left to right).

Signs of Weakness:

• Difficulty naming letters

• Limited awareness of print in the environment

• Struggles to match sounds with letters

What to Do:

• Teach letter-sound correspondences explicitly and systematically

• Use multisensory activities (e.g., sand trays, air writing) for letter formation and recognition

• Read aloud daily, pointing to words and letters to model directionality and print concepts

   

2. Phonological Awareness

Definition:
Phonological awareness is the umbrella term for the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken language. It includes rhyming, syllables, and phonemic awareness (awareness of individual sounds).

Phonemic awareness — the most critical subskill — is the ability to identify, blend, segment, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in words. This is a strong predictor of reading success.

Signs of Weakness:

• Difficulty identifying beginning or ending sounds

• Trouble blending or segmenting sounds in simple words

• Cannot manipulate sounds (e.g., change /c/ in “cat” to /h/)

What to Do:

• Provide explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, starting with blending and segmenting

• Use sound-only activities (no letters) to develop sound skills before introducing print

• Progress from easier tasks (e.g., identifying first sounds) to more complex (e.g., phoneme substitution)

• Use tools like Elkonin boxes with counters to represent phonemes

   

3. Decoding (Phonics)

Definition:
Decoding is the ability to use knowledge of letter-sound relationships to read unfamiliar words. Decoding is a foundational skill that is taught through phonics instruction.

Signs of Weakness:

• Struggles to sound out unfamiliar words

• Frequently guesses based on first letter or picture cues

• Cannot apply phonics rules to new words

What to Do:

• Teach phonics using a systematic scope and sequence

• Focus on explicit instruction and daily practice with decodable texts

• Avoid teaching unreliable strategies like “guessing from pictures”

• Provide frequent, cumulative review of previously taught patterns

• Teach students to decode using blending routines (e.g., continuous blending, successive blending)

   

4. Fluency

Definition:
Fluency is the ability to read accurately, at an appropriate pace, and with expression. Fluency serves as a bridge between decoding and comprehension.

Signs of Weakness:

• Reads word-by-word, with frequent errors

• Cannot read grade-level text independently

• Lacks prosody or appropriate expression

What to Do:

• Use repeated reading of decodable texts to build automaticity

• Model fluent reading and have students echo or choral read

• Provide targeted fluency practice with short passages that match students’ decoding ability

• Track progress through timed readings, but focus on accuracy before speed

   

5. Comprehension

Definition:
Comprehension is the ability to understand, remember, and make meaning from what is read. It includes identifying the main idea, making inferences, and summarizing. It depends on decoding and language comprehension.

Signs of Weakness:

• Can decode but doesn’t understand text

• Struggles to answer literal or inferential questions

• Cannot retell or summarize what was read

What to Do:

• Build background knowledge and vocabulary through read-alouds and discussion

• Teach text structure (e.g., fiction vs nonfiction, cause and effect, sequence)

• Use explicit comprehension instruction: ask and answer questions, make inferences, summarize

• Focus on language comprehension (listening skills, syntax, oral language) especially for younger students

   

6. Vocabulary

Definition:
Vocabulary is a student's knowledge of words and their meanings. It encompasses both receptive vocabulary (words understood when listening or reading) and expressive vocabulary (words used in speaking or writing). 

Signs of Weakness:

• Limited understanding of word meanings

• Difficulty following academic instructions

• Rarely uses new or complex words in conversation or writing

What to Do:

• Provide direct instruction in vocabulary

• Teach words in context, not in isolation

• Use morphology (prefixes, suffixes, roots) to teach word structure

• Include oral language activities like story retelling and discussion to expand vocabulary naturally

   

7. Spelling (Encoding)

Definition:
Spelling is the ability to encode words by applying phonics and orthographic knowledge. It reinforces decoding and builds automaticity.

Signs of Weakness:

• Spells words phonetically but inconsistently

• Has trouble with common spelling patterns or irregular words

• Can read a word but cannot spell it

What to Do:

• Teach spelling systematically alongside phonics instruction

• Focus on phoneme-grapheme mapping (connecting sounds to letters)

• Use dictation practice with decodable words and sentences

• Incorporate word study that explores patterns and morphology

The Science of Reading shows us that learning to read is a complex but teachable process, and every child can become a successful reader with the right instruction.

If a student shows weakness in any of these areas, the key is:

• Identify the specific gap through assessment

• Use explicit, systematic instruction matched to that skill

• Practice consistently, and celebrate even the smallest of wins

You've got this!

Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet (FREE DOWNLOAD!)

If you would like a printable version of these reading skills and strategies to apply when you spot a weakness, click the image below to download our free Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet!

The Resources You Need, All in ONE Membership!

We understand that purchasing resources one by one adds up fast—and as teachers, we know every dollar matters. That’s why our K-2 membership, Launching Literacy, is a smarter and more cost effective option. Our membership gives you everything you need for small group instruction—all in one place—so you can save time, money, and stress.

No more weekends wasted hunting for Science of Reading–aligned heart word resources, phonics lessons, and decodable texts. With Launching Literacy, you simply log in, choose the skill you want to teach, and instantly download detailed, ready-to-use lesson plans and activities.

In just a few clicks, your small group lessons are prepped and ready to teach—so you can spend less time planning and more time making an impact in your classroom. It’s planning made simple, effective, and affordable.

We hope that you found this blog post helpful! Whether you choose to join the membership or not, we are always here to help you in any way we can. Send us an email at: [email protected] with any questions you have!