Here are the 3 main takeaways:
1. Speaking is a natural human task but reading is actually an invented task. Reading requires many different brain systems to work in sync seamlessly to allow us to draw meaning from text across a page. Some children have robust brain pathways for reading and are able to derive great pleasure from this activity. Other children struggle when brain pathways that support reading are
under-developed.
2. Reading is so much more than just mastering phonics. During the early years of 0-3, parents and educators should focus on helping children understand and enjoy the stories in books, tuning in to the sounds in words and sentences, and encouraging child-directed conversations during reading activities. Phonics, or the "mechanics" of reading, which
involves letter-sound association or actual decoding of words would be the focus after 3 years and should ideally be built upon a foundation of strong oral language.
3. The 6 "must-haves" for solid reading skills, typically developed in chronological order:
- Oral language experience
- Vocabulary
- Phonological awareness
- Letter-sound association or Phonics
- Fluency
- Comprehension
