A Look at the Big 5

In the year 2000, the National Reading Panel report identified five key areas that support reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. A rich interplay between the Big 5 contributes to powerful, high impact instruction and growth in young readers. When working with students, it is important that all five areas are addressed. It is easy to believe that comprehension or phonics is the key to reading success, when all five are necessary for comprehensive and explicit instruction.