Phonemic awareness

• Understanding that words are made up of sounds

Phonics (alphabetic principle)

• Understanding letter represent sounds and words are made up of sounds

Fluency

• The ability to read with automaticity

Vocabulary

• Understanding the meaning of words

Comprehension

• Understanding meaning between the text and the reader

Students need to have a strong development in all areas, with the focus beginning with phonemic awareness and phonics, and then progressing focus to fluency, vocabulary and comprehension as reading develops.