As educators equip students to read independently for learning and enjoyment, they know that truly effective reading instruction extends far beyond decoding skills. Once students cross the “decoding threshold” (Wang et al., 2019) and can automatically decode multisyllabic, grade-level words, fluency is enabled, cognitive energy is freed up, and vocabulary and comprehension can take center stage. Research shows that continued, targeted instruction or intervention in both comprehension and vocabulary are vital for cultivating proficient, confident readers and lifelong learners.
Readers encounter increasingly complex texts as they advance through the grades, and once readers have crossed the decoding threshold, they can fully benefit from structured comprehension instruction. Close reading practices help students master an array of comprehension skills to interpret both literary and informational texts deeply, understanding “what a text says, how it says it, and what it means” (Shanahan, 2012). By wrestling with instructionally worthwhile texts through a deliberate, analytical process involving multiple reads, annotations, text-dependent questions, and post-reading tasks to promote deeper thinking (Fisher and Frey, 2012), students can learn to approach complex texts with precision and critical insight.
In complex, content-rich texts, students continually encounter academic vocabulary essential for comprehension. Advanced word study that focuses on morphology, syllabication, and multisyllabic word fluency enables students to understand and build automaticity with unfamiliar academic vocabulary words, fostering both vocabulary acquisition and comprehension (Spencer, 2015).
Research indicates that morphological awareness—the ability to think about the smaller units of meaning within words—strongly correlates with vocabulary knowledge, and which strengthens further as students advance through the grades (Nagy, et al, 2003). In other words, the better a student understands word structure, the larger the student’s vocabulary is likely to be. As students develop increasingly sophisticated understandings of prefixes, suffixes, and roots and how these units of meaning function within words, they can better unlock word meanings, improve spelling, and broaden vocabulary.
Alongside direct comprehension-focused instruction and advanced word study, students benefit greatly from direct, systematic vocabulary instruction that involves repetition, multiple and varied exposures in rich contexts, and active learning opportunities (National Reading Panel, 2000; Marzano, 2009). “Understanding word meaning has always been essential to reading comprehension” (NCES, 2012), and it is particularly important that children learn high-utility, general academic vocabulary words that are often found in written text but used infrequently in daily conversation (Beck 2013).
Once students have mastered foundational reading skills, educators can foster continued growth through multi-pronged instruction and intervention that sharpens comprehension, enriches word knowledge, and expands vocabulary. This sustained focus on literacy development not only fuels academic excellence but also prepares students for empowered participation in the world beyond the classroom.