Direct Reading Instruction Analysis

In my own education, the reading activities that have had the most effect on my reading have varied. During my primary years, the strategies that we now call direct reading instruction helped build the foundational comprehension and vocabulary skills needed for reading more complex texts in college. While reading, I use context clues to try and understand any unknown vocabulary words. If this strategy does not work, I use my computer to look up synonyms for the word and re-read the sentence by replacing it with a word I understand. Additionally, I reread the entire paragraph with the synonym to derive the meaning of the concept or topic.

I also write the vocabulary word and the synonym down in a notebook to refer to when needed. Strategies
I read the headings or subheadings of the chapters, captions underneath a picture, illustrations, examples, or any information that is bolded. Then I typically scan the first and last paragraphs to get an overall view of what the topic will cover. Also, I highlight any ideas, concepts, or details that are important to remember and write them down in a notebook using my own words. I keep a notebook for each graduate course and outline the relevant information for each chapter. This provides a quick review of information to aid in answering discussion questions or in researching relevant topics.

Although these strategies worked for me they do not provide a complete and comprehensive approach to reading instruction for students with disabilities. The National Panel defines effective reading programs as those that address five areas of reading. These areas include phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency instruction, vocabulary instruction, and reading comprehension (The National Reading Panel, 2000).
During the planning process, educators can include a variety of activities that target these five important areas of reading instruction. This will ensure they provide a balanced approach to literacy that is based on