An effective reading program includes phonics, which teaches letter-sound relationships; vocabulary building; fluency training; comprehension exercises; and phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. The National Reading Panel endorses these five components as keys to an effective reading program.

1. Components of an Effective Reading Program Keys to an Effective Reading Program Phonics – stresses letter –sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling. Vocabulary – understanding words on text or oral language. Fluency – ability to read text automatically and without effort. Comprehension – the ability to get meaning from text Phonemic Awareness – the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken words According to the National Reading Panel