Students only acquire literacy when they make sense of texts. Proficient readers construct meaning from text by using their background knowledge and cues from all three cue systems. At the same time, they focus on meaning and use only as many cues as they need to make sense of texts. As students talk about their reading during literature studies or content area discussions, they connect the reading to their lives. They also clarify difficult passages and develop greater comprehension.
Talk is a crucial component in any good literacy program.
A good writing program is built on a strong reading program. Teachers can look for evidence of students' acquisition of text structures and styles in their writing. Although reading is more acquired than learned, all readers benefit from targeted strategy lessons to strengthen their reading. These lessons should come from informed observations of students' reading and should focus on the cue systems students are not using effectively. It is crucial for English learners to become proficient readers because so much of their academic success depends on their ability to make sense of texts.