Collecting reading data is important because it gives a clear picture of where students are, what they need, and how to help them grow. Here are the key reasons we do what we do: 1. Identifies strengths and gaps Data shows which students are on track and which ones are struggling with specific skills (like phonics, fluency, or comprehension). Without it, teachers might miss students who are quietly falling behind. 2. Guides instruction Teachers can adjust lessons to meet student needs. For example: if data shows many students are weak in phonemic awareness, the teacher can focus more on sound/letter connections. 3. Tracks progress over time Regular data collection shows whether interventions and teaching strategies are working. Growth can be celebrated, and lack of progress can trigger changes in support. 4. Supports early intervention Struggles with reading don’t usually “fix themselves.” Data helps catch issues early, before they become much harder to close in later grades. 5. Drives accountability Data helps schools, teachers, and even policymakers see how well reading instruction is working. It ensures all students—not just the ones who thrive naturally—get attention. 6. Engages families Sharing concrete data with parents helps them understand their child’s needs and how to support reading at home.

Best Children's Books of 2025 by Indigo

10. The Pigeon Won't Count to 10! by Mo Willems 9. Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies by Megan Mcdonald 8. Touching Grass by Kristy Jackson 7. Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe 6. Free Piano (Not Haunted) by Whitney Gardner 5. An Anthology of Remarkable Bugs by Jess French 4. The Humble Pie by Jory John 3. Troubling Tonsils! by Aaron Reynolds 2. The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell 1. Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson More information about the books is available at Indigo.

Helping Students Read Complex Test

When you have students struggling to understand complex grade level text, provide opportunities for students to practice fluency with the text first and then move to comprehension. This can be done in many ways from listening to the text, reading with a partner, echo reading with a teacher, etc. If students read through the text a few times, they will be more successful in comprehending it. Studies show that "pre-reading" fluency work raises students' reading level with the text by at least one grade level. Check out the link by Dr. Shanahan.

Letter Sound Fluency Demonstration

Letter Sounds

Build Fluency through Rhythm

With the emphasis on building strong decoding skills to read fluently, try reading with a beat, to a rhythm, to a fun jingle… HOW RHYTHM SKILLS ARE LINKED TO LANGUAGE AND READING SKILLS Children’s rhythm skills are strongly linked to early language and reading development. Studies have found that preschoolers who can clap, tap, or move in time with a beat tend to perform better on early literacy measures, such as phonological awareness and word recognition. This is because rhythm and reading share underlying neural processes involving timing, prediction, and auditory processing. Brain recordings show that children with stronger rhythm skills have more precise neural responses to speech sounds, allowing them to segment words into syllables and phonemes more effectively. In 2024, researchers extended this understanding by using a rhythm-based training game with elementary students. After six weeks, the children who practiced rhythmic tasks showed measurable improvements in reading fluency compared to a control group. Scientists think this happens because reading is inherently rhythmic: the brain must synchronize to the cadence of language, anticipate upcoming sounds, and map them to meaning. Engaging in rhythm games or musical play seems to train these timing mechanisms, giving children a cognitive boost that helps reading come more naturally. Children’s rhythm skills are strongly linked to early language and reading development. Studies have found that preschoolers who can clap, tap, or move in time with a beat tend to perform better on early literacy measures, such as phonological awareness and word recognition. This is because rhythm and reading share underlying neural processes involving timing, prediction, and auditory processing. Brain recordings show that children with stronger rhythm skills have more precise neural responses to speech sounds, allowing them to segment words into syllables and phonemes more effectively. In 2024, researchers extended this understanding by using a rhythm-based training game with elementary students. After six weeks, the children who practiced rhythmic tasks showed measurable improvements in reading fluency compared to a control group. Scientists think this happens because reading is inherently rhythmic: the brain must synchronize to the cadence of language, anticipate upcoming sounds, and map them to meaning. Engaging in rhythm games or musical play seems to train these timing mechanisms, giving children a cognitive boost that helps reading come more naturally. From Integrated Learning Strategies

The Role of Executive Functions in Reading and Writing

Reading comprehension is often affected by executive function differences. Here are some instructional strategies to strengthen the cognitive skills and strategies students need to regulate their thinking while reading. - Help students understand how they think and learn. - Support self-awareness of learning profiles, strengths, and areas for growth. - Provide clear purposes and goals for reading tasks. - Teach strategies for organizing ideas, including the use of templates, thinking maps, and graphic organizers. - Help students activate background knowledge before reading. Use graphic organizers to visually present key topics and concepts. - Pose questions before and during reading to help students make predictions about a text’s content based on clues from the text. - Teach students to identify and use text structures in both narrative and informational texts. Preview structure before reading. - Teach students how to generate questions before, during, and after reading to stay focused and engaged as they seek answers to the questions. - Encourage students to create mental images to support memory and understanding. - Teach students to retell and summarize key ideas to identify essential information. Check out this document with definitions on the different executive functions and support strategies to try. Keys to Literacy shares a video on The Role of Executive Functions on Reading and Writing.