The Five Components of the Smart Start Literacy Program:
The Smart Start Literacy Program will guide parents/caregivers on how to teach a personalized reading lesson to their child. All five components of literacy are taught together in just one 40 minute lesson a day!
Component #1: Fluency Building
What It Is:
Fluency is the ability to read text smoothly, accurately, and with appropriate expression. It frees up mental capacity so children can focus on understanding what they’re reading.
How It’s Done:
Children reread familiar books to develop fluency and automaticity.
Tutors (or parents) provide prompts to guide correct pronunciation and phrasing.
Timed readings are introduced for advanced readers to further build speed and confidence.
Why It Matters:
Fluent reading reduces frustration and builds a sense of accomplishment, making reading more enjoyable.
Component #2: Assessment
What It Is:
Regular assessments track progress, identify strengths, and target areas where a child needs additional support.
How It’s Done:
Parents or tutors record children’s reading behaviors, noting errors, self-corrections, and skipped words.
Errors are analyzed to inform future instruction, ensuring the child is working at the appropriate level of challenge.
Comprehension is evaluated through questions about the text to ensure the child is not just reading words but understanding them.
Why It Matters:
Consistent assessment helps tailor the learning experience, ensuring that each session meets the child’s current needs.
Component #3: Direct Instruction Using Multisensory Techniques
What It Is:
Multisensory techniques engage multiple senses (sight, sound, touch, and movement) to teach phonological awareness, phonics, and vocabulary.
How It’s Done:
Use tools like Elkonin Boxes (provided with the program) to help children break down words into individual sounds.
Incorporate tactile and visual aids, such as magnetic letters or textured cards, to reinforce letter-sound relationships.
Gradually progress from simple to more complex phoneme patterns.
Why It Matters:
Engaging multiple senses helps children retain information more effectively and builds stronger decoding skills.
Component #4: Reinforcement Through Writing
What It Is:
Writing connects reading, spelling, and comprehension, which reinforces the skills children are developing.
How It’s Done:
Children write sentences based on their responses to comprehension questions or personal experiences.
Tutors or parents guide the spelling process using strategies like Elkonin boxes for breaking words into sounds.
In later phases, children create graphic organizers, such as story maps, to deepen their understanding of text structure.
Why It Matters:
Writing allows children to practice spelling and organize their thoughts, strengthening both their reading and overall literacy skills.
Component #5: Text-Based Vocabulary, Phonics, and Comprehension Instruction
What It Is:
This component helps your child understand what they read while learning new vocabulary and practicing critical thinking skills.
How It’s Done:
Start with a Picture Walk:
Look through the book’s pictures together and make predictions about the story.
Ask Comprehension Questions:
Discuss the story during and after reading to check understanding, such as “Why did that happen?” or “What might happen next?”
Teach New Words:
Point out and explain tricky words in the story, connecting them to things your child already knows.
Use Reading Strategies:
Practice summarizing, and clarifying to make sense of the story.
Carry It Forward:
The book used in this component will become the focus of Component #2 (Assessment) in the next day’s lesson.
Why It Matters:
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading. Teaching your child to think about and discuss what they read builds confidence and helps them become independent learners, ready for success.
Unlocking every child's potential to become a successful reader!