What are the five components of reading?

The five components of reading encompass essential skills that contribute to a child's ability to read effectively. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, which lays a critical foundation for reading. Phonics involves the relationship between letters and sounds and teaches learners how to decode words by blending these sounds.

Fluency is the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with proper expression; it is vital for comprehension since fluent readers can focus on understanding the meaning of the text rather than on decoding individual words. Vocabulary refers to the knowledge and understanding of words and their meanings, which enhances comprehension skills. Finally, comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret the meaning of the text being read, integrating all the previous components to grasp the material fully.

This combination of skills supports effective reading and is widely recognized in literacy education, making the first choice the most comprehensive and accurate set of components.