Scarborough’s Reading Rope
Hollis Scarborough's Many Strands Woven into Skilled Reading model, commonly known as the Reading Rope, presents the skills of Word Recognition and Language Comprehension as strands in a rope that become more and more united as skilled reading develops.
The idea is the rope represents skilled reading. Each strand represents a part of reading development that must be mastered and then woven tightly together so that the reader can be fluent, accurate, and automatic.
The idea is the rope represents skilled reading. Each strand represents a part of reading development that must be mastered and then woven tightly together so that the reader can be fluent, accurate, and automatic.
The Reading Rope is divided into two main parts, Word Recognition and Language Comprehension. Effective Tier 1 literacy instruction should encompass all components of the Reading Rope so that students learn to both decode and comprehend. Intervention in Tier 2 or 3 instruction is where we can differentiate instruction and target specific skills. As educators plan for instruction and work with students who struggle to read, it is helpful to be aware of and know the parts of the Reading Rope.
Printed word recognition includes phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition. These skills are woven or braided over time so that word recognition becomes more automatic. When a student struggles to decode words automatically, is a disfluent reader, or struggles with spelling, teachers may identify their area of weakness as decoding. Interventions and instruction would focus on foundational reading skills, including phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Automatic word recognition is required for students to be fluent readers.
The Language Comprehension strands include Background Knowledge, Vocabulary, Language Structure, Verbal Reasoning, and Literacy/Print Knowledge. Language comprehension becomes more strategic so that students can make meaning from what they read; this is the ultimate goal of reading. When a student struggles to comprehend text, teachers can provide intervention that focuses on these strands of the rope.
Printed word recognition includes phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition. These skills are woven or braided over time so that word recognition becomes more automatic. When a student struggles to decode words automatically, is a disfluent reader, or struggles with spelling, teachers may identify their area of weakness as decoding. Interventions and instruction would focus on foundational reading skills, including phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. Automatic word recognition is required for students to be fluent readers.
The Language Comprehension strands include Background Knowledge, Vocabulary, Language Structure, Verbal Reasoning, and Literacy/Print Knowledge. Language comprehension becomes more strategic so that students can make meaning from what they read; this is the ultimate goal of reading. When a student struggles to comprehend text, teachers can provide intervention that focuses on these strands of the rope.
Word Recognition
Phonological Awareness is the ability to recognise and manipulate the sound properties of spoken words, such as syllables, initial sounds, rhyming parts, and phonemes.
Decoding is the ability to read words based upon the knowledge of letter-sound correspondence rules.
Sight recognition is the ability to apply phonemic segmentation, letter-sound correspondence, and spelling patterns, to automatically recognise a word.
Phonological Awareness is the ability to recognise and manipulate the sound properties of spoken words, such as syllables, initial sounds, rhyming parts, and phonemes.
Decoding is the ability to read words based upon the knowledge of letter-sound correspondence rules.
Sight recognition is the ability to apply phonemic segmentation, letter-sound correspondence, and spelling patterns, to automatically recognise a word.
Language Comprehension
Background knowledge is the collection of knowledge that a person has formed through academic and life experiences that are essential to reading comprehension.
Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and the meaning of words.
Language Structure includes the rules for how language is formed including morphology, phonology, and syntax.
Verbal Reasoning is a form of problem solving based around words and language, including thinking about text, solving word problems, following written instructions to come up with a solution, and finding letter sequences.
Literacy knowledge is the understanding of concepts of print, including the direction of reading on the page, the genre of the book, as well as other aspects.
Background knowledge is the collection of knowledge that a person has formed through academic and life experiences that are essential to reading comprehension.
Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and the meaning of words.
Language Structure includes the rules for how language is formed including morphology, phonology, and syntax.
Verbal Reasoning is a form of problem solving based around words and language, including thinking about text, solving word problems, following written instructions to come up with a solution, and finding letter sequences.
Literacy knowledge is the understanding of concepts of print, including the direction of reading on the page, the genre of the book, as well as other aspects.