MTLE Reading Teacher (Grades K-12) cheat sheet

The Simple View of Reading: reading comprehension = decoding × language comprehension; a zero in either factor yields zero comprehension, so both must be assessed separately.

Five language components of reading (National Reading Panel): phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; the Report of the National Reading Panel (2000) is the standard citation.

Ehri's word-reading phases: pre-alphabetic, partial alphabetic, full alphabetic, consolidated alphabetic; sight-word retrieval grows as orthographic mapping strengthens.

Chall's stages: 0 pre-reading (birth–age 6), 1 initial reading/decoding (6–7), 2 confirmation/fluency (7–8), 3 reading to learn (8–14), 4 multiple viewpoints (14–18), 5 construction and reconstruction (18+).

Phonological awareness is the umbrella (syllables, onsets/rimes, phonemes); phonemic awareness is the most advanced subset and is a strong predictor of later decoding.

The four processing systems in the reading brain (context, phonological, orthographic, meaning) interact; dyslexia is most often a phonological-core deficit, not a visual one.

Orthographic mapping is the process by which readers bond letters to sounds to store words for instant retrieval; it requires phonemic proficiency plus alphabetic knowledge.

Scarborough's Reading Rope: word recognition strands (phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition) become automatic, while language comprehension strands become strategic.

Screening identifies students at risk, diagnostic assessment pinpoints skill gaps, progress monitoring tracks response to intervention, and outcome measures evaluate overall program effectiveness.

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) oral reading fluency benchmarks: aim for roughly 1–1.5 words correct per minute of weekly growth in the primary grades; slopes below expectation signal inadequate response.

Reliability refers to consistency of scores; validity refers to whether a test measures what it claims; standard error of measurement quantifies score-band uncertainty.

A standard score has a mean of 100 and SD of 15; a score below 85 (1 SD below the mean) commonly signals a need for further evaluation.

Percentile ranks are ordinal, not interval: the gap between the 5th and 10th percentile is far larger in standard-score units than the gap between the 50th and 55th.

Running records and miscue analysis classify errors as substitutions, omissions, insertions, and reversals; self-corrections and meaning-bearing miscues inform instructional decisions.

Formative assessment drives daily instruction; summative assessment documents achievement at the end of a unit or year.

A measure's sensitivity to growth matters for progress monitoring; a measure with ceiling effects cannot detect gains above the tested range.

Explicit, systematic, cumulative instruction: model the skill, provide guided practice with feedback, then independent practice; each new skill builds on mastered ones.

The gradual release of responsibility (Pearson & Gallagher) moves from teacher modeling to shared, guided, and independent practice.

Multisensory structured literacy (Orton-Gillingham lineage) simultaneously engages visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities; it is evidence-based for students with word-reading difficulties.

Tiered intervention (MTSS/RTI): Tier 1 core instruction for all, Tier 2 small-group targeted support, Tier 3 intensive individualized intervention with increasing frequency and duration.

Flexible grouping and differentiation by readiness, interest, and learning profile; text complexity should be matched to purpose, not always to the student's independent level.

Scaffolding is temporary support withdrawn as competence grows; examples include graphic organizers, sentence frames, choral reading, and leveled text.

The I do–we do–you do cycle with high response rates (choral, partner, whiteboard responses) increases engaged time and reveals misunderstandings quickly.

For English learners, pair explicit English phonology and vocabulary instruction with home-language supports; transfer of cognates and literacy skills accelerates growth.

Comprehension strategies with strong evidence: predicting, questioning, monitoring, summarizing, and using text structure; teach them through explicit modeling and think-alouds.

Before/during/after framework: build background knowledge and set purpose before reading; question and monitor during; summarize and extend after.

Vocabulary tiers: Tier 1 everyday words, Tier 2 general academic words (high utility across texts), Tier 3 domain-specific terms; prioritize Tier 2 for direct instruction.

Fluency has three components: accuracy, rate, and prosody; repeated reading with feedback and modeling are the best-supported fluency interventions.

Text complexity is judged by quantitative measures (readability), qualitative features (structure, knowledge demands), and reader/task considerations; all three must be weighed.

Close reading involves repeated readings of complex text with text-dependent questions that require evidence from the text rather than personal opinion.

Motivation is supported by choice, authentic purposes for reading, success experiences, and building self-efficacy; intrinsic motivation predicts long-term reading volume.

The Matthew effect: early successful readers read more and grow faster, while struggling readers read less and fall further behind; volume of reading is a key lever.