Beginning Reading Instruction (BRI)

This course focuses on how children learn to read and the best ways to teach beginning reading from kindergarten to the end of second grade. Because the course contains considerable information on how students develop basic decoding skills, it is also useful for teachers and paraprofessionals working with older students who are still having difficulty with decoding and fluency.

The course presents a synthesis of the research consensus for beginning reading instruction. In addition, the most effective strategies for teaching beginning reading are provided with an emphasis on helping students develop phonemic awareness, knowledge of the alphabetic system, phonics/decoding skills, print awareness, fluency, and comprehension.