Reading in English does not develop in the same way that language does (Moats & Tolman, 2009). Instead, it is a highly complex learned human behavior that for many requires code-based, explicit instruction (Young, 2023). 

It is not enough to bring strong language comprehension skills to a text and assume comprehension will naturally follow. Conversely, automatic and accurate decoding without sufficient language comprehension will not prove effective. 

Reading is a process of connected skills: language comprehension skills, decoding skills, knowledge building, and metacognitive behaviors and mindsets, including motivation and engagement, comprehension monitoring, and the executive functions of self-control, organization, memory, and time management. 

Current and confirmed research points to other considerations that play a significant role in reading acquisition and teaching— for example, knowledge building. When knowledge building is prioritized, often through the adoption of content-rich literacy curriculum, vocabulary increases and reading comprehension improves (Davidson & Liben, 2019). 

Another example is the role of metacognitive behaviors and mindsets such as executive functioning, comprehension monitoring, mindfulness, and motivation. According to Dr. Peter Afflerbach (2023), metacognition is the “awareness of own’s own knowledge…and the ability to understand, control, and manipulate one’s cognitive processes” (p. 10). A lack of attention to this keeps students relying on the feedback of others, lessening reading independence. 

Together these processes, and others, form intricately connected roots that grow into a solid foundation for reading proficiency.