Good reading instruction utilizes strategies and programs that provide explicit and systematic instruction in five components in reading. Those components are: Phonemic Awareness ~ The ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. Phonics ~ an understanding that there is a relationship between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language Fluency with Text ~ the ability to read text accurately and quickly Vocabulary ~ the knowledge of words students must have to communicate effectively Comprehension ~ the ability to understand and gain meaning from what has been read DIBELS ( Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) ~ testing is one of the measures of assessment we will be using in K-5 this year. In our K-1 classes we formally assess only the first 3 areas with DIBELS. **Students are tested in September, January, and May. September Initial Sound Fluency, Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, and Nonsense Word Fluency. January Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency, and Oral Reading Fluency May Phoneme Segmentation Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency, and Oral Reading Fluency **In May, First grade students are also formally tested using Houghton Mifflin Reading Inventory. Assessment on this test includes vocabulary, words per minute read, reading accuracy, and comprehension.