How to Build Stronger Readers: Strategies That Actually Work

"As a school administrator I try to spend as much time as I can in the classrooms outside of the formal observation. It helps me build relationships with the teachers and the students." Pirctured above, Dr. Holbrook reads one of her favorite books, The Book of Gold by Bob Staake to a first grade class during 'Read Across America Month.'

In the wake of the science of reading movement, many teachers and districts are rethinking what reading instruction should look like. Methods that were once common in classrooms are now being reevaluated, and some are not supported by research—or by district mandates.

But amidst all the shifts, one thing remains clear: We can build stronger readers with the right tools and strategies. And the good news? You don’t need to reinvent your entire literacy block. Here are a few evidence-based practices you can implement in your classroom tomorrow.

1. Decodable Texts: Keep It Controlled and Targeted

Decodable texts are a powerful way to reinforce phonics instruction. They allow students to apply newly learned sound-symbol relationships in context, building confidence and automaticity.

Many phonics programs (like UFLI) include their own decodable texts, and publishing companies also offer strong options. UFLI has free decodable text on their website here. But if purchasing isn’t an option, AI tools can be your best friend. You can use platforms like ChatGPT to generate custom decodable stories based on the graphemes and phonics patterns you've taught.

📝 Tip: When prompting AI, be very specific. Mention the exact phonics skill (e.g., short ‘a’ CVC words) and exclude any sounds or patterns your students haven’t learned yet. (no digraphs or long vowel patterns, use high frequency words: the, a, from)

2. Fluency Friday: Practice That Feels Like Play

Reading fluency is more than speed—it’s about expression, accuracy, and smoothness. A great way to build fluency is by dedicating one day a week to focused practice. Enter: Fluency Friday.

Here are some easy-to-implement activities:

• 🗣️ Choral Reading: Read aloud as a class, building rhythm and confidence.

• 🔁 Echo Reading: The teacher reads a sentence or passage aloud, and students repeat it, mimicking tone and pacing.

• 👯 Partner Reading: Pairs take turns reading paragraphs or pages, offering support and encouragement.

• 🎭 Reader’s Theater: Assign parts and perform short scripts—no memorization required. It boosts fluency and comprehension.

Make sure to model fluent reading first and use grade-level text so students are being appropriately challenged. Content area texts are a great way to practice these skills.

3. Vocabulary: Anchor New Words to What They Already Know

Vocabulary instruction is most powerful when it connects new words to known words. One simple and effective approach is using semantic gradients to help students explore the nuance of word meaning.

📚 Example: Introduce the word exceptional by anchoring it to the more familiar word great. Then, ask students to brainstorm other synonyms like good, amazing, outstanding, and phenomenal.

Use paint strip samples from the hardware store to create a visual gradient—place words in order from weakest to strongest. This visual aid makes abstract concepts more concrete and supports deeper understanding.

4. Focus on Sentences: The Building Blocks of Meaning

Strong comprehension starts at the sentence level. Written text is more complex than everyday speech; it includes things like pronouns, appositives, and complex sentence structures that students may not naturally encounter in conversation.

The Writing Revolution offers great sentence-based strategies, including one of the most powerful: Because, But, So.

📝 Example: After reading or discussing a topic, have students complete sentence frames like these:

• Esperanza is like Samar because…

• Esperanza is like Samar but…

• Esperanza is like Samar so…

Or for social studies:

• The women’s movement is like the American Revolution because…

• …but…

• …so…

This strategy not only builds sentence-level writing skills, it deepens comprehension and supports students in making connections across texts and topics.

Coming Next Week…

Next week’s post will focus on how writing supports reading comprehension, with concrete classroom examples and writing routines that reinforce understanding of complex texts.

Final Thoughts

While programs can be incredibly useful tools—and often provide much-needed structure for schools and districts—they're just that: tools. I tell my teachers all the time, we have to be smarter than the program.

Programs can guide instruction, offer consistency, and support pacing, but it’s the teacher’s knowledge, skill, and decision-making that truly drives student growth. The strategies shared in this post aren’t meant to replace a curriculum—they’re meant to enhance it. You can use these techniques right alongside any program, or weave them into your literacy block as small but powerful additions.

At the end of the day, strong reading instruction comes from teachers who understand how kids learn to read and who respond to the needs of the students in front of them. Teachers are the difference-maker—and the work that teachers and schools are doing matters more than ever. Want to become the best readign teacher you can be? Find out more about how students learn to read and the instructional practices that best support that development with the SUNY New Paltz Microcredential on the Science of Reading. Linked here.

What strategy have you seen make the biggest difference in your classroom? Share in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s working for you!

Resources

Science of Reading Microcredential

The Writing Revolution

UFLI