North Carolina’s Science of Reading (SoR) implementation has transformed early literacy instruction, but the path to success doesn’t end in kindergarten. Brief 3 in NCECF’s Science of Reading Implementation series — Lower and Upper Elementary: Attending to Both Sides of the Reading Rope — explores how teachers can strengthen both the word recognition and language comprehension strands that together create skilled reading.
The challenge
Early elementary instruction often focuses on decoding and phonics — the “word recognition” side of the rope — while upper grades emphasize comprehension and content knowledge. But both strands are essential at every stage. When one lags, reading fluency and motivation suffer.
A classroom perspective
In this case study, a third-grade teacher participating in NCECF’s SoR Implementation Fellowship noticed that students could sound out words but struggled to make meaning from text. Her problem of practice: How can instruction be balanced to reinforce decoding while building comprehension and vocabulary?
She restructured her literacy block to incorporate explicit decoding practice and rich, discussion-based comprehension work each day. Using small groups and structured routines, she introduced word study tied to morphology and vocabulary, followed by shared reading and guided conversation. The result? Students made gains not only in fluency but in their ability to talk about, connect, and enjoy what they read.
Practical takeaways for schools and districts:
- Integrate both strands daily: Pair phonics and word recognition practice with comprehension and vocabulary development at every grade.
- Leverage content knowledge: Build comprehension through science and social studies texts that expand background knowledge.
- Coach across grades: Create vertical teams so lower and upper elementary teachers plan for aligned instruction.
- Adjust schedules: Protect literacy block time for both decoding and comprehension practice — no shortcuts.
- Use ongoing assessment: Track progress in both strands of the Reading Rope to guide instruction and interventions.
The takeaway
When schools deliberately “attend to both sides of the rope,” students build the full set of cognitive and language skills that define proficient reading.