The science of reading is grounded in decades of interdisciplinary research across cognitive science, neuroscience, linguistics, and education. This research identifies five essential, evidence-based components of effective reading instruction. Together, these components describe the skills students must develop to become accurate, fluent, and thoughtful readers, while providing educators with a clear framework for instruction that works.
The National Reading Panel and the five components of the science of reading
In 2000, the National Reading Panel published a landmark report synthesizing findings from thousands of peer-reviewed studies on how children learn to read. Through this rigorous review, the panel identified five critical components of reading instruction that consistently demonstrated strong effects on student reading outcomes when taught explicitly and systematically. These components form the instructional core of what is now commonly referred to as the science of reading.
What are the five components of the science of reading?
The five components of the science of reading represent distinct but interrelated skill areas:
- Phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This oral language skill is developed through intentional listening and speaking activities and provides a foundational bridge to phonics and decoding. (To learn more about phonemic awareness, read my previous post, “Phonological awareness vs. phonemic awareness,” here on Teach. Learn. Grow.)
- Phonics. Phonics refers to instruction that connects sounds to letters and letter patterns, allowing students to decode and encode words accurately. Phonics develops through explicit, systematic teaching and repeated opportunities to apply skills in reading and writing. (Read “What the science of reading tells us about how to teach decoding—including phonics” for more on this component.)
- Fluency. The ability to read with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression is known as fluency. Fluency develops through accurate decoding, repeated reading, and guided practice, freeing cognitive capacity for comprehension. (For more on fluency, see “The science of building fluent readers.”)
- Vocabulary. Vocabulary is the knowledge of word meanings, including depth (rich understanding of words’ shades of meaning) and breadth (number of words known), developed through oral language, reading, background knowledge, writing, and explicit instruction. (Read “4 ways to teach academic vocabulary and help students master grade-level content” and “How building students’ vocabulary through morphology improves reading comprehension” for tips on building vocabulary skills.)
- Comprehension. Comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and make meaning from text by integrating background knowledge, language, and cognitive processes. Comprehension develops through explicit instruction, discussion, and meaningful engagement with a variety of texts. (See “The science of teaching reading comprehension” to learn more about comprehension.)
Are the five science of reading components the same as the five science of reading pillars?
Yes, the five science of reading components are the same as the five science of reading pillars.
The terms “components” and “pillars” are often used interchangeably. While “pillars” is sometimes used to emphasize the importance or structural role of each in reading instruction, the underlying skills and instructional implications are the same.
Recognizing that these components, or pillars, represent one integrated framework helps clarify why effective reading instruction must intentionally address all five areas, working together to support students’ reading development.
Why the five components matter
The five components of the science of reading matter because reading is not a single skill; it is a complex system of interdependent processes that must be developed together over time. Each component plays a distinct role, but no single component is sufficient on its own.
When instruction intentionally addresses all five components, students are far more likely to develop the full range of skills required for proficient reading. When instruction is well-aligned across the five components, the following is more likely to occur:
- Students build a strong foundation for decoding and word recognition, allowing them to accurately read unfamiliar words and access increasingly complex text.
- Reading becomes more automatic and fluent, reducing cognitive load so students can focus their attention on meaning rather than effortful word reading.
- Vocabulary and language knowledge expand, supporting students in understanding a wider range of texts and concepts across disciplines.
- Comprehension improves across content areas, enabling students to apply reading skills to learn, think critically, and engage with grade-level material.
When one or more of these components is underdeveloped or overlooked, learning gaps can emerge that limit overall reading growth. Even strong instruction in some areas cannot fully compensate for missing foundational skills. Effective reading instruction works best when teachers incorporate a clear, connected approach that shows how the five components support one another to help students become confident, capable readers.
How do the five components of the science of reading work together?
The five components of the science of reading are mutually reinforcing, not sequential checkboxes.
Phonemic awareness supports phonics by helping students attend to individual sounds in words. Phonics supports accurate decoding, which allows students to read words with increasing efficiency. Spelling reinforces decoding by requiring students to encode words, applying sound-symbol knowledge to map sounds to letters and letter patterns. Fluency develops through accurate decoding and repeated, meaningful practice. As students read more, vocabulary and background knowledge expand, strengthening comprehension, while successful comprehension, in turn, motivates continued reading and learning.
Thinking back to my second-grade classroom, a small-group reading lesson often began with students orally working with the sounds and syllables in words they would encounter in a text. Students practiced blending and segmenting multisyllabic words, helping them attend closely to how words are structured (phonemic awareness). The lesson then moved into explicit instruction on a phonics pattern, such as common prefixes, with students immediately applying that pattern as they decoded words in connected text (phonics). Students also practiced spelling selected words using the same pattern, reinforcing their understanding through encoding and strengthening their ability to recognize words when reading.
As students reread short passages, we focused on reading with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression, using repeated reading and teacher feedback to build fluency. I would introduce and revisit key vocabulary from the text throughout the lesson, with attention to word meanings, word parts, and how spelling patterns and morphemes contributed to meaning, as well as how the words were used in different sentences and contexts (vocabulary). After reading, students discussed the text, answered text-based questions, and summarized key ideas, often connecting new learning to what they already knew (comprehension).
In this scenario, all five components were intentionally woven together. Foundational skills supported accurate and efficient reading, while vocabulary and comprehension deepened understanding. Together, they show how integrated instruction helps second-grade students grow into confident, capable readers.
The Simple View of Reading and the five components of the science of reading
The Simple View of Reading—first presented by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986 and also discussed in our article “How do students learn to read?”—provides a helpful lens for understanding how the five components of the science of reading fit together. It proposes that reading comprehension is the product of two broad abilities:
- Word recognition. Word recognition is the ability to accurately and efficiently identify written words. Word recognition develops through instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. It allows readers to move beyond slow, effortful word reading to automatic word reading.
- Language comprehension. Language comprehension is the ability to understand spoken and written language. This includes vocabulary knowledge, background knowledge, and the ability to make meaning from sentences and connected text.
The five components of the science of reading identified by the National Reading Panel align with these two abilities, helping teachers connect daily instruction in foundational skills with language and meaning. When both areas are strengthened through instruction and practice, students are more likely to develop the reading skills they need.
Closing thoughts
Strong reading instruction is grounded in research and intentionally addresses all five components of the science of reading. When phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension are taught in a systematic and integrated way, students are better supported in developing accurate word reading and a meaningful understanding of texts. This approach helps prepare students to learn across content areas so they can succeed in school—and beyond.
