What is the Fab 5?
The Fab 5 refers to the 5 main components of literacy development and
instruction.
1. Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic Awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with
the individual sounds in spoken words. Before children become aware of how
the sounds in words work. The must understand that words are made up of
speech sounds, or phonemes.
2. Phonics
Phonics instruction teaches children the relationships between the
letters (graphemes) and the individual sounds (phonemes) of spoken language.
It teaches children to use these relationships to read and write words.
3. Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read a text accurately and quickly. When fluent
readers read silently, the recognize words automatically. They groups words
quickly to help them gain meaning from what they read. Fluent readers read
aloud effortlessly and with expression. Their reading sounds natural, as if
they are speaking.
4. Vocabulary
Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively.
In general, vocabulary can be described as oral vocabulary or reading
vocabulary. Oral vocabulary refers to words that we use in speaking or
recognizine in listening. Reading vocabulary refers to words we recognize or
use in print.
5. Comprehension
Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words
but do not understand what they are reading, they are not really reading. As
they read, good readers are both purposeful and active.
