Science of Reading Classroom Observation Checklist

Ensuring students acquire strong foundational reading skills in the early grades is critical to their future achievement. The Science of Reading provides a clear, evidence-based understanding of how to teach these skills effectively.

We know that many teachers want more training to deepen their understanding of the Science of Reading research and how to apply it in their classrooms, and that implementation can be uneven across different classrooms or We know that many teachers want more training to deepen their understanding of the Science of Reading research and how to apply it in their classrooms. We also know that implementation can be uneven across different classrooms.

Education leaders can best support classroom teachers when they have guideposts and details to help teachers understand where the gaps are. That’s why it’s important for education leaders to check in on the quality of the curriculum and instruction through direct observation. With our Science of Reading Classroom Observation Checklist, you can start to understand how closely the instruction in your school is aligned with the Science of Reading and where attention is needed — which can help students become successful readers and ultimately increase student achievement.

Complete the brief form on this page to access your free copy of the Classroom Observation Checklist, or keep reading to learn more about the Science of Reading in K–2 classrooms.

Classroom Observation & the Science of Reading

Which foundational literacy elements should you look for when you’re observing a classroom? Here’s an overview of the key indicators included on the foundational skills Classroom Observation Checklist for Grades K–2.

Systematic Skills Instruction

It’s well known among educators that a student’s ability to read proficiently by the end of grade three is an indicator of whether that student will be successful in subsequent grades. That’s why the materials you choose for reading instruction in those early years are critical.

Check that these foundational literacy skills are being taught:

Print Concepts: Key concepts include sentences and words, authors and illustrators, and the parts of a book.

Phonological Awareness: Phonological and phonemic awareness are critical skills for young learners to develop in order to be successful readers. Therefore, instruction should cover both larger units (such as syllables and rhymes) and individual phonemes (including blends).

Phonics: Teaching the rules of phonics is crucial to early reading instruction because it gives children the tools they need to be able to sound out, or decode, words, making them more confident, successful readers. Make sure letter-sound correspondences are explicitly taught, and students learn to segment and blend letter-sounds during decoding and encoding practice.

Fluency: Ensure fluency is practised both at the word and the text level, with a focus on accuracy rather than overall rate.

Explicit Early Reading Instruction

The Science of Reading research indicates that students need explicit instruction in critical foundational skills to be successful readers. By teaching these skills explicitly, educators can get students reading quickly—by the end of kindergarten, children should be able to read connected text and short sentences.

Examples of explicit instructional techniques include:

• At the beginning of a lesson, clearly telling children which skill(s) they will be learning.
• Modelling each skill for students. Every skill should be modelled more than once.
• Breaking broad concepts (such as phonics) down into specific, discrete skills (such as the letters “s” and “h” together making the /sh/ sound).
• Leading students through guided practice with the skill before asking children to practise the skill independently or in small groups.
• Providing immediate corrective feedback if students display difficulty with the skill (it is essential that feedback is not delayed to another time or day).

Multisensory Instruction

Variety not only makes lessons more fun and engaging, but it can also help students better remember the skills they are learning and practising. Combining visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning can activate different parts of the brain and stimulate growth. Look for lessons that direct students to learn and practise skills using two or more senses.

Speak: Students should have ample opportunity to practise speaking sounds and words, especially as part of daily phonological awareness practice and review.

Hear: Specific sounds and words should be modelled aloud for students to listen to, either by the teacher or via an audio recording.

Write: Students should practise writing letters and words in conjunction with learning their sounds. Writing practice is especially important when students are learning high-frequency words that are not decodable.

Read: Students should practise phonics skills and high-fluency words using decodable texts. Texts may include short books, reading passages in worksheets, and interactive digital texts.

Touch: The reading resource should provide high-quality manipulatives for teachers and students. Manipulatives (such as cut-outs, letter blocks, and letter cards) allow children to physically represent sounds and letters as they form syllables and words. Manipulatives can also be digital, such as click-and-drag activities on a computer or tablet.

Assessments

A foundational skills resource should provide high-quality assessments specifically designed to assess the skill(s) being taught. Assessments should provide teachers with information they can use to inform and guide instruction. Teachers should interpret assessment results in conjunction with students’ classroom work and the teacher’s classroom observations.

Formative Assessments: Frequent formative assessments should be embedded within lesson activities to monitor student progress.

Summative Assessments: Summative assessments should be used at the end of units or modules to measure student growth.

Practices to Avoid

There are some common practices that do not reflect the Science of Reading Research and are best avoided. During your classroom observation, confirm these instructional strategies are not present in the classroom:

• Employing the “three-cueing system” to teach reading, such as asking students, “What word would make sense in this sentence?” (Students should decode words first. The word may be one students know, but simply have not seen in writing before.)
• Using rote memorization to teach decodable “sight words.” (Students should be learning how to decode and encode words as part of phonics instruction.)
• Practising fluency skills primarily via silent reading. (Students should have ample opportunity to practise fluency by reading aloud.)
• Using levelled readers for decoding practice. (Decodable texts should be used instead. All students should have the opportunity to work with engaging, grade-level text.)

By making sure your resource and instruction are aligned to the Science of Reading research, you can help ensure students are getting the best start in their academic journey. By acquiring essential foundational reading skills in the early grades, students will be better prepared to succeed in future grades.

Do you have the right reading resources for your school?

If your classroom observations identify any areas that need support or reinforcement, it may be time to add a supplemental reading resource to teach foundational reading skills or fill any gaps in your existing curriculum.

Be sure to complete the form on this page to get your free copy of the Science of Reading Classroom Observation Checklist.