Teachers often encounter students who can read nearly anything placed in front of them but struggle to explain what they’ve read. These students read accurately and fluently, so it feels as though comprehension should  follow automatically. Research, however, tells us otherwise. While decoding is essential, it is only one component of what students need to truly understand text (Gough & Tunmer, 1986; Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill, 2005). Decoding gets students through the door—b

As teachers, we’ve all had students who work hard but still struggle to make sense of print. It can be frustrating to know they’re putting in the effort yet not making the progress we hope for. David Kilpatrick’s Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties speaks directly to this challenge. As an Amazon Associate, earnings are made from qualifying purchases, which helps support the work of EA Literacy & Learning. Why It Matters for the Classroom