Learning to read is a puzzle with many pieces. When it comes to the science of reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope acts as a map, helping us navigate through the different aspects of reading and how they connect. Scarborough’s model helps teachers understand how reading development occurs when decoding words or grasping the structure of sentences. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the separate strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope.

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What is Scarborough’s Reading Rope Model?

In order to understand the reading rope, we first have to understand the simple view of reading. The simple view of reading states that reading comprehension is the product of word recognition and language comprehension. Students can only fluently read for meaning if they are competent in both areas.

Scarborough’s Reading Rope elaborates on the Simple View of Reading by discussing these two domains and how they can be broken into measurable skills.

Imagine reading as a big rope with different parts twisted together. Each part represents a meaningful skill in reading. One part is about recognizing words quickly and easily, the word recognition domain. The other part is about understanding what words and sentences mean, the language comprehension domain. Scarborough’s model shows us that reading is made up of many skills working together, like pieces of a puzzle. It helps teachers see the big picture of reading and how all the parts fit together to make someone a skilled reader.

Let’s take a closer look at each domain.

Word Recognition Domain

Before we discuss the word recognition domain, it’s important to clarify the definition. Word recognition is the accurate and fast retrieval of decoded word forms. This means that readers are able to automatically and effortlessly identify a word. For example, a student sees the word chop and knows immediately that it is the word chop.

The word recognition domain is made up of three strands or subskills that make up this part of the rope.

Phonological Awareness

The first strand is phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate the sound properties of spoken words. Phonemic awareness is a type of phonological awareness where we focus on identifying and manipulating the smallest unit of sound, the phoneme. The goal of training in phonemic awareness is to establish in the phonological lexicon (otherwise known as the phonological memory or mental dictionary) mental “parking spots,” if you will, into which letters in print can be parked for later recall.

I’ve created a free phonological awareness cheat sheet that includes suggestions for implementing phonological awareness activities in your classroom, a definition of the levels, along with examples.

You can grab yours below!

Decoding

The next strand or subskill is decoding, which is the ability to translate a word from print to speech. This includes knowledge of the alphabetic principle and knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondences. Phonemes are the smallest units of sound, and a grapheme represents a phoneme. This could be a letter, or maybe a group of 2, 3 or 4 letters.

A few things drive decoding. To decode quickly and accurately, a reader must know something about orthography, which is a written system for representing language. This is your understanding of how a particular language system uses written symbols. For example, English has many silent letters (“knight”) and irregular spellings (“though,” “through”). The more students are aware of these quirks, the better they can navigate them while decoding.

Sight Word Recognition

The last strand or subskill in the word recognition domain is sight word recognition. I can tell you this isn’t referring to those dolch and fry sight word lists! The entire reason that we study words with little ones, the reason that we learn to decode by phonics is so that we can recognize orthographic patterns. This helps us to develop an automatic recognition of words that we’ve seen before, which enables us to recall word spellings and writing.

Language Comprehension

The next domain in Scarborough’s Reading Rope is language comprehension.

So, what is the definition of comprehension? Let’s take a look at what some of the experts say:

• Reading comprehension is “thinking guided by print” (Perfetti, 1985)
• Reading comprehension is a “process, not a product, through which the reader draws meaning from the text” (Carlisle & Rice, 2002)
• Reading comprehension is the “process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language” (Snow, 2002)

Comprehension is actively constructing understanding as reading is taking place.

There are 5 strands or subskills in the language comprehension domain. Let’s take a closer look!

Background Knowledge

Background knowledge is the ground in which the seeds of literacy take root and begin to flourish. Just as a gardener wouldn’t plant seeds in just any regular soil, strong literacy skills can’t develop without a foundation of knowledge. This background knowledge takes into account a child’s life experiences, their exposure to language through conversations, stories, and everyday interactions, and their understanding of the world around them. It’s like the mental fertilizer that nourishes a growing mind.

Think back to the image of the Reading Rope. Background knowledge is intricately woven into each strand of the rope. It directly influences vocabulary development, the next subskill.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the toolbox of language, filled with the essential tools for communication. It’s more than memorizing dictionary definitions – it’s the knowledge and understanding of words we encounter in spoken and written language. This toolbox isn’t limited to reading and writing; it’s equally important for listening and speaking effectively.

Imagine vocabulary as having two sides: receptive and expressive. Receptive vocabulary refers to the words we understand when we hear or read them. It’s like the contents of our mental toolbox – the words we can recognize and process. On the other hand, expressive vocabulary is how we use those tools. It’s the ability to retrieve the right words and use them effectively when speaking or writing to convey our thoughts and ideas clearly.

Both sides of vocabulary work together. Our receptive vocabulary grows as we encounter new words in conversations, books, or everyday interactions. This, in turn, strengthens our ability to express ourselves by giving us a wider range of words to choose from. The more tools we have in our vocabulary toolbox, the more effectively we can communicate and connect with the world around us.   

Language Structures

Language structures are the invisible framework that holds language together, just like the skeleton gives our bodies shape and support. These structures encompass how we arrange words in sentences (syntax), the meaning those words carry (semantics), and how sentences flow together to create a larger message. They’re like the instructions in a Lego set – without them, we couldn’t build meaningful sentences and paragraphs. These structures play an important role in how students decode, understand, and derive meaning from the written word.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the skill that helps us understand and analyze language. 

This skill involves a few fundamental abilities. One is drawing conclusions. Verbal reasoning helps us connect different pieces of information. For example, if a story mentions a character checking their watch and talking about a missed train, we can figure out they are probably running late.

Another important part is figurative language. Writers often use metaphors and similes to make their writing more vivid. Verbal reasoning helps us understand these expressions. For example, when we read “it was raining cats and dogs,” we know it means the rain is very heavy, not that animals are falling from the sky.

Verbal reasoning also allows us to make inferences, or understand what the text suggests but doesn’t directly say. Details like a character’s physical description, dialogue, or actions can give us clues about how they feel. For instance, if a character is sweating or fidgeting, we can infer they might be anxious.

These skills help us unlock deeper layers of meaning in written and spoken language, allowing us to understand the information and analyze its deeper meaning and implications.

Literacy Knowledge

Literacy knowledge simply means understanding written text formats and how they vary according to genre. Understanding written text formats is like knowing the difference between a storybook and a recipe. Different types of writing have different styles. When readers know how a text is organized and the style of the text, they can anticipate how it should be read.

Cultivating Skilled Readers

Learning to read is like assembling a complex puzzle, and Scarborough’s Reading Rope provides a clear guide to understanding how all the pieces fit together. As readers become more proficient in the word recognition domain, they become increasingly automatic. As they become more proficient in the language comprehension domain, they become increasingly strategic.

Once these strands are woven tightly together, we have skilled reading.

This model helps us see that reading is not just about recognizing words but also about comprehending language. By breaking down reading into its core components, teachers can better support their students’ development, ensuring they become proficient and confident readers. 

As we explore the separate strands of the Reading Rope, we gain a deeper appreciation of the intricate skills involved in reading and how they work together to create skilled readers. Remember, the journey to reading proficiency is multifaceted, but with the right tools and understanding, we can unlock the full potential of every young reader.

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