The five pillars of reading are the essential building blocks required for a person to become a proficient reader. These include Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. Phonemic awareness is the precursor to reading, involving the recognition of sounds in speech. Phonics then bridges the gap by teaching the relationship between those sounds and written symbols. Fluency ensures that the reader can process text smoothly enough to maintain the flow of thought. Vocabulary provides the necessary word-bank to understand the concepts being discussed. Finally, Comprehension allows the reader to synthesize all these skills to extract meaning and gain knowledge. Without all five pillars, a reader’s ability to fully understand and engage with text is significantly hindered.
