Qualities of a Good Reader

- April 24, 2008

A good reader possesses two skill sets. The first, decoding, allows him to transform code into words; the second, comprehension, allows him to understand the meaning and implications of what he reads. These skill sets allow for meaningful engagement with a text, and optimize the reader’s learning potential.

A good reader begins with the ability to perceive sounds in speech. The child can segment a word: he identifies “dog,” for example, as having three sounds. He can isolate and order these components: “dog” becomes /d/, /o/, /g/. He can also reverse this process, blending separate sounds to form a word. A good reader also distinguishes between sounds; he can tell “mat” from “met,” and “cots” from “cost.”

At this point, the young reader applies his knowledge of aural language to symbols on the page. He comprehends the link between individual letters or letter combinations, and the sounds they make. He blends component sounds to read words, and segments words to spell them. As a result, reading and spelling develop together.

Good readers decode both real words and nonsense fluently, that is, quickly and accurately. A child should be able to read nonsense passages well above grade level. Unlike nonsense, context reading is meaningful to the child. In addition to fluency, a child reading context passages self-corrects and self-monitors, adjusting his approach to the passage at hand: he reads an article differently than he might a comic book.

Here, the child’s comprehension comes into play: a good reader understands what he reads, and can retain information by creating mental images. This skill makes the difference between a child trudging through a slew of flowery words, and imagining himself inside a beautiful garden. Furthermore, his understanding enables him to think critically about what he reads: he can derive the main idea of a paragraph, and demonstrates comprehension by making inferences from the passage.

Ideally, a child reads without conscious effort, and enjoys the reading process. These qualities make a good reader. They are also the goals of Reading Foundation programs and staff members, as they seek to encourage in each student a lifelong love of reading.

Alison Kennedy
Director 
The Reading Foundation
3730 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V6R 2C1