Reading comprehension—the ability to understand the meaning of printed text—is made up of two key components: decoding and language comprehension.
This model is referred to as the Simple View of Reading, first introduced by Gough and Tunmer [4]. It is shown as a multiplication equation to highlight that if either of the components is missing, reading comprehension breaks down.
These two factors—decoding (getting the words off the page) and language comprehension together—together account for nearly all variation in reading comprehension among children.
The Simple View of Reading can be broken down into foundational skills that support each component. We’ll explore these in more detail through two key frameworks:
- The Five Pillars of Instruction
- Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope
Together, these frameworks help explain how students learn to read—and what kind of instruction supports that learning best.