Looking back on what it means to “Know a Language,” I listed the numerous aspects of a language such as morphological and grammatical knowledge. Honing in on teaching reading in particular, these specific features are especially important, as they connect with strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope:

  1. Phonetics and Phonology (phonological awareness, decoding, sight recogition) Understanding the sounds of the language and correct pronunciation.
  2. Morphology (vocabulary, phonological awareness, decoding, sight recognition): Understanding word formation, including roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
  3. Syntax (language structures): Understanding sentence structure and grammar.
  4. Semantics (language structures): Understanding the meaning of words and phrases.