Why This Skill Matters

Scarborough’s Reading Rope reveals reading as eight interconnected strands working together. But knowing the model isn’t enough — you need practical strategies to improve reading skills by strengthening each strand deliberately.

The good news: every strand can be developed at any age. Whether you’re helping a child build foundational skills or an adult reader preparing for competitive exams, the same principles apply. Target your weak strands, maintain your strong ones, and watch the rope become stronger overall.

This guide gives you specific exercises for each of the eight strands. You don’t need to work on everything at once — diagnose your weaknesses first, then focus your energy where it matters most. For the complete model explanation, see Scarborough’s Reading Rope: The 8 Strands.

The Step-by-Step Process

Language Comprehension Strands

These strands represent the “understanding” side of reading — they develop through rich language exposure and deliberate knowledge building.

1. Background Knowledge
   Read widely across subjects — history, science, current events, arts. Watch quality documentaries. When you encounter an unfamiliar topic in your reading, spend 10 minutes learning the basics before continuing. Build mental frameworks that make new information stick. The goal is breadth: knowing something about many topics helps more than deep expertise in one area.
2. Vocabulary
   Learn words in context, not isolation. When you encounter an unknown word, don’t just look up the definition — find three example sentences showing how it’s used. Focus on Tier 2 words (sophisticated but widely useful terms like “analyze,” “consequence,” “substantial”). Use new words in conversation within 24 hours to cement them.
3. Language Structures
   Practice parsing complex sentences. When you encounter a confusing sentence, break it into chunks: find the main subject and verb first, then identify modifying phrases. Read authors known for complex syntax (academic journals, literary fiction). Discuss what you read with others — explaining ideas out loud reveals gaps in understanding.
4. Verbal Reasoning
   Practice making inferences while reading. After each paragraph, ask: “What did the author imply but not state directly?” Work with analogies and logical arguments. When reading persuasive text, identify the premises and evaluate whether they support the conclusion. Play word games that require making connections between concepts.
5. Literacy Knowledge
   Learn genre conventions. How does a scientific paper differ from a newspaper editorial? What signals does an author use to indicate irony versus sincerity? Study text structures: cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution. When starting a new text, identify its genre and adjust your reading approach accordingly.

Word Recognition Strands

These strands handle the mechanics of turning print into words. They’re built through practice with text and, for struggling readers, explicit instruction.

1. Phonological Awareness
   Practice hearing and manipulating sounds in words. For children, play rhyming games and practice segmenting words into sounds (c-a-t). For adults with decoding difficulties, apps like Duolingo ABC or Phonics Hero can help. The goal is automatic sound-symbol connections that don’t require conscious effort.
2. Decoding (Alphabetic Principle)
   Learn systematic phonics rules: consonant blends, vowel teams, syllable types. For struggling readers, work through a structured phonics program. For competent decoders, focus on multisyllabic word attack: break long words into syllables, apply patterns, blend back together. Practice with word lists targeting specific patterns.
3. Sight Recognition
   Build your bank of instantly-recognized words through repeated exposure. Use flashcards for irregular high-frequency words (said, were, does). Read extensively at your level — fluency comes from seeing the same words repeatedly until recognition becomes automatic. For adults, focus on vocabulary from your target reading domains.

Tips for Success

To improve reading skills effectively, follow these research-backed principles:

• Diagnose before treating. Identify which strands limit your reading before investing time. A quick test: if you understand text better when someone reads it aloud, your word recognition strands need work. If oral and silent comprehension are equally weak, focus on language comprehension.
• Practice at the edge of difficulty. Reading material that’s too easy doesn’t build skills; material that’s too hard causes frustration. Aim for texts where you understand 90-95% but encounter occasional challenges that stretch your abilities.
• Build habits, not heroics. Twenty minutes of daily practice beats three hours once a week. Consistency matters more than intensity for skill development.
• Make connections explicit. When learning vocabulary or building background knowledge, consciously link new information to what you already know. These connections make retrieval easier and understanding deeper.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping diagnosis. Without identifying weak strands, you waste time on skills that are already strong. Honest assessment beats random effort.
• Ignoring language comprehension strands. Many struggling adult readers focus exclusively on speed and fluency while ignoring vocabulary and background knowledge — the actual sources of their comprehension difficulties.
• Expecting overnight results. Strand development takes weeks to months. Early frustration kills many improvement efforts. Trust the process and measure progress monthly, not daily.
• Working only on weaknesses. While targeting weak strands, maintain your strong ones through regular reading. Neglected skills can decay.

Practice Exercise

Try this diagnostic exercise to identify which strands need attention:

1. Choose a challenging text slightly above your comfort level (an academic article or quality long-form journalism).
2. Read a 500-word passage silently. Time yourself and note any words you stumbled on or didn’t know.
3. Without looking back, write a brief summary of the main argument and supporting points.
4. Have someone read the same passage aloud to you. Summarize again.

Interpret your results:

• Many stumbles or slow reading → Focus on word recognition strands
• Many unknown words → Focus on vocabulary strand
• Weak summary after silent reading, strong after listening → Word recognition is the bottleneck
• Weak summary both times → Language comprehension strands need work
• Struggled to identify the argument structure → Literacy knowledge and verbal reasoning need attention

Use this diagnosis to prioritize your practice. Return to this exercise monthly to track progress and adjust your focus as strands strengthen.

For deeper exploration of the science behind this model, visit our Science of Reading pillar or return to the full Reading Concepts hub.