Decoding and Understanding: How Knowledge and Oral Language Drive Comprehension for Striving Readers

For older striving readers who haven’t yet mastered decoding, Structured Literacy intervention is essential—and it remains a priority. However, effective instruction for striving readers doesn’t stop there. Research shows that comprehension development also depends on background knowledge and oral language, areas that should be built alongside foundational skills.

In this webinar, Natalie Wexler—author of The Knowledge Gap and Beyond the Science of Reading—makes the case that knowledge and language are critical to strong comprehension and reading proficiency. When students lack the background knowledge and vocabulary to make sense of what they’re hearing and reading, even accurate, efficient decoding is not sufficient for understanding.

This session is designed for educators and leaders already delivering Structured Literacy intervention who are asking, “What else do our striving readers need?” Drawing on research and classroom examples, Natalie Wexler will demonstrate how knowledge-building can be woven into existing instruction or intervention to strengthen comprehension outcomes. Participants will explore how teacher-led engagement with complex, content-rich text can build the knowledge and oral language that comprehension depends on, even for students not yet reading grade-level text independently.

The session will include practical examples timed for summer learning and back-to-school preparation, so participants can put ideas to work immediately.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Explain how knowledge and oral language development work alongside decoding instruction to build comprehension, and why both are important, concurrent priorities for striving readers.

• Identify practical approaches to build background knowledge and oral language for striving readers—including those not yet reading grade-level text independently—through structured discussion and teacher-led engagement with complex, content-rich material.  

• Plan one concrete adjustment to summer or school-year instruction that better supports knowledge and language development for striving readers, including those who have not yet mastered decoding.