What is the Legal Definition of Reading?
The law also defines reading. The term ‘reading’ means a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following: (A) The skills and knowledge to understand how phonemes, or speech sounds, are connected to print. (B) The ability to decode unfamiliar words. (C) The ability to read fluently. (D) Sufficient background information and vocabulary to foster reading comprehension. (E) The development of appropriate active strategies to construct meaning from print. (F) The development and maintenance of a motivation to read. (20 U.S.C. ยง 6368 (5)) If your child’s team members want to use another definition of reading, (1) ask why they are choosing not to use the federal legal definition and (2) ask that their “legal definition” be written into the documentation of the meeting. Keep a copy of this documentation and put it in your child’s file. If you do not know what reading skills are being tested (i.e., phonemic awareness, fluency, or reading comprehension), you need
