The Reading Rope model was developed by Dr. Hollis Scarborough to illustrate the many components involved in learning to read.  Only when a child is proficient in automatically and strategically combining these skills will they be considered a skilled reader with strong comprehension.  

The upper strands are composed of Language Comprehension Skills.  They include background knowledge, vocabulary, language structure, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge. 

The lower strands are composed of Word Recognition Skills.  They include phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition.

Children with speech and language delays often struggle with most of these skills and need targeted and explicit instruction in order to increase their literacy skills.