What are the two most important skills necessary for reading according to the text?

The most important skills necessary for reading, as indicated by research and educational standards, are fluency and comprehension. Fluency refers to the ability to read smoothly and accurately, which allows readers to focus on understanding the text rather than getting tangled in decoding each word. Comprehension, on the other hand, is the ability to understand and interpret the meaning of the text, which is critical for effective reading and communication.

While blending and segmenting (the ability to combine or break down sounds in words) are essential skills in early literacy development, they primarily relate to phonological awareness, which is foundational but not the most critical for advanced reading skills. Focus on fluency and comprehension highlights the higher-level processing needed for reading proficiency, where students not only know how to read but also understand what they read, making these skills vital for academic success.