Which skill does Sam need to work on first to improve his reading abilities?

While chunking and phrasing are important for improving fluency and comprehension in reading, they build upon the foundational skills of phonemic awareness. If Sam has not yet developed strong phonemic segmenting and blending skills, focusing on chunking and phrasing would be premature and less effective.

Sight word recognition helps students read common words quickly without sounding them out, aiding fluency. However, this skill relies on a basic understanding of phonemic awareness. If Sam struggles with phonemic segmenting and blending, he may have difficulties recognizing sight words effectively.

Prosody and expression involve reading with appropriate rhythm and intonation, contributing to comprehension and engagement. However, these skills are advanced and depend on a solid foundation in phonemic awareness. Improving phonemic segmenting and blending first will support Sam's overall reading development and enable him to use prosody effectively later.