Science of Reading in the News
By: Ryan Buggy, TRL Professional Development Team | July 13, 2023
Part of The Reading League’s mission is to advance the awareness of the science of reading, which is why we’re thrilled to see the science of reading attracting so much attention in popular media. We’ve curated a list of some of our favorite recent articles that address both the science of reading as well as the work parents, educators, and lawmakers across the country are doing to promote its use in classrooms nationwide. If you want to join us in discussing any of these articles on Twitter, tag @reading_league and the journalists behind these reports, too.
Mississippi is Offering Lessons for America on Education
Kristof shares the story of the so-called “Mississippi miracle,” the outstanding progress the state has made in increasing reading scores and reducing the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their peers. He shares some of the state’s assessment data, as well as his own first-hand experience visiting local classrooms. Kristof also discusses various policies Mississippi implemented along its path to success, weighing the pros and cons of different approaches to improving reading achievement. Quoting David Deming, a Harvard economist familiar with Mississippi’s results, “You cannot use poverty as an excuse. That’s the most important lesson. It’s so important, I want to shout it from the mountaintop.”
“Mississippi is Offering Lessons for America on Education,” – Nicholas Kristof (@nickkristof) for the New York Times, May 31, 2023
The Surprising Obstacle to Overhauling How Children Learn to Read
Closson’s article focuses on the rollout of various citywide mandates governing literacy instruction in New York City, and how the city has attempted to balance school-level autonomy with increased regulation of curriculum selection. Teachers and principals point out that no reform can be effective without educators’ buy-in. Former TRL Benita A. Blachman Award-winner Kymyona Burk is quoted about her experience with similar reforms in Mississippi: “I always say that my first two years [of implementing science of reading-aligned practices] were P.R.”
Note: The Reading League does not recommend instructional programs, and does not endorse the materials discussed in the article as part of New York City’s mandate. We believe that teacher knowledge is the most important factor in providing effective reading instruction.
“The Surprising Obstacle to Overhauling How Children Learn to Read,” – Troy Closson (@troy_closson) for the New York Times, May 25, 2023
After Sold a Story, More States Spell Out Reading Instruction
Christopher Peak, co-producer of Emily Hanford’s Sold a Story podcast, wrote an article that discusses some of the legislative measures states have been taking to improve reading instruction. Similar to the second bonus episode of Sold a Story, Peak compares some of the varied focuses of these laws, from mandating specific curricula to outlawing three-cueing methods. He also discusses some of the pushback these laws face, particularly from proponents of the widely debunked balanced literacy approach. “Since Sold a Story, lawmakers are taking a closer look at what curriculum schools are buying and, in some states, attempting to outlaw specific teaching methods.”
“After Sold a Story, More States Spell Out Reading Instruction,” – Christopher Peak (@CLPeak) for APM Reports, May 18, 2023
New York is Forcing Schools to Change How They Teach Children to Read
This article covers some of the background behind recent mandates by the NYC DOE to shift the city’s curricular materials and instructional practices in order to be more in line with the science of reading. It explains some of the context specific to New York—a city where balanced literacy was the norm for decades—and the challenges of implementing such a large-scale reform effort. “The new reform is backed by the teachers’ union, but has attracted immediate skepticism from some teachers, who often say major changes come with insufficient training.”
Note: The Reading League does not recommend instructional programs, and does not endorse the materials discussed in the article as part of New York City’s mandate. We believe that teacher knowledge is the most important factor in providing effective reading instruction.
“New York is Forcing Schools to Change How They Teach Children to Read,” – Troy Closson (@troy_closson) for the New York Times, May 9, 2023
The ‘Transformation is Real’ as Science of Reading Takes Hold in N.C. Schools
This article focuses specifically on the progress made in North Carolina, though its themes will likely ring true for educators across the country who are working to implement evidence-aligned reading instruction in their classrooms. Fofaria describes the tangible difference in North Carolina’s classrooms—just two years after the state began implementing new legislation governing reading instruction—and how teachers managed to juggle the everyday work of teaching alongside many hours of professional development. He writes about the excitement they feel seeing their students become more proficient readers, even if the legislation’s rollout was no easy feat; according to one principal, “When we brought in the data, that was a turning point because the teachers want our students to be successful—not just here, but when they move on.”
“The ‘Transformation is Real’ as Science of Reading Takes Hold in N.C. Schools,” – Rupen Fofaria (@Rupen_Fofaria) for The 74, Apr 21, 2023
A ‘Science of Reading’ Revolt Takes on the Education Establishment
Mervosh’s article highlights the grassroots efforts of parents, educators, and other reading activists in pushing their districts to adopt practices aligned with the science of reading. She discusses both local and state-level campaigns, such as the work spearheaded by Kymyona Burk in Mississippi. The article even quotes both of the keynote speakers at TRL’s upcoming conference, Emily Hanford and Kareem Weaver. “Research shows that most children need systematic, sound-it-out instruction…as well as other direct support, like building vocabulary and expanding students’ knowledge of the world.”
“A ‘Science of Reading’ Revolt Takes on the Education Establishment,” – Sarah Mervosh (@smervosh) for the New York Times, April 18, 2023
Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids are Taught to Read
Writing for Time, Luscombe offers a clear description of the basics of the science of reading, a great introduction for newcomers to the field. Beyond just highlighting some of the biggest differences between structured literacy and balanced literacy approaches, she also describes the work of activists striving to bring evidence-based instruction to their schools. Luscombe particularly highlights the campaign led by Kareem Weaver—one of the keynote speakers for the 2023 TRL conference—and the Oakland NAACP, who successfully petitioned their school district to provide stronger reading instruction. To quote Weaver, “The social-justice thing to do is to teach [children] explicitly how to read.”
“Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids are Taught to Read,” – Belinda Luscombe (@luscombeland) for Time, August 11, 2022
