This is the latest installment of Study Hall, an occasional series that serves as a one-stop shop for must-know information on critical topics impacting schools.
More states in recent years have passed legislation implementing science of reading approaches and literacy initiatives with the hopes that the instructional changes would boost disappointing reading assessment results and help struggling readers.
Only 31% of 4th graders scored proficient or better on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress reading test. That result was 2 percentage points lower compared to 2022 scores and 4 percentage points lower than assessment results in 2019.
Research and assessment results show the science of reading movement is helping many students make progress in reading and writing.
Take Mississippi, for example: In 2013, the state ranked 49th in the nation in 4th grade reading proficiency.
After 11 years of implementing science of reading approaches like phonics, as well as strengthening teacher training, investing in high-quality instructional materials, and partnering with organizations to measure the impact of the changes, Mississippi began seeing improvement. The state leaped forward to rank 9th in overall 4th grade reading proficiency on the 2024 NAEP.
This "Mississippi miracle” inspired many other states to examine their literacy approaches and implement changes that give young readers a better foundation for developing reading and writing skills.
But according to some research, there's still inconsistency in the way educators apply the science of reading methods. A Thomas B. Fordham Institute report released in April found that about half of the 1,244 K-3 teachers surveyed said their classroom reading instructional practices reflect the science of reading approach. And nearly a third of teachers said they favor both phonics and cueing approaches in their classrooms.
The three-cueing approach is a discredited practice that encourages students to guess unfamiliar words using clues such as pictures and context in the sentence or surrounding words.
While the science of reading approach has gained momentum in recent years, its origin dates back more than five decades and is based on research into how children learn reading and writing skills. It draws from various disciplines, such as education, psychology, neuroscience and speech and language pathology, according to the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Here's what you need to know about the current science of reading movement.
What is the science of reading?
The science of reading approach explicitly teaches students the connections between letters and sounds through decoding and phonetic memorization. For example, teachers will help students decode words by explaining and practicing the relationship between letters and sounds and then move toward blending single sounds into words.
Research about the science of reading has identified critical reading skills students need to know, such as phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The science of reading is not a specific curriculum but rather a set of evidence-based practices to build students' foundational literacy skills.
Studies have also shown that explicit and systematic instruction in these skills is more effective than the three-cueing approach, which includes encouraging students to use meaning, structure and visual cues to identify unfamiliar words.
Additionally, the science of reading approaches emphasize the importance of early intervention for students who struggle with reading, as well as ongoing assessments and progress monitoring to ensure all students are making progress.
Having strong early literacy skills helps prepare students to tackle more complex texts, read with fluency and build critical thinking skills to prepare them for more advanced schoolwork as they move up through grades, researchers and educators said.
What are some of the challenges?
In addition to the Fordham research showing an implementation gap for science of reading approaches in K-3, teacher training remains a challenge due to the cost and time required for professional development.
Another obstacle is that science of reading implementation and teacher supports mainly focus on early elementary students. Older struggling readers also need decoding instruction, but teachers for late elementary and middle school grades might not get training on instruction and intervention approaches, according to researchers and educators.
There may also be other factors at play to explain reading proficiencies other than literacy instruction in schools. Multiple assessment results show reading levels dropped after 2020 when schools closed for in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. High chronic absenteeism rates in the years following the pandemic have stymied districts' efforts at learning recovery.
Additionally, there are political and professional pressures to see reading improvements soon after a state or district makes this literacy approach a priority. Yet, it could take years before reading progress is documented, which could frustrate some who are expecting a quick fix, educators and researchers warn.
What state and federal legislation say
The growing awareness about the science of reading's impact on students' literacy development has spurred legislation and policy guidance in many states in recent years. According to the Education Commission of the States, common state policies include the adoption of high-quality curricula, pre-service educator coursework and professional development for educators and administrators.
One recent example is New Mexico's S.B. 37. Signed into law earlier this year, this comprehensive literacy bill sets new requirements for pre-service teacher preparation, professional development, literacy coaching, K-3 reading assessments, interventions and adoption of high-quality instructional materials. These activities are being implemented beginning this school year.
Additionally, New Mexico is investing $30 million for a new literacy institute, according to the governor's office.
At the federal level, the push to increase reading proficiency through science of reading approaches has bipartisan support. House Republican and Democratic lawmakers passed the Science of Reading Act on Sept. 16. The bill stresses that federally supported literacy instruction, funded through grants to states, should align with evidence-based literacy instruction based on the science of reading.
A similar bill has been approved by the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
