What is the Science of Reading?

Speaker: The term "science of reading" has become a buzzword in headlines. You may have heard education experts say that both reading curriculum and instruction should be rooted in the science of reading or aligned with the science of reading. But what exactly does that mean?

The science of reading is a comprehensive term referring to decades of research-based scientific evidence about reading instruction and how children learn to read. This body of evidence is drawn from educational and developmental psychology, linguistics, cognitive science, and neuroscience. The convergence of evidence among these fields explains how children learn to read and how they become proficient readers. 

The evidence contributes to educators' understanding around how reading skills are developed, what happens in the brains of students with reading difficulties, best practices and strategies for literacy instruction, and literacy content that supports the development of successful readers. In essence, the science of reading serves as a roadmap, guiding educators in understanding how children learn to read and empowering them to provide the most effective reading instruction for all students.

Now that you have a better understanding of the science of reading, it's time to address some of the myths that surround this topic.

Myth number one: The science of reading is about reading wars. The reading wars are a debate between two methods of teaching students how to read: phonics instruction and whole language.

Phonics instruction focuses on letter-sound relationships and uses decodable books, authentic literature, and informational texts to provide students with opportunities to practice phonics skills with explicit word instruction. Whole language is a philosophy of teaching reading that focuses on the meaning of text above decoding. In this approach, students rely heavily on meaning and context to determine words and text.

Many people believe that phonics is the best way to teach students to read, while others believe that the whole language method is the best.

Fact: The science of reading supports the understanding that to become successful readers, students need both explicit and systematic instruction in phonics to learn how to decode. Reading comprehension is a result of automatic word recognition and decoding combined with language comprehension.

Myth number two: The science of reading is about telling teachers that they are wrong. Fact: The science of reading doesn't involve blaming teachers for implementing methods that are wrong. Teachers implement practices they believe to be best for children. The science of reading provides guidance to teachers on what practices are most effective based on peer-reviewed research. As teachers learn the research, they will be able to implement reading instruction that has a greater impact on students' outcomes. In other words, when we know better, we do better.

Myth number three: Everything you read that claims it is based on the science of reading is an evidence-based practice. Fact: Many publishers are touting that their materials and practices are grounded in or based on the science of reading. Educators may also suggest that a particular practice is based on the science of reading. However, with more information, consumers can be more cautious with the reading materials they choose. For example, you may have heard that you should only use decodable text for reading instruction.

The fact is that different text is appropriate for different purposes. Decodable text should be used to practice phonics skills students have just learned. However, students need to engage with a variety of texts to build background knowledge, vocabulary, and language comprehension. It's important to understand what research supports. Stamping a practice or curriculum as science of reading doesn't necessarily mean that it's supported by research.

Myth number four: The science of reading is static. We know how to teach reading well. Fact: The science of reading is not static. It's a dynamic and progressive field that continually evolves and adapts to improve reading outcomes. The more we conduct research, the more we know about what practices work best for whom and under what conditions. As in the decodable text example, we need more research to fully understand the role text plays in teaching reading.

This video has helped to clarify what the science of reading is and what it is not.  Now it's time to point you to free resources that align with evidence-based science of reading practices. Teacher reading guides are designed to accompany both New World's Reading Books and Florida's Best ELA Texts. These resources are available for VPK through 5th grade teachers on the New World's Reading Initiative website. Just click on Educator Resources at the top of the page. There, you'll find free downloadable PDFs containing content and instructional strategies that are ready for immediate use in your classroom.

We hope this exploration of the science of reading gives you additional tools to enhance your reading instruction and foster a love for reading.  We'll see you next time.