Early Literacy

Learn more about the curriculum and methods used to teach young children the literacy skills they need to read and write, including phonics

Project

Staci Pollock teaches reading comprehension to her second grade class at Lacy Elementary in Raleigh, N.C., on May 25, 2022.
Why Putting the 'Science of Reading' Into Practice Is So Challenging
Philosophical disagreements, a rushed rollout, and a lack of ready-to-use materials have complicated one state's journey.
View Project
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Doing Less to Achieve More: Eastern U.S. Leaders on Literacy
As districts work to sustain evidence-based literay practices, see what Eastern U.S. literacy leaders are choosing to stop, strengthen, a...
Content provided by Lexia Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Making It Stick: Western U.S. Leaders on Literacy
Explore how Western U.S leaders are building the support, focus, and follow-through needed to turn literacy research into daily practice.
Content provided by Lexia Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Built to Last: Central U.S. Leaders on Literacy
See how Central U.S. leaders are creating the focus, structures, and support needed to help effective practices endure.
Content provided by Lexia Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Whitepaper Supporting Students With Dyslexia: A Practical Guide
Explore research-informed approaches to dyslexia support, from early recognition and accessible learning to literacy instruction, MTSS an...
Content provided by Everway
Collage-style illustration of the top of the U.S. Capitol building rotunda, with the upper portion hinging open and an arm wearing a suit reaches out holding a pen. The hand is writing a red X through a clipping of a printed letter B, and cut out letters A and C are on the page as well.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Reading & Literacy Opinion Why Congress’s Latest Foray Into the Reading Wars Is Too Sloppy to Work
In trying to promote the science of reading, are politicians doing the opposite?
Timothy Shanahan, September 23, 2026
•
5 min read
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 16: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives leave the Capitol Building after a session on September 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) cancelled votes for Thursday, sending lawmakers home a day early ahead of the midterm-election recess.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives leave the Capitol after a session on Sept. 16, 2026 in Washington, D.C. The House passed legislation that would make the "science of reading" a priority in some federal literacy grants.
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
Reading & Literacy Federal 'Science of Reading' Legislation Passes the House
A bipartisan bill would make the evidence-based instruction a priority in some federal literacy grants.
Sarah Schwartz, September 17, 2026
•
3 min read
Natalia Gutierrez, age 10 (5th grade), Garrett Christian, age 10 (5th grade), William Robinson, age 8 (3rd grade), wait to begin reading time in the afternoon at Creative Minds School in Wichita, Kansas on September 15, 2026.
Fifth graders Natalia Gutierrez, 10, and Garrett Christian, 10, and 3rd grader William Robinson, 8, wait to begin reading time in the afternoon at Creative Minds School in Wichita, Kan., on Sept. 15, 2026. Applying reading research to the classroom can be challenging, and engineering principles could help, some researchers say.
Melissa Lukenbaugh for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A The Science of Reading Has an Implementation Problem. Could Engineering Help?
Researchers suggest that an "engineering of reading" could better translate evidence into practice.
Sarah Schwartz, September 16, 2026
•
11 min read
HERNDON, VA - MAY 11: Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter, Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., Thursday, May 11, 2023. The program is called Book Bounce, one of many designed by Coates Family Academy for parents to be more involved in their students' education. It's focused on immigrant and English-learning families.
Carmen Quintanilla and her husband Cain Perez read a book to their daughter Carolina Perez, 5, during a program with Coates Family Academy at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Va., on May 11, 2023. New research shows a decline in parent-child shared book reading experiences since the pandemic.
Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Early Childhood Parents Are Reading Less to Preschool-Age Kids at Home. What’s to Blame?
A new study uncovers factors tied to shared reading habits at home.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 11, 2026
•
4 min read
Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025.
Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025. More teachers are using AI to generate decodable texts and other tailored reading, and not much research points to best practices.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Artificial Intelligence Using AI-Generated Text in Reading Class? Watch for These Pitfalls
Not all AI tools are equally skilled at crafting texts for teaching, studies have shown.
Sarah Schwartz, September 9, 2026
•
4 min read
Nursery Rhymes, Disappearing, children's books, kids books, early childhood, early literacy
Illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
Early Childhood Hey Diddle Diddle: What the Decline of Nursery Rhymes Means for Early Literacy
Nursery rhymes aren't just a quaint nod to the past: They're an engaging way to grow literacy skills.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 27, 2026
•
5 min read
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO- NOVEMBER 17: Teacher Adam Gravenor uses AI technology to assist his instruction at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025.
Teacher Adam Gravenor uses AI technology to assist his instruction at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025. As AI continues to enter the classroom, some teachers are using both general tools and those provided by educational publishers to generate "decodable" text to supplement phonics lessons, or texts of varying complexity.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Reading & Literacy More Kids Are Learning to Read on AI-Generated Text. What Are the Pros and Cons?
AI tools can easily create practice passages. Are they comparable to those written by humans?
Sarah Schwartz, August 27, 2026
•
8 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper The Missing Link Between Decoding and Reading Fluency
Learn how six research-backed principles from cognitive science can make practice more effective and help students develop lasting fluency
Content provided by WordFlight
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C.
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School practice exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C. Consensus exists that teaching students alphabetics, including phonics and phonemic awareness, is critical for reading—but which methods are the most efficient?
Cornell Watson for Education Week
Reading & Literacy A New Phonics Debate Shows How the 'Science of Reading' Movement Is Evolving
Growing momentum behind 'linguistic' phonics has raised questions about how best to use classroom time.
Sarah Schwartz, August 13, 2026
•
6 min read
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 . A new bill could change how literacy is taught in elementary schools by providing transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers with training and textbooks that stress what's known as science of reading, an approach to literacy that focuses heavily on phonics and foundational reading skills to combat California's literacy crisis. Though other states have shifted to this evidence-based reading, California's reading instruction has largely been left to the control of school districts, many of which have not made the switch. The school has begun their shift to a science of reading approach and are seen as an example for other California districts.
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Proponents of a "speech-to-print" phonics approach say it works more efficiently than other methods. But research evidence is inconclusive.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via TNS
Reading & Literacy What is 'Linguistic' Phonics and Why Are Some Schools Adopting It?
A new question is emerging in the "science of reading": Is one type of phonics instruction better than another?
Sarah Schwartz, August 7, 2026
•
8 min read