Seeing a child curled up with a book as they independently learn to read the words and find the meaning in a story is a heartwarming image. We have been taught that learning to read is akin to learning to talk—if children are exposed to the pictures and words often enough, they will learn to read. But findings from thousands of research studies over the past two decades indicate that this magical transformation is not “magic.”
After several years of headlines celebrating “the end” of balanced literacy in favor of the evidenced-based phonemic approach, we are still trying to navigate how to teach our children to read. New phonics-based reading curricula have been implemented in districts across the country, along with advocacy efforts and new legislation. But this is merely the first step in giving our teachers the tools they need to build independent, confident readers.
The “reading wars” have brought to public attention what my colleagues in special education have long known and applied in our schools: that reading instruction must be structured, systematic, backed by science, and fun.
In this biweekly column, principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.
As the head of a school for children with learning differences, I know firsthand how detrimental reading challenges can be. Many students come to our school at an age at which they should be fluent readers but struggle to read even at the basic level. I also know that when teachers feel confident in the instructional methods, they are best equipped to address the varying needs of the children.
In schools beginning a new reading journey, school leaders need to understand that selecting a curriculum is only one aspect of good reading instruction. We are asking teachers to make this titanic shift and to learn new methodologies and skills on the go.
As an education community, to truly be successful with the transition to the science of reading, we need to make sure there is still room for it to partner with the art of teaching. The art of teaching requires the teacher to see the child at the center of the curriculum.
It is no shock that transitions to the science of reading are sometimes met with frustration, anxiety, and even resistance from some teachers and parents. Overwhelmed teachers risk being yet another casualty of the reading wars. We must make sure not to lose the excitement teachers create in their classrooms during reading lessons. They bring the instruction to life, engage our students, and infuse the joy of reading into our young learners.
Teachers need time outside the classroom for professional development as well as experienced supervision in the classroom to learn and implement a different approach. School districts need the resources to offer expertly led professional development sessions, and teachers need time to devote to developing their new skills.
At my school, our reading instruction is steeped in the evidence-based approach of Orton-Gillingham, the founders of modern-day phonics. The lessons are explicit, systematic, and sequential, but they are also multisensory and engaging. Whether they are chanting along with sound cards or tapping out the individual sounds of a word, students are active participants in the lesson. Building on each prior skill, students take great pride in moving from the individual sounds to whole words to reading full sentences.
Mastery of these skills builds confident readers who are able to find meaning in the text and a love of literature. It takes well-trained teachers to unlock these skills.
Last year, my school partnered with a New York City public school to pilot a 15-week science of reading professional development training for local teachers. This year, we doubled the number of participants and added graduate student participants. By the end of the program, 100 percent of the teachers reported they had already implemented the strategies in their classrooms, with 89 percent reporting an improvement in their students’ grasp of phonics.
I believe teachers can solve our reading crisis, but we need to give them the grace, time, and resources to make this shift to the science of reading. Teachers need to be fully trained and skilled in this instructional method, so that they can have the confidence and capacity to continue to bring joy to their lessons.
When teachers are comfortable with the material, they emanate joy and spark student learning. One of the participants of our professional development program who has been an elementary school teacher for decades recently told us she loves teaching phonics now. Her students are engaged with the lessons and have fun—and so does she.
