Teaching Research

readingPanel
A copy of one of the National Reading Panel's work products is shown in this June 17, 2026 photo. The influential report, now more than 25 years old, has long served as a cornerstone of the “science of reading” movement, shaping state legislation, curriculum, and teacher professional development.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Reading & Literacy Is It Time for Another National Reading Panel?
The panel's 2000 report on reading has influenced policy for years. Now, Congress is calling for an update.
Sarah Schwartz, June 17, 2026
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7 min read
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An educator at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Ore. works with students on phonics and phonemic awareness on Feb. 5, 2025. New studies point to the mix of factors teachers should consider when selecting texts for students.
Julia Silverman via TNS
Reading & Literacy How Should Teachers Select Books for Young Readers? (Hint: It's Not Just Decodability)
Three new studies offer clues about what makes texts easier and harder for young students to read on their own.
Sarah Schwartz, June 12, 2026
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5 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. Districts have emphasized structured literacy, though research suggests that how teachers use that time can significantly affect student outcomes.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy What Might Matter More Than Phonics in Early Literacy
A district invested in evidence-based literacy instruction but reaped uneven results. Here's why.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 11, 2026
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4 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. New research shows significant shifts in how teachers are teaching reading, as well as the materials and PD they receive, but some still use older methods.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How the Science of Reading Is Reshaping Teaching: What the Data Say
A nationally representative survey shows how reading curriculum, PD, and teacher practice have shifted.
Sarah Schwartz, April 29, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion How Teachers Are Solving Classroom Problems by Doing Their Own Research
Educators share how they are using their own data and self-reflection to support their students.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 13, 2026
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11 min read
First-graders in Chelsea, Mass. public schools meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program.
First graders in Kelly Elementary School in Chelsea, Mass. meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program. The Chelsea district is now targeting 1st graders for tutoring to make sure all of them meet reading benchmarks by the end of the year.
Courtesy of Chelsea Public Schools
Student Achievement The Case for Reading Tutoring Before 3rd Grade, Not After
New research suggests virtual tutoring can boost literacy learning before kids begin to struggle.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 26, 2026
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6 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H., pictured here on Oct. 29, 2025, has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students. Teachers who work with older readers say they often have a hard time finding texts that support these students' needs at grade level without feeling babyish or patronizing.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Few Books Are Tailored for Older Struggling Readers: 'It's an Absolute Wasteland'
Teachers and researchers identify three barriers to finding reading materials that meet these students' needs—and how to overcome them.
Sarah Schwartz, February 24, 2026
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6 min read
ESL teacher Edmund Martinez keeps a graduation cap and gown in his classroom to inspire students to graduate in Russellville, Ala., on December 9, 2022.
A graduation cap and gown sit in an ESL teacher's classroom in Russellville, Ala. New research suggests some negative outcomes from grouping English learners together in high school, such as a lower likelihood of graduating on time.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English Learners What New Research Reveals About Grouping English Learners Together
New research cautions districts from defaulting to grouping all English learners together.
Ileana Najarro, January 30, 2026
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4 min read
A classroom at Lafargue Elementary School in Effie, Louisiana, on Friday, August 22. The state has implemented new professional development requirements for math teachers in grades 4-8 to help improve student achievement and address learning gaps.
An elementary school classroom in Effie, La., shows how one of the learning goals is to master the ability to compare numbers, on August 22, 2025. New research points out steps teachers can take to memorize facts—through a combination of practice, drills, and playing with numbers.
Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
Mathematics 4 Research-Backed Tips for Mastering Math Facts
A new review of research offers evidence-based recommendations for classroom practice.
Sarah Schwartz, January 27, 2026
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5 min read
Casey Dupuis points to class work for a one of her 5th graders during a math class at Lafargue Elementary School in Effie, Louisiana, on Friday, August 22. The state has implemented new professional development requirements for math teachers in grades 4-8 to help improve student achievement and address learning gaps.
A 5th grader works on a problem during a math class at an elementary school in Effie, La., on Aug. 22, 2025. A position paper on teaching math published by the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics recently kicked off another round of conversations about what practices work best in the classroom—and what the ultimate goals of the subject even are.
Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
Mathematics Debates Over Math Teaching Are Heating Up. They Could Affect Classrooms
A controversial new movement promoting the "science of math" has come into the math establishment's crosshairs.
Sarah Schwartz, January 22, 2026
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9 min read
Image of a student working on school work and vocabulary words like radius, diameter, integer, coefficient are floating around his desk.
Laura Baker/Education week via Canva
Mathematics How the Vocabulary Math Teachers Use Affects Student Learning
A new study draws a link between teachers' use of a discrete instructional practice and student performance.
Sarah Schwartz, January 16, 2026
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4 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Video How Reading Instruction Evolved in 2025, and What’s Ahead
Throughout 2025, Education Week has covered how states and districts are continuing to incorporate new instructional methods and materials.
Sarah Schwartz & Kaylee Domzalski, December 30, 2025
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2:13
Students in Anjanette McNeely's class work on their letters during a reading block at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
What's the best way to attend to all the elements of the 'science of reading' in a literacy block? Research doesn't specify a specific answer, but kindergarten teacher Anjanette McNeely has designed hers to incorporate foundational skills, content, and writing. McNeely's class works on their letters at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How to Build a Reading Block: Two Teachers Share Their Approaches
Studies don't prescribe how best to knit together components of reading—leaving it up to teachers to devise.
Sarah Schwartz, December 8, 2025
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7 min read
Image of a student reading in the library.
New research suggests that exercises in phonemic awareness may be more impactful when connected to print and purposeful phonics teaching.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Reading & Literacy A Popular Method for Teaching Phonemic Awareness Doesn't Boost Reading
In a new study, a highly used program didn't lead to improvements in students' word-reading abilities.
Sarah Schwartz, November 4, 2025
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5 min read