The “science of reading” refers to a vast body of multidisciplinary research providing a rationale for what must be taught to ensure almost all students can learn to read.

Selecting reading material for instructional purposes has always been a job I have enjoyed. In professional development with teachers (e.g., in LETRS®), the text readings we have preferred for analysis are linguistically challenging, thematically engaging, and somewhat provocative.

Written words represent speech and language. This fundamental truth explains why reading and spelling skill depend on language abilities; why explicit teaching of sounds, words, and discourse is the most effective way to ensure that all students learn to read and write; and why we have been persistent advocates for teachers’ knowledge of language—which is the focus of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS®).

Results of the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are in, and the picture is not pretty when it comes to fourth grade reading scores.

The time has come to call the public’s attention to reading science and to dispel the misconceived beliefs and practices that are so widespread in our classrooms.

Dyslexia is the most common type of developmental reading disability and one of the most studied of all learning disorders. Advocates have successfully pushed more than 40 states to adopt rules and guidelines for the identification and treatment of dyslexia. Given prevalence estimates of about 5 percent to 17 percent of all students, one or two who merit this descriptor are likely to be in every classroom. Thus, every teacher should be familiar with the nature of the disorder and how to teach children who are affected by it.