We know explicit, systematic phonics is an essential pillar for beginning readers.

Do you find phonics instruction to be a bit like navigating a maze? You're not alone.

Although science of reading research dates back 50 years, there are still educators, publishers, legislators, and state policy experts who don’t understand the importance of aligning reading instruction with evidence-based research.

The English spelling system, or orthography, is morphophonemic, representing linguistic information about how to pronounce a word (phonemic) and how to determine its meaning and usage (morphemic).

During the 40 years I’ve taught, observed, and studied beginning reading instruction, I’ve survived various renditions of the Reading Wars—whole language vs. phonics, balanced literacy, guided reading, and now the science of reading.

If your experience is like mine, reading the title of this post brings to mind many names and faces of students I have worked with over the years