We all live in a language laboratory—but it’s not a place of chance. It is intentionally designed. Structured Literacy gives us the structure language needs, and oracy keeps that learning alive and meaningful. When we honor both, we create classrooms where language isn’t just taught … it’s used, explored, and celebrated.

It has been challenging to watch each new wave of literacy reform unfold. My first exposure to reform came long before I was aware of what was happening. As an elementary school student, I struggled profoundly with reading and spelling. I failed spelling tests week after week and was punished for it, with little meaningful support and a steady stream of messages that I was one of the worst students in the school. What I did not know at the time was that my state had just passed its first dyslexia law. What I did know was that something felt profoundly unjust. I was working harder than anyone knew I was, studying endlessly, and still being left to figure things out on my own.

Few individuals have shaped the national conversation about reading instruction as profoundly as Dr. Reid Lyon.

As we wrap up another impactful year hosting EDVIEW360, we want to take a moment to thank you—our readers, listeners, and professional learning partners—for making 2025 a year of meaningful dialogue, shared expertise, and forward momentum in literacy education.

Literacy is a human right. Every learner, regardless of the language spoken at home, deserves access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction that is both culturally and linguistically responsive. This is especially critical for the more than 5 million students in the United States whose heritage language is not English.

The science of reading is changing the way teachers approach foundational reading skills. But what about the science of learning or cognitive science?