Science of Reading
The Science of Reading is:
a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages. The Science of Reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties. The Science of Reading is derived from researchers from multiple fields:
cognitive psychology
communication sciences
developmental psychology
education
implementation science
linguistics
neuroscience
school psychology
The Science of Reading is not:
an ideology or philosophy
a fad, trend, new idea, or pendulum swing
a political agenda
a one-size-fits-all approach
a program of instruction
a single, specific component of instruction such as phonics
The Science of Reading points our instruction toward using structured literacy practices. Structured literacy instruction is explicit, systematic, diagnostic, and cumulative instruction in the foundational skills of reading. In addition to the necessary foundational skills of reading, cognitive science has shown that a primary factor in whether one is able to understand what they read is whether they possess relevant background knowledge and vocabulary. Natalie Wexler summarizes the current research by writing, “… skipping the step of building knowledge doesn’t work. The ability to think critically — like the ability to understand what you read — can’t be taught directly and in the abstract. It’s inextricably linked to how much knowledge you have about the situation at hand” (Wexler, 2019). The following essential components, known as the Five Big Ideas in Reading Instruction, were identified by the National Reading Panel (NRP) in 1997. Research continues to support the findings. In 2017, Dr. Timothy Shanahan stated, “the evidence supporting instruction in the five areas in which NRP concluded were beneficial continues to accumulate — meaning that the case is even stronger today supporting the need for those kinds of teaching. The evidence is stronger now than it was in 2000” (Shanahan, 2017).
To learn more about the foundational research behind the pillars of early literacy guided by the science of reading, click "The Five Big Ideas of Reading Instruction" below. To understand the strands of reading and how we learn to read, click "The Reading Rope" below. To learn more about literacy programming and the science of reading at WUSD, click "Science of Reading at WUSD".
To learn more about the definition and research foundations for the Science of Reading, please view The Reading League's Science of Reading Defining Guide in English or The Reading League’s La ciencia de la lectura: Definición in Spanish.