A New Outlook: The Science of Reading Movement and What It Means for 2024
In a culmination of about 50 years of research, the Science of Reading movement has now reached a point of possible contact with the American school system. But what is the Science of Reading, and why has it been popularized in the past year? This term has a very long history, dating back to the 1830s to denote studies in literacy and reading comprehension. But now (and as early as 2019), it has taken a new form as a movement that hopes to change the way we teach reading and writing.
The Science of Reading is, in its basic sense, a vast body of scientific research about reading comprehension, writing, and basic literacy. The research has been conducted in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, and other disciplines, and has now culminated into a set curriculum guide to optimize reading comprehension and writing proficiency. Some states like New York and California have already made efforts to make this curriculum guide available to teachers and others in the education field. Kathy Hochul of New York even announced a proposal to require schools to use “scientifically proven” curricula for reading by 2025. Alternatively, states like Alaska are holding The Science of Reading Conference for educators, attempting to implement this reformed approach to language arts in a more relaxed, teacher-led way.
But aren’t our current literacy and writing curricula sufficient? Maybe not. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that in 2023, only about 79% of American adults have sufficient English literacy skills. And some economists note that for k-12 students now, literacy is of utmost importance considering the 21st Century “knowledge economy” –– the basic structure of the current American economy that relies on knowledge-intensive activities (like reading, coding, or computing) to produce and work with quality goods and services.
The NCES cited a lack of educational opportunities, financial strain, and inadequate classroom environments as the prime causes for illiteracy. In one sense, this is what the Science of Reading hopes to tackle –– through more efficient, science-based teaching strategies, students with strained schedules, financial pressures, and emotional strains will be able to make the most out of what lesson time they are able to attend with attention. It is essentially a way to streamline lessons in reading comprehension and writing development, so that students feel confident and capable when met with the written word.
The primary motive of this movement has been to break down the reading process: to identify how a person is able to take in multiple pieces of information while their eyes glide across a page. How they are able to feel, learn, and actively read letters, understanding the meaning of the words in a singular sense, and identifying a greater meaning found in a complete sentence, all within one moment of looking at a page.
This breakdown has been identified most clearly in Scarborough’s “Reading Rope.” In this, Scarborough separates language comprehension and word recognition –– two different activities being done simultaneously that results in “skilled reading.”
One might be thinking, then, that the Science of Reading approach would simply exaggerate phonetics in the classroom, giving less weight to language comprehension and more to the letters themselves and how they are pronounced. But one may want to take a chance on this approach of emphasizing phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition. When focusing on the words themselves –– their sound, their parts, and their spelling, one has the ability to make better inferences when moving to language comprehension. Think of the word “transition.” Let’s break it down:
Trans- : a prefix used with the meanings “across,” “beyond,” “through.”
-tion : a suffix used to mean “the action of (a verb)” or “The result of (a verb).”
By breaking this word down, we are able to know the meaning of many more words not taught directly. For example: “transcend (trans c end)”or “Trans-Siberian.” An emphasis on word breakdown is able to lend a self-starter way of learning how to read. When a student does not know a word, they might be able to break the word into smaller chunks, lending them a basic idea of the word that, in the context of a sentence, might give them a pretty good definition on their own.
Although we may see this in more school curricula, especially in New York and California, it is important to note that a lot of teachers already practice approaches that are in line with the Science of Reading. Although the expanded outlook for 2024 and the major press on this movement has brought the subject to the top of parent’s and teacher’s minds, the change is not as drastic as one might think. These are evidence-based approaches that will optimize our time in the classroom or in tutoring sessions –– rather than changing the entire structure of lectures and reading. If anything, this movement will result in an act of addition –– expanding the tool kits of educators and parents alike for lessons that inspire skilled reading from young, busy kids.
Sources and further reading:“Adult Literacy in the United States.” National Center for Education Statistics.Cohen, Rachel M. “The New ‘Science of Reading” Movement, Explained.” Vox, 15 August 2023.Goldstein, Dana. “What to Know About the Science of Reading.” The New York Times, 3 January 2023.Hayes, Adam. “What is the Knowledge Economy? Definition, Criteria, and Example.” Investopedia, 22 January 2021.Hollingsworth, Heather. “Why More U.S. Schools are Embracing a New “Science of Reading.” PBS News Hour, 20 April 2023.“The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement.” The Reading League, Inc., 2021. https://www.thereadingleague.org/what-is-the-science-of-reading/.Schwartz, Sarah. “The ‘Science of Reading’ in 2024: 5 State Initiatives to Watch.” EducationWeek, 25 January 2024.“What is the Reading Rope?” Braintrust Tutors.