Rigorous Learning
The science of reading is a research-based approach to helping students build the literacy skills vital to reading comprehension, critical thinking, and connection across topics.
Overview
The science of reading refers to the evidence-based pedagogy shown to effectively teach children how to read. Interdisciplinary researchers and educators have asked and tested research questions for decades to better understand the relationship between literacy instruction and student reading outcomes. Science-of-reading-based pedagogy and instruction takes a structured approach to helping students become skilled, fluent readers who are able to make meaning by connecting what they have read with what they already know, and thinking about this information until it is understood.
Though the science of reading currently lacks a common formal definition, decades of evidence suggests that it hinges upon the Simple View of Reading model (Gough & Tunmer, 1986), which helps explain the relationship between decoding and skilled reading. This empirically based framework shows us that reading comprehension is the product of two components: word recognition and language comprehension (WR x LC = RC). In other words, children need to be able to both sound out a word and decipher the meaning of the word in order to understand what they’ve just read. If either of these skills are weak, reading comprehension is low.
The image, courtesy of the author, originally appeared in the following publication: Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook for research in early literacy (pp. 97–110). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
A helpful way to visualize how these skills work to reinforce each other is Scarborough’s Reading Rope (2001). Developed by literacy expert Dr. Hollis Scarborough, the Reading Rope shows how reading comprehension consists of word recognition strands that bind together to build accuracy and fluency and language comprehension strands that reinforce one another, before weaving together to produce skilled readers.
The National Reading Panel (2000) —a group of reading researchers, faculty from colleges of education, reading teachers, educational administrators, and parents—identified five key research-based pillars that effectively help children learn to read:
- Phonemic awareness: the understanding that spoken words are made up of separate units of sound that are blended together when words are pronounced
- Phonics: the breakdown of words into letters and sounds, which allows readers to decode words as they read
- Fluency: the ability to read accurately, quickly, and with proper expression across connected texts (i.e., sentences, paragraphs, and full passages)
- Vocabulary: the explicit integration of vocabulary instruction to help build students’ recognition of words
- Text comprehension: the product of being able to recognize and understand words. In other words, comprehension happens when the words become ideas. Comprehension is the final goal of literacy instruction.
Phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency are skills that help readers learn word recognition skills, while vocabulary and text comprehension contribute to language comprehension development. These components build on each other to help readers establish the foundational skills they need to comprehend the text they’re engaging with.
A large recent cultural shift towards the science of reading has led to more educators introducing explicit and dedicated phonics instruction in early grades to build and solidify foundational literacy skills.
Classrooms that integrate science-of-reading-informed curricula and practices bring varied activities that map onto each of the five pillars, including activities such as:
- Explicit and systematic phonics instruction, in which letter-sound relationships are directly taught and in a clearly defined scope and sequence.
- Interactive read-aloud lessons that allow teachers to scaffold understanding of text, model fluency, and teach vocabulary and new concepts.
- Sound walls inside the classroom that reinforce phonemic awareness and phonics instruction by helping students focus on the articulation of sounds and letters/letter patterns that represent the phonemes in words. Many of these walls also include images of a child’s mouth next to each sound so students can practice the way their mouth feels, looks, and acts when pronouncing sounds, which makes the learning more concrete.
- Leveraging the mind-body connection, which includes listening, speaking, reading, and a tactile or kinesthetic activity to focus and reinforce the phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary being taught. As a bonus, students usually find these multi-sensory reading experiences, such as assigning gestures to specific sounds and spelling words in shaving cream, to be engaging and motivating.
- Word games that help students practice their literacy skills in novel ways, such as creating alliterative sentences and rhyming games, serve to reinforce direct literacy instruction while building vocabulary and fluency.
References
Gough, P.B. and Tunmer, W.E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6-10. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193258600700104
Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook for research in early literacy (pp. 97–110). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
The National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf
What Makes This Innovative?
High Expectations with Unlimited Opportunities
Science-of-reading-based pedagogy, curricula, and practices help every student, including struggling readers and those diagnosed with dyslexia, become proficient readers.
Relevance
Effectively developing students’ foundational reading skills unlocks their potential to explore their individual interests and connect their schoolwork to their everyday lives.
Science of Reading Models on the Exchange
Explore models on The Innovative Models Exchange that have embraced the science of reading pedagogy, practices, and curriculum below.
Grades K-8
BookNook
BookNook accelerates students’ reading and comprehension with standards-aligned, high-dosage, remote tutoring for students in grades K–8.
Grades K-8
BookNook
BookNook is an online collaborative learning model that offers reading intervention through reading lessons that include synchronous instruction, interactive activities, group discussion, and collaboration opportunities. Grounded in the science of reading, BookNook tutoring is versatile in being able to fit a school’s needs. It can be used for reading intervention and, while it usually takes place during the school day, tutoring services are also available before or after school. Tutoring can occur either one-on-one or in small groups, and tutors can be either in-person using school staff or virtual using BookNook tutors.
BookNook’s reading curriculum comprises lessons that support the development of skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. With more than 850 lessons—with some lessons available with Spanish supports—BookNook offers synchronous, impactful, scalable, and engaging tutoring designed to enhance K–-8 reading achievement. These tutoring sessions occur 2–3 times a week for 30 minutes each. BookNook Overview
BookNook is currently used in more than 2,700 schools across 40 different states. On average, students who received 20+ sessions of tutoring outperformed their peers by more than a quarter standard deviation in just 10 weeks.
Grades K-8
Ignite Reading
Ignite Reading provides a one-on-one virtual high-dosage tutoring program grounded in the science of reading that teaches every student the foundational skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader.
Grades K-8
Ignite Reading
Ignite Reading’s mission is to deliver one-to-one tutoring that teaches every student the foundational reading skills they need to become a confident, fluent reader. Informed by the science of reading, Ignite delivers a one-on-one virtual tutoring program focused on teaching students foundational reading skills. Ignite tutors complete a 120+ hour certification program to become master reading instructors and pair with students all over the country to help them crack the code to become lifelong readers.
The model is designed to empower teachers by providing students who need extra support with targeted, differentiated reading instruction that closes their decoding gaps. Tutoring is implemented during the school day and begins having an impact immediately. Curriculum-embedded diagnostic tools help determine where students fall on the continuum of learning to read before targeted one-on-one instruction begins. The ultimate goal of the Ignite Reading model is to help students successfully build the foundational literacy skills necessary for them to become independent readers. Ignite Reading Overview
Grades K-12
AIM Institute for Learning & Research
Integrated Literacy Model
AIM’s Integrated Literacy Model is a comprehensive framework designed to improve literacy outcomes for students of all abilities by helping teachers understand the science of reading and how to translate research into effective practices.
Grades K-12
AIM Institute for Learning & Research
Integrated Literacy Model
AIM’s Integrated Literacy Model (ILM) was designed to ensure that all students experience learning opportunities optimal for developing literacy skills. Recognizing that no single “off the shelf” program sufficiently addresses the continuum of skills necessary to develop proficient readers and writers, the ILM brings together evidence-based programs and initiatives aligned to six core instructional components. Additionally, the ILM leverages implementation science to give teachers the strategies they need to translate evidence-based literacy programs into practice within their classrooms faithfully and sustainably.
The Integrated Literacy Model was developed within AIM Academy, a research-to-practice school serving students with language-based learning differences. Currently, only AIM Academy implements the comprehensive model, while more than 14,000 teachers participate in AIM Institute’s Pathway Courses to learn select literacy practices that comprise the model. AIM Integrated Literacy Model Summary The AIM Pathways™ Difference
Grades K-12
The Literacy Architects
Literacy Masterminds
Literacy Masterminds supports student growth in literacy through the incorporation of evidence-based instructional routines into the daily classroom experience.
Grades K-12
The Literacy Architects
Literacy Masterminds
Literacy Masterminds drives growth and achievement in literacy by giving students access to targeted, evidence-based instructional routines designed to benefit those struggling with foundational reading skills such as phonemic awareness, decoding, or fluency. Literacy Masterminds offers three series, with Series 2 focusing specifically on accelerating reading growth through fluency for students in grades 3–12. By the end of this series, teachers have established a regular fluency routine that engages students via a mix of whole group, small group, partner, and independent practice.
Teachers learn these routines through a 12-week, flipped professional development model, during which they explore evidence-based literacy strategies on their own via an online platform before convening each week in remote, small-group PLCs to plan, reflect, and problem-solve. The model’s flipped design ensures that when teachers meet, the bulk of their time is spent collaborating meaningfully to apply the strategies to their specific context. Teachers can join as school cohorts, or they can join as individuals, which allows teachers to build community across schools and districts, share best practices, and ultimately feel less siloed.
Literacy Masterminds currently works with four districts across the country as well as with Teach for America Corps Members and Alumni from TFA D.C. and TFA Philadelphia. Literacy Masterminds Flyer
Kindergarten
Once
Once Early-Reading
The Once model teaches school support staff to implement high-dosage, one-on-one tutoring based in the science of reading, so that kindergarteners learn how to read fluently and independently.
Kindergarten
Once
Once Early-Reading
Once has developed a high-dosage, one-on-one reading-tutoring program for kindergarten students that is rooted in the science of reading and does not require certified teachers to implement. Existing school support staff are trained to deliver scripted reading lessons that explicitly and systematically introduce letter-sound correspondences and give students the opportunity to apply those when reading authentic, decodable texts. Students also practice deliberate writing activities related to the sounds they are learning each session. Each lesson is video recorded, so that the school staff member can receive feedback from a Once coach to continuously improve their tutoring instruction.
Once offers various supports to schools interested in implementing their model, from free resources to a deeper partnership.
Ages 3-5
Collaborative Classroom
SEEDS of Learning
©SEEDS of Learning helps students become confident, capable readers through evidence-based, play-focused classroom interactions and instruction.
Ages 3-5
Collaborative Classroom
SEEDS of Learning
The ©SEEDS of Learning (SEEDS) model is a research-based training and coaching program for educators. It is designed to ensure kindergarten readiness through balanced, high-quality, and play-based interactions that promote children’s social and emotional development, as well as their literacy and language skills. SEEDS can be implemented by early childhood educators (infant/toddler and Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten), parents, and coaches.
FluentSeeds, a part of Collaborative Classroom, trains and coaches educators in two domains: how to engage with students and what skills need to be taught. The how is rooted in relationships, so educators are trained to focus on five key areas to ensure intentionality and skill in educators’ ability to build relationships with their students. The what is an evidence-proven set of developmentally appropriate interventions targeting the development of critical early and pre-literacy skills.
This multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model is compatible with any curriculum, and currently serves around 4,000 educators and 31,000 students across 11 states. SEEDS of Learning Overview
Grades 1-8
Success For All Foundation
Success For All Tutoring
Success for All Tutoring is a research-proven literacy tutoring program offered through an easy-to-use web-based platform so that students can accelerate their reading skills.
Grades 1-8
Success For All Foundation
Success For All Tutoring
Success for All Tutoring is a research-proven literacy tutoring model designed specifically for below-level students in grades 1-8. The program offers two levels: “Tutoring with the Lightning Squad” for grades 1-3 and “Tutoring with ThemeReads” for grades 4-8, catering to the specific needs of different age groups.
Students work cooperatively in pairs, guided and monitored by their tutors, as they advance through activities to develop reading skills. Each 30-minute session allows tutors to effectively support up to six students, maximizing instructional time. With user-friendly software and comprehensive guides, tutors have the necessary tools to facilitate engaging sessions. Individualized reports track and display student progress at the student, class, and school levels, allowing for informed decision-making. At-home activities complement in-class learning and promote collaboration between students and parents.
Success for All provides extensive training and support for school-based tutors, ensuring they are well prepared to deliver effective instruction. The programs currently operate at 301 sites and serve 7,762 students.
Grades K-4
Reading Partners
Tutoring powered by Reading Partners
The Tutoring powered by Reading Partners model helps students become proud, confident readers through personalized one-on-one tutoring sessions grounded in the science of reading.
Grades K-4
Reading Partners
Tutoring powered by Reading Partners
Reading Partners works with communities, schools, and volunteers to provide high-dosage, one-on-one literacy tutoring for students. Fueled by the belief that reading is a civil right, the Tutoring powered by Reading Partners model provides an easy-to-use, evidence-based, and customizable curriculum, as well as extensive training, for community volunteers to deliver tutoring to students reading approximately 0.5 to 2.5 years below grade level. Reading Partners helps partner organizations, such as schools, after-school programs, community centers, and other youth-serving organizations, build a community-centered literacy ecosystem.
Reading Partners’ curriculum consists of over 150 lessons aligned to the science of reading. During tutoring sessions, students choose a book to have read aloud to them, as well as learn and practice foundational literacy skills (e.g., decoding, fluency, alphabet), phonics and word analysis, and higher-level comprehension skills.
Since 1999, Reading Partners has been directly implementing its model in 12 metro areas across the United States. To help more students develop their reading skills, Reading Partners has expanded its programming to provide nationwide literacy tutoring via its online platform. During the 2022–2023 school year, 7,400 community tutors delivered literacy tutoring to over 6,000 students, and 82% of all Reading Partners students finished the year meeting or exceeding their primary end-of-year literacy growth goals. Tutoring powered by Reading Partners Overview
Resources from Transcend and Beyond
The following resources can help deepen your understanding of the science of reading and support the design and implementation of a high-quality model, whether it’s one from The Innovative Models Exchange or one of your community designs.
Early Literacy Playbook
Instruction Partners
The Early Literacy Playbook equips educators with a game plan to implement evidence- based early literacy practices and deliver rigorous foundational reading skills instruction.
Lexia LETRS
Lexia Learning
Lexia LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is a comprehensive professional learning suite designed to provide early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be both literacy and language experts in the science of reading.
On The Same Page
Bellwether
A primer of the science of reading and its future for policymakers, school leaders, and advocates. It includes a summary of the history of reading instruction and the different approaches over time as well as a high level understanding of the obstacles from curriculum challenges to implementation gaps.
Phoneme Resources
Once
To help students learn to pronounce words correctly, Once provides a collection of phoneme materials, including recordings of the exact sound that should correspond with each letter and worksheets that allow students to write the letter at the same time they are saying it.
The Science of Reading Resource Hub
Zaner-Bloser
The resources in the Science of Reading Hub are meant to help educators better understand the concept and learn new practices they can implement in their classrooms and schools.
Steps to Literacy
AIM Institute for Learning & Research
The AIM Institute for Learning & Research offers evidence-based training to implement structured literacy instruction in classroom practice. AIM’s Steps to Literacy modules can be taken individually or in course bundles and are fully asynchronous online courses providing detailed introductions to understanding Structured Literacy.
Teaching Tools
FreeReading
The week-by-week structure provides educators with guidance on how FreeReading activities and resources may be used to support intervention for students who are developing their literacy skills.