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The Science of Reading Summer Committee
have three children, and all three have learned to read very differently. My eldest loved to be read to and resisted reading independently, my second child learned to read at four with little to no instruction, and my third child struggled to learn to read and has been professionally diagnosed with dyslexia.
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From personal and professional experience, I am acutely aware of the variety of readers we have in our classrooms. The research is clear on reading instruction, the skills needed to become a proficient reader need to be explicitly taught and individualized to the student.
Many teachers in the field have asked us for recommendations for programs based on the Science of Reading (SOR). The Reading Center defines SOR as, “the growing body of scientific research that describes how the human brain learns to read, the skills kids need to develop to become proficient readers, and the appropriate methods to use to teach those skills effectively.”
NAD summer curriculum committee included a group tasked with providing recommendation for a program based on SOR. The team had a presentation of SOR and evaluated five programs. The recommendation of two SOR programs from the committee will be voted at the December advisory and will be available for schools to adopt for the 2025/26 school year.
Stay tuned for training options and further information.
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” – Victor Hugo
References:
National Center on Improving Literacy (2022). The Science of Reading: The Basics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.improvingliteracy.org.
The Reading Center (2024). The Science of Reading. Retrieved from https://www.thereadingcenter.org.
WINTER ’24
TOP
Leisa Morton-Standish, PhD
Director of Elementary Education
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