Blog

  • Welcome to the Science of Reading Blog
      The Science of Reading Proves the Core Role Phonics Plays in Beginning Reading The book Why Johnny Can’t Read: And What You Can Do About It is a 1955 book-length exposé on American reading education by Rudolf Flesch. It was an immediate bestseller for 37 weeks and became an educational cause célèbre. In his…
  • How COVID Worsened the Racial Gap in Reading Achievement Scores
    The Reading Gap for Minorities Post-Covid has Grown Even Larger The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schooling for millions of U.S. students, resulting in significant learning loss, especially in reading. However, the learning loss is not evenly distributed across students. Students from low-income, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and…
  • Many Reading Teachers Lack Training in Science-based Reading Instruction and Phonics
    Many Reading Teachers Are Not Trained in the Science of Reading and Phonics Reading is one of the most important skills that children need to learn in school. It is the foundation for academic success and lifelong learning. However, many students struggle with reading and do not achieve the expected levels of proficiency. According to the…
  • Structured, Systematic Phonics Instruction is Essential for Struggling Readers
    Reading is one of the most essential skills that children need to learn in school. It opens the door to academic success and lifelong learning. However, not all children learn to read easily and naturally. Some children struggle with basic reading skills, such as decoding words and comprehending texts. According to the National Assessment of Educational…
  • Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction is Considered the Most Effective Way to Teach Reading
    Why Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction is Considered the Most Effective Way to Teach Reading to Students Who Are Behind in Reading Reading is a complex skill that requires the integration of many cognitive processes, such as phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. For some students, reading comes naturally and easily. For others, reading is a…
  • Why Is Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction So Expensive?
    Why Orton-Gillingham Reading Instruction is So Expensive and Beyond the Economic Reach of Many Parents Students who have difficulties with reading experience tremendous difficulties in so many areas of their lives both academically and emotionally. Yet when these same students get the right kind of academic help in reading, amazing transformations can and do happen!…
  • Children in third and fourth grades are struggling the most to recover in reading after the pandemic
    Recent studies indicate that children now in third and fourth grades are those students struggling the most to recover in reading after the pandemic. Not surprisingly Black and Hispanic third-and-fourth-grade students, as well as students from high-poverty schools have the most ground to cover on the road to academic recovery regarding their reading skills. Additional…