Since the school district implemented a new phonics program in Bradley Elementary School, 80% of the kids are now reading above grade level.

Evidence-based reading research, or what many refer to as the Science of Reading, has been a much-discussed topic within the literacy landscape for the past few years. While it may seem like the “next ...

In early 2026, a small group of first-grade students at Lucy Wortham James Elementary School in St. James, Missouri, sat together sounding out words. Kim Williams, the school’s principal, watched as ...

Editor's note: With low reading proficiency scores across the state, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is exploring the causes and consequences of low literacy. This article is part of the By the Book ...

An influential researcher in the science of reading movement is warns schools may be "overteaching" the skill.

Regarding the March 12 editorial “Yes, U.S. children should be hooked on phonics”: I am a volunteer with Reading Partners, tutoring children at elementary schools in D.C. to bring them to grade-level ...

4:16 p.m. June 2, 2025: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said teaching phonics was new to Long Beach Unified. Some phonics has been taught in the district for years, but a new focus on ...

Despite expectations that students master basic reading skills by third grade, many continue to struggle with reading into upper elementary school and beyond. A new study commissioned by the Advanced ...

What mystifies many parents is where and why the reading process breaks down. Although, problems may occur in any area, decoding, comprehension, or retention, the root of most reading problems, in the ...