The Problem
Despite decades of investment in education, literacy rates around the world remain a critical concern. In the United States, data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that over 65% of fourth and eighth-grade students continue to read below proficiency levels, a statistic that has seen little improvement in recent years (NAEP, 2019). Research has highlighted that traditional literacy instruction often fails to reflect the most effective, evidence-based strategies for teaching reading, contributing to this persistent gap (Seidenberg, 2017). The "science of reading," built on decades of cognitive and educational research, demonstrates that students learn best through a systematic approach that includes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (Ehri, 2005; Moats, 2020). This growing body of research emphasizes the need for schools to shift their literacy instruction toward practices proven to support all learners in becoming proficient, lifelong readers.
Search for A Solution
During the 2023-24 school year, our district undertook a thorough and thoughtful process to research and select a new English Language Arts (ELA) program for our students. Building on over two decades of research in the "science of reading," we sought a program that aligns with how students acquire reading skills through systematic instruction. The science of reading emphasizes explicit teaching in key areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These components have been shown to be essential in developing confident, capable readers. By grounding our selection process in a synthesis of this extensive body of research, we aim to provide our students with the most effective, evidence-based literacy instruction available today.
Simple View of Reading
The simple view of reading illustrates how reading comprehension is the product of two essential and intertwined components: decoding (the ability to accurately recognize and read words) and language comprehension (the ablity to understand spoken and written language). Both must be strong and reading comprehension can only improve as they strengthen together.
Language Comprehension
- Background Knowledge -General knowledge about the world that helps readers make sense of what they are reading.
- Vocabulary - The breadth and depth of word knowledge, including the meanings of individual words and how they are used in different contexts.
- Language Structures - The understanding of sentence structures, grammar, and the rules of language that allow a reader to comprehend how words fit together in a sentence.
- Verbal Reasoning -The ability to make inferences, understand figurative language, and draw logical conclusions based on text.
- Literacy Knowledge - The ability to make inferences, understand figurative language, and draw logical conclusions based on text.
Word Recognition
- Phonological Awareness - The ability to recognize and manipulate the sound structures of spoken language, including individual sounds (phonemes), syllables, and rhymes.
- Decoding - The ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships (phonics) to correctly pronounce written words. This includes both reading and spelling words.
- Sight Recogntiion of Familiar Words - The ability to instantly recognize words that have been encountered frequently, without needing to decode them letter by letter.
Science of Reading Principles
Our Selection
After several months reviewing materials and collecting input from teachers after program presentations, Amplify CKLA quickly emerged as a clear favorite, both for its reserach-based structure and its engaging design. In January 2024, the selection committee decided to spend their time and energy learning all that we could about this program, including visiting and meeting with educators from across the state to gain deep insight about the program. While we hoped to have our instincts about the program confirmed, we could not have anticipated the enthusiastic endorsements and remarkable anecdotes from every administrator and teacher we met.
Northern Lehigh Literacy Night
What
An evening to learn more together about the power of literacy, the science of reading, and the early experiences of our administrators, teachers, and students as they have undertaken this exciting shift in literacy instruction at Northern Lehigh School District.
When
October, ##, 2024
5:30-8:00
Where
Slatington Elementary Gym
Additional Resources & Information
References
- Ehri, L. C. (2005). Learning to read words: Theory, findings, and issues. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(2), 167-188. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr0902_4
- Moats, L. C. (2020). Speech to print: Language essentials for teachers (3rd ed.). Brookes Publishing.
- National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). (2019). The nation’s report card: Reading. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/
- Scarborough, H. S., Neuman, S. B., & Dickinson, D. K. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis) abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. Handbook of early literacy research, 1, 97-110.
- Seidenberg, M. S. (2017). Language at the speed of sight: How we read, why so many can't, and what can be done about it. Basic Books.