WILL’s research provides—for the first time—a statewide look at what curricula districts are using for reading, and whether this choice has improved or lowered reading proficiency levels. “The Science of Reading” is a “back to the basics” approach that is focused on learning phonics, increasing vocabulary, and sounding out words rather than the context-clue based “guessing” techniques that characterize the popular “Whole Language” approach.
Introduction
Recently, results from the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) have caused shockwaves around the country. At least partially-related to teachers' union-led shutdowns that kept schools closed well past when it was reasonable to do so,[i] decades of progress in ...