When I set foot in my first kindergarten classroom more than 15 years ago, I quickly realized how many students struggled with basic literacy skills. And nearly just as quickly, I became well acquainted with the persistent debate about how to teach children to read with enthusiasm and efficacy.
In recent years, especially since the pandemic and the transition to online schooling, the Science of Reading has gained more prominence—and with its rise, many common misconceptions have followed.
This flurry of misconceptions harms student learning and impacts school districts, educators, and families. I’ve seen teachers and administrators express doubt or hesitation about the Science of Reading, worrying that it may feel political; others opt into a Science of Reading “program,” thinking it will serve as a magic button for early literacy.
The increased popularity of the Science of Reading marks a monumental change in the US educational system. Such a well-developed, scientific body of knowledge can be leveraged through easy-to-implement teaching tactics in the early years, when the brain is most pliable and receptive. It gives early childhood educators the tools to understand the cognitive processes in a child’s brain that lead to strong literacy skills. But without an effective “myth-busting” session, many of these misconceptions will continue to confuse educators and parents alike.
Myth #1: The Science of Reading can be “bought” as a school package or curriculum.
The Science of Reading consists of more than 50 years of robust, interdisciplinary research, reflecting scientific knowledge in linguistics, neuroscience, speech and language pathology, psychology, sociology, and implementation science. It is not an instructional program or curriculum— meaning no programs or materials exist that are “approved” by an official governing body. While the most effective literacy instruction is rooted in the Science of Reading’s findings and insights, the term never refers to one universal package or pedagogy available for purchase. Instead, a wide variety of curricula and programs are created in alignment with the Science of Reading’s teachings, often in the form of supplemental curriculum, much like my Guided Phonics + Beyond focus lessons.1
The Science of Reading presents actionable, methodical steps to eliminate any hint of mystery and give every child the foundation to learn how to read—a very important option when at least 50% of young learners need explicit instruction in foundational skills.2
Myth #2: The Science of Reading encourages play and doesn’t lead to true learning.
For a long time, many believed that play was not an effective vehicle for long-term learning and should be removed from the classroom entirely. Observing students using hands-on materials leads educators or parents to assume that the child is just “playing”—not learning. Outdated beliefs like this enormously impact engagement and buy-in.
Today, we’re lucky to access research that supports the undeniable importance of hands-on or multimodal learning.3 Education incorporating visual, auditory, and tactile senses—any kinesthetic learning style—ultimately enhances engagement, understanding, and retention.
One of my favorite everyday classroom exercises for promoting early childhood literacy uses the phrase “say it, tap it, map it, write it.” This systematic routine helps educators empower students to break a word down into smaller parts through a hands-on exercise: the student must “say,” “tap,” “map,” and then “write” the skill-based words.
This technique is effective because it helps students form and strengthen their connection between sounds, letters, and words through a simple routine.
While it sounds straightforward, this practice aligns with evidence-based practices and a Science of Reading framework. The “tap it” part of the exercise helps students develop phonemic awareness by breaking down words into their constituent sounds, while the “map it” component reinforces the relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters or groups of letters). The exercise also simultaneously engages a student’s multiple senses to strengthen learning retention and memory.
To someone observing an educator presenting this exercise with students, it may appear to be highly play-based. But in reality, this can have an instrumental impact on a child’s reading and writing proficiency for years to come.
Myth #3: The Science of Reading is a magic button and a one-size-fits-all approach for all students.
Fundamentally, the cognitive biological processes of how the human brain learns to read can be applied to all students and all languages. However, positioning the Science of Reading as a one-size-fits-all, “one simple button” solution to the challenge of reading instruction undermines the nuance of this body of work.
The Science of Reading framework guides educators with actionable processes to support students of all ages and abilities in learning how to read. While it does offer transformative effects for students and educators teaching the material, it is far from a magic button that can be universally applied to every child to create an instant reader. Instead, the Science of Reading encompasses a wide range of practices that can be uniquely tailored to meet students’ diverse needs. In Stanislas Dehaene’s book Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read, he writes: “The goal of reading instruction is clear. It must aim to lay down an efficient neuronal hierarchy, so that the child can recognize letters and graphemes and easily turn them into speech sounds.”
Reading is an inherently complex process. It cannot be taught through a one-size-fits-all approach because each child is so remarkably unique. When educators have access to a curriculum that leverages insights from the Science of Reading, they feel more empowered to teach students at varying reading levels.
Myth #4: Decodable books are boring, with no plot or meaning.
Decodable books, or short texts typically written with a high proportion of words that are considered phonetically regular, are an easy way for students to practice phonics. However, a common criticism among teachers is that decodable books are boring—with no realistic plot or meaning. One survey from Education Week found that only 23% of early reading teachers said that beginning readers should be using decoding texts.4
Decodable books are certainly not meant to serve as everything a child reads, but rather as a foundation for skill development. Many books in this category do hold meaning and story—just at a level where a child can decode each word, avoiding any need for guessing. Ultimately, these texts serve as stepping stones to foster a child’s skills before they graduate to a wider range of texts.
The Essential Teachings of the Science of Reading
Now that we’ve debunked common myths about the Science of Reading, how do we mine all of the breakthroughs and insights within this body of research and apply them to teaching? More importantly, how do we shift the conversation from these common misconceptions to one focused on a greater understanding of the Science of Reading and its positive implications for young learners?
These are good questions—and ones that early childhood educators will continually parse through as this body of research expands and evolves. Through my work, my hope is that educators become well acquainted with five core teachings rooted in the Science of Reading, better understanding how these elements intersect to develop a functional and motivated reader:
1. Phonological Awareness as the Foundation of Early Literacy
Phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the smallest sound units—is the foundation for other reading skills. Educators have witnessed an enormous shift in how this skill is taught. For decades, researchers embraced a common assumption: the most effective literacy instruction followed a sequence from larger to smaller phonological elements.
While these practices are not inherently wrong, we now know that developing phonemic awareness— beginning at the smallest unit of sound—is more effective for all learners. This sets the foundation for a child to become a proficient reader and paves the way for successful decoding and spelling later in students’ literacy development.
2. Phonics as a Building Block for Fluency
One of the biggest research findings from the Science of Reading—and one of the biggest divergences from balanced literacy teaching methods— relates to required phonics instruction. Advocates for the Science of Reading aren’t necessarily asking for increased phonics instruction; instead, they believe children need systematic and explicit phonics instruction, ensuring that no child falls through the cracks.
3. Fluency as a Stepping Stone to Comprehension
The third core teaching from the Science of Reading framework is that fluency is a crucial building block directly connected to reading comprehension. When students can read with proper speed, accuracy, and expression, they can seamlessly distinguish between “Let’s eat, Grandma,” and “Let’s eat Grandma.”
4. Vocabulary and Comprehension Taught in Tandem
When students have early vocabulary knowledge, it serves as a predictor of comprehension skills in later grades.5 In the early elementary grades, we see comprehension becoming more important than decoding abilities. In other forms of literacy instruction, comprehension is often taught as an isolated skill set. But with the Science of Reading, vocabulary and comprehension are taught in tandem.
5. Text Comprehension Unlocks Self-Discovery and Self-Expression
Comprehension—or the act of extracting meaning from what we read—is the ultimate goal of reading. Young readers learn to develop text comprehension skills through systematic strategies. On a more abstract level, this grasp of language is so essential because it empowers young readers to express themselves, explore creative outlets, and become more connected to the world around them.
Centering the Science of Reading, Finding Success
New data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress finds average test scores for 13-year-olds in the US have declined four points compared with tests given in the 2019–2020 school year.6 For educators, teaching literacy can feel like an uphill battle. However, when educators center their teachings on the Science of Reading, we see that they lead to motivating and positive results.
Among pre-K teachers and administrators, 64% report that the Science of Reading is the most effective instructional approach for teaching early literacy;7 however, 20% of classrooms do not use this instructional methodology. In part, this is because educators don’t always have access to a clear and reliable guide on teaching reading. We need better resources for educators to develop a comprehensive understanding of the Science of Reading— not just phonics, but the five core elements that intersect to create a reader.
Recently, an educator shared her end-of-year data with me after using a lesson plan aligned with the Science of Reading: 80% of her students were at or above the benchmark, compared to midyear data where 80% of her students were below the benchmark. One study from Stanford University found that reforms rooted in the Science of Reading improved student test scores by the equivalent of a quarter of a year of learning.8
And it’s not just numbers: educators repeatedly share stories with me of how empowered and excited they feel when equipped with a Science of Reading–based curriculum. Debates over how to teach reading are not new and are not likely to disappear overnight. While some say the pendulum will swing back to favor a different methodology, I feel confident that many now see the Science of Reading as the bedrock of literacy education—and a successful teaching method for launching lifelong readers. Phonics and code-focused skills are always necessary, but they work only when children simultaneously develop meaning-focused comprehension and fluency. The Science of Reading has given us an exciting glimpse into the mechanics of learning. It’s time to put these common myths to rest so more students can gain access to the early literacy skills they need to grow and thrive as individuals.
Links
1. www.hand2mind.com/supplemental-curriculum/literacy/guided-phonics-beyond-whole-group-and-small-group-focus-lessons
2. https://pages.eab.com/rs/732-GKV-655/images/Narrowing%20 the%20Third-Grade%20Reading%20Gap_research%20briefing.pdf
3. www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/23/05/embracing-learning-through-play
4. www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/decodable-books-boring-useful-or-both/2020/03
5. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4674965
6. www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/ltt/2023
7. www.hand2mind.com/supplemental-curriculum/literacy/guided-phonics-beyond-whole-group-and-small-group-focus-lessons
8. https://edworkingpapers.com/ai23-887
Tara West is a best-selling author, kindergarten teacher, and Science of Reading expert with over 15 years of experience. She believes in creating fun and engaging instructional resources for students and supporting the teachers who use her materials, including Guided Phonics + Beyond, a comprehensive Science of Reading–aligned phonics resource.
