Science of Reading: A Family Primer

If you have been to a back-to-school night for your primary or elementary schooler, it’s likely that you heard about The Science of Reading (SoR).

Perhaps what you heard in your children’s classrooms made sense to you, or perhaps like many people, you wonder:

How is reading a science?

Is this the way I was taught to read?

What can I do to help?

Is there something that I might do that will hurt?

Likely, you just want to know how you can help your child learn to read.  Let’s take a look at what is meant by the Science of Reading and why it’s currently such a strong focus.

Legislation 📜

As of August 2024, 39 states and the District of Columbia have passed new mandates or legislation related to evidence-based reading instruction, according to EdWeek. You can check out their useful chart to see if your state is affected.

These laws and policies typically require schools to implement evidence-based reading practices, which may include changes to instructional materials, professional development for educators, teacher certification requirements, and student assessments.

The bottom line is that these policies are meant to give schools, teachers, and children the training and tools needed to succeed and measure progress.

What Is the Science of Reading?📖

The Science of Reading refers to decades of research conducted by cognitive scientists, psychologists, and educational experts. The field focuses on how the brain learns to read and what methods are most effective for teaching reading and was documented by the National Reading Panel in 2000.

In simple terms, SoR is a body of evidence that shows us the most effective ways to teach children to read, based on how their brains work. It’s not a specific program or curriculum but rather an approach to reading instruction that’s grounded in proven scientific principles.

You may even recognize some of those elements from your own schooling.

Key Elements of the Science of Reading 🔑

Phonemic Awareness: This is the ability to hear 👂and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in words. For example, knowing that the word "rat" is made up of the sounds /r/, /a/, and /t/. Developing phonemic awareness is crucial for learning to read because it helps children understand that words are made up of sounds that can be combined and manipulated (Ehri, 2005).

How can you help? Make sounds for your kids, or emphasize sounds in a word and ask them to repeat. Say, “MMMMom” and ask them to repeat the first sound.  You’re not looking for them to say the letter M.  You’re looking for them to make the /M/ sound.

Phonics: Phonics is different from, but related to phonemic awareness. Phonics involves teaching children the relationship between sounds and the letters that represent them. For instance, understanding that the letter "b" makes the /b/ sound. Phonics is essential for helping children decode new words and is a key part of reading instruction according to the Science of Reading (National Reading Panel, 2000).

How can you help? Help your children with the alphabet. Show them individual letters, whether you are reading to them or even just in your daily life. There are lot of examples of environmental print – signs, billboards, labels – we’re surrounded. Point to the letters in a STOP sign  and help your child to identify the letters while you make their sounds.

Vocabulary: A strong vocabulary helps children make sense of what they’re reading. It’s not enough to just be able to sound out words—children need to understand what those words mean. The Science of Reading emphasizes building a robust vocabulary as a core component of reading instruction (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998).

How can you help? Read aloud! Read books to your children and pause to ask them if they know what a word means. If they don’t , define it for them using words that they do know. You can also increase your children’s vocabulary by using new words as you speak to them and explaining them as you go.  For example, ask your child to help you with something and then say, “Thanks for your cooperation. I really like it when we can help each other. That’s called cooperation.”

Fluency: Fluency is the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with expression. Fluent readers can focus on understanding the text rather than just decoding the words. The Science of Reading shows that fluency is developed through practice and repeated reading of familiar texts (National Reading Panel, 2000).

How can you help? Read a sentence aloud with proper expression and then ask your children to read it back. As their confidence and skills grow, you can expand this exercise to paragraphs and pages. Be gentle if you need to correct them.

If children are reluctant to read aloud, suggest they read aloud to a family pet or even a stuffed animal.  Through repeated practice, fluency increases.

Comprehension: Ultimately, the goal of reading is to understand and gain meaning from the text. Comprehension involves using all the skills above—phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and fluency—to understand what is being read (Duke & Pearson, 2002).  

How can you help? Work on comprehension strategies with your children, such as pausing when reading to ask questions about the story. Discuss the content they are reading: ask for their opinions and encourage them predict what might happen next. 

Supporting Your Children 🤝

You don’t need to be an expert in the Science of Reading to help your children! Participate in your child’s reading journey by reading with them, encouraging their progress, and communicating with their teachers about what they’re learning  Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how you can support your child at home. They will welcome your involvement.

Happy reading!