The Science of Reading: Everything is political in a democracy, but there’s no need to panic

Literacy in the age of Moms for Liberty

Jul 02, 2023

Despite our differences, we all understand the importance of literacy.

There are fifty million children in our public schools. Is there anything that all families have in common?

Our public schools are for everyone; the children of democrats, republicans, nice people, jerks, religious families, atheists, extremists, centrists, and all the people in between. How do we serve the fifty million children in our schools while respecting the wealth of cultures and values that their families add to our communities?¹ We start by focusing on what all families have in common.

According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2022, 90% of parents believe that it’s most important for their children to leave school prepared to find a satisfying career where they can be financially independent. Strong reading, writing, and spelling skills are crucial for achieving this goal.²

Unfortunately, the most recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that students are struggling. Before the pandemic, two-thirds of students were not considered proficient readers, and scores have dropped significantly since then.³

The problem with how we teach reading.

Why aren’t children being taught how to read?

In the podcast “Sold a Story” Emily Hanford reports that, for decades, teacher training programs and school districts have embraced a theory of teaching reading that is ineffective for most students. The theory is that children can read without learning how to sound out words, because there are other strategies they can use to figure out what the words say. They can look at the pictures, think of what might make sense, and memorize common words using flash cards without learning to sound them out first. However, when the material becomes more complex and the pictures go away, children end up struggling to read or understand material that is written at grade level.⁴

A Bipartisan Solution…

SoR, also called evidence-based instruction or structured literacy, has been embraced by individuals and organizations across the political spectrum.

Over the past fifty years, thousands of studies on early literacy have been published by researchers in education, psychology, neurology, and more. Scientists have even used brain scans to study how the brain is rewired for literacy and to determine which methods are most effective.

This body of knowledge is known as the Science of Reading (SoR). The Reading League defines SoR as, “evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.”¹¹

Using these findings, researchers have stated that it’s possible to teach 95% of children to read proficiently.⁵

SoR, also called evidence-based instruction or structured literacy, has been embraced by individuals and organizations across the political spectrum. It is endorsed by such disparate groups as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the American Enterprise Institute (a Conservative think tank focused on K-12 education). Thirty one states, composed of both Republican and Democratic majorities, have implemented new policies related to evidence-based reading instruction.^6,8

This sounds like incredible news until you learn one seemingly terrifying fact: the ladies of Moms for Liberty (M4L) also want children to learn how to read in their public schools.

…With a Side of Moral Panic.

Children waiting for adults to realize that, just this once, everyone agrees on something.

Recently, Mother Jones initiated a piece about the politicization of reading instruction. Kiera Jones, the author, requested to speak with me on this topic. I told her that everyone should be aligned with the Science of Reading and, while we may disagree on everything else, it was fantastic that we could agree that all children deserve to learn how to read in their public schools. She did not publish my comments and, instead, reignited a firestorm of chaos on Twitter by accusing Moms for Liberty of co-opting the Science of Reading as a culture-war talking point.

The reaction to M4L speaking about literacy has been intense with some people demanding that advocates such as Emily Hanford denounce the group for the act of retweeting her podcast. Others have insisted that it be made clear that “right wing groups” are not welcome and that the parents of struggling children who retweet them or interact in any way will no longer have a place in the community.

This isn't an "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation. They will happily burn down public education while claiming they're "protecting kids" as they dance in the flames. They'll use you to build their own theocracy where you and the ones you love will not be welcome. if you're comfortable with that association, no you're not. literally look at yourself and fix your heart. @(removed)
The SOR advocates should also try to do more to disavow their affiliations with right-wing groups like moms for liberty and pro-voucher organizations. They really lose my respect when they refuse to do that. @(removed)
If Moms for Liberty is inserting itself into your cause, ask yourself what about your cause is attractive to them and get to work fixing it. Looking at you, #SOR. @(removed)
That's the lesson here, IMO. #SoR etc. advocates - to a person, especially to a white woman - need to make it absolutely explicit there is no room for Moms for Liberty in their advocacy. They are not welcome at the bar, not a one. @(removed)
I now scrutinize who re-tweets me and block anyone who's aligned with those groups. If we don't, we run the risk of literacy-advocacy being aligned with right-wing groups that are trying to destroy democracy. @(removed)
Hey guys, let’s just keep guessing! @LucyCalkinsProbably

Meanwhile, during their first National Summit, M4L held a panel discussion with state superintendents from Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. They spoke of improving literacy instruction using the “science of reading” and improving teacher training. According to Edweek, “The superintendents anchored their comments to the idea that education needs to focus on math, reading, and science rather than lessons about LGBTQ+ people, race, racism, or social-emotional learning.”⁷

Where do we go from here?

The Science of Reading is for all children, teachers, and families.

When reading advocates and educators draw battle lines, parents are left in the middle to wonder why, even now, so many people are working to put politics before their children. What use is a body of knowledge about how kids learn to read if we would withhold it rather than allow everyone in the community, regardless of political orientation, to join the growing, bipartisan support surrounding this movement?

As it turns out, we have reason to panic, but it’s not because of Moms for Liberty. The NAEP has shown that our reading scores are the lowest they have been in over twenty years.³ If we want our public schools to thrive and for every child to graduate with the knowledge and skills needed to find a fulfilling career that leads to financial independence, we need to get serious about our reading crisis.

Everything is political in a democracy, so it’s not surprising that our country, one almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, has politicized reading instruction.¹² Both parties have been guilty of trying to package the Science of Reading with partisan policies about diversity, equity and inclusion.

As parents and teachers, we need to say “No.” Not because we don’t care about those topics, but because finding the right policies to meet the needs of fifty million children is complex. We need to evaluate each separately according to its own body of evidence and the needs of the children and their families.

There will be many things we disagree on as we talk about education, but reading does not have to be one of them. Despite our differences, we are stronger and more effective when we stand together. As Kareem Weaver says:

“I've been inundated by people asking me to publicly distance myself from M4L. Others say unions, progressives, liberals, bilingual advocates, conservatives, etc. At some point... you look around and ur standing alone. No thx. @kjwineducation

In a time of severe partisanship, finding something we can all agree on is something to be celebrated and not feared. The kids deserve better than the divisiveness we have allowed to interfere with their right to learn how to read in their public schools.

(Edited to remove the twitter handles that are quoted. I don’t like quoting without attribution, and they can be easily verified, but I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re being targeted. It’s a widespread problem- not something caused by a few individuals.)

The Science of Reading is for Everyone.

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