New education policy favors the science of reading in 39 US states

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals that only one-third of elementary school students in the United States are reading at the appropriate level. (Illustrative Image Infobae)

The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress has revealed a disturbing concern: Only one-third of elementary school students in the United States are reading at grade level. To address this, many schools are taking a hard look at how they teach reading. In New York City, teacher Melissa Jones-Diaz teaches a first-grade class, focusing on teaching the specific rules of the English language letter by letter.

“It was a big change in my teaching, in my understanding of how students learn to read.“Jones-Diaz told CBS News.

For decades, the prevailing approach was that children had time with books and would eventually figure out the rules of the English language on their own. However, this methodology has been challenged and transformed by a movement known as the Science of Reading. According to CBS NewsThis movement promotes phonetics, that is, the relationship between letters and their sounds, as a vital tool for learning to read.

Jason Borgeswho oversees New York’s new reading program, commented: “What we were doing wasn’t working. 51 percent of students are not at or near proficient level.“.

In several states across the country, the Science of Reading is influencing new educational policies. In 39 states and Washington DC Laws or rules have been passed that require this approach to be followed. This usually means new books and specific teacher training in phonics. Old methods, such as queues where children guessed the words by looking at pictures, are being replaced. Students now focus more on the letter groups than on the illustrations.

The science of reading, which focuses on the relationship between letters and sounds, is beginning to influence U.S. education policy. (Illustrative Image Infobae)

A report by Stanford puts the effects of this new methodology into perspective.

After two years of implementation, it was found that this method only added the equivalent of a quarter of an additional year of learning. Despite the benefits, Borges also warns of the limitations: “It’s not just about phonics, is it? There’s so much more to teaching reading that I worry that things are not only too reductive, limiting themselves to just phonics, but also taking things too far.“.

The debate over the effectiveness of this approach is significant, especially for an education system as large as New York City. Adoption of the Science of Reading is rapidly expanding, and many are eagerly awaiting the results of upcoming tests to assess progress. The evolution of these methods and the search for a balance between the old and the new will continue to shape the direction of reading instruction in the United States.