Our Continued Literacy Failures Are a National Threat
It is that time of the year again, when the NAEP scores come out, we see proof that our literacy rates continue to get worse, and we make excuses. Further proof that we have failed yet another generation of young learners. Further proof that our fourth graders can’t proficiently read (or at least that two -thirds of them can’t). And further proof that we largely don’t give a damn, as we don’t seem to make the holistic changes that such an educational travesty demands. Yet proof we don’t act on.
Despite the increased legislative and parental interest in the science of reading, thanks in large part to Emily Hanford and her uber-popular I Sold a Story podcast on our nation’s collective reading failures, critics of scientifically based reading instruction still don’t get it. Those critics believe the science of reading is all about phonics. They still think it is drill-and-kill. And they still do everything they can to prevent colleges of education and teacher preparation programs for teaching novice teachers proven-effective instructional techniques (the science of reading) opting to continue the failed teaching philosophies (balanced literacy) that they themselves learned, and which has meant decades and decades of failing students.
Despite all of the money and the best of intentions, despite the 25 years that have passed since the National Reading Panel determined what the research says about effective literacy instruction, only 31 percent of fourth-graders are able to read at or above a proficient level, according to this week’s data. A quarter century has passed, and we still aren’t doing what we know works, and we still aren’t demanding that teachers be prepared for the classroom based on proven research.
We still yearn for a day when all kids can read and when we have abandoned the notion that our classrooms are laboratories to test out the latest and greatest silver bullets. We still seek a new era where all classrooms — regardless of income or zip codes or demographics — are centers of excellence where we apply instruction and teacher preparation that is proven most effective in getting kids to read.
Our growing failure presents a clear and present danger to our children and our nation. Literacy is neither a red policy issue nor a blue one. Doing all we can to get all fourth graders reading at grade level is an education issue. It’s an equity issue. It’s an economic issue. It’s a justice issue. And it is just the right thing to do. Yet we still fight it, as the status quoers and whole language philosophy embracers do all they can to keep what has long been proven effective from the young learners that need it, that deserve it, the most.
History tells us that we best address the most dangerous threats to our nation by tackling them head on. We need to commit to implementing a comprehensive reading program grounded in science. This means that all texts, reading materials, and tests should reflect the critical components of the teaching and learning of literacy. We need to ensure all schools make learning to read a priority, providing adequate and uninterrupted time each day for reading instruction and providing science-driving professional development for educators. And we need to establish systems for local school districts and states to regularly evaluate student progress throughout the school year. This system should use valid and reliable instructional assessments while empowering educators to use data from classroom assessments to determine where and what kind of help is needed at the student, classroom, school, and district levels.
As past efforts to implement scientifically based reading instruction taught us, though, just embracing the principles of the science of reading does little if we don’t commit to ensuring that the science is central to teacher preparation and support.
We cannot expect our kids to learn to read if we are not properly preparing and supporting our teachers to lead the instruction. It is incredibly challenging work to teach a child to read. It’s not just a matter of finding the right button to push or assigning the right app or worksheet. Teachers need to understand the five core building blocks (phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) of reading instruction. They need to be prepared in the application of the science of reading, knowing how to successfully apply it in classrooms like theirs, with students like theirs. Educators need to be able to identify where a student’s roadblock may be, using whatever is necessary to increase the application of that principle. They need to stick to the science but do so in an engaging way with literature and composition that is both relevant and interesting to a student. They need to become reading wizards, doing the impossible with about two-thirds of our students who are currently struggling — engaging, educating, and inspiring. They need to do it all.
Instead of offering excuses, we need to get real about the growing threat of illiteracy. We need to make sure we are investing in all five of the core components of the science of reading, particularly vocabulary and comprehension. We need to invest in our teachers, ensuring they have the data, knowledge, and skills to be effective literacy instructors to all students, regardless of age or current reading level. And we need to hold our K-12 schools accountable for reading proficiency.
As frightening as our fourth grade failures are, we must also recognize that literacy is not mastered in the fourth grade. Those who are proficient at that stage still have a lot of work to do. Those who do need extra work, extra attention, and extra intervention. The science of reading has a lifetime of application. It has been proven effective. And we have waited far, far too long to make it a priority. The era where we ignore the science or discount data like the NAEP because it doesn’t suit our philosophical needs must end. Now.
