5 Takeaways You Can’t Miss From Lexia Science of Reading Week 2025

Thousands of educators nationwide huddled up and tuned in for a deep dive into the science of reading. The Lexia Science of Reading Week featured three captivating webinar sessions where educators got real about what’s working, what’s not, and the best ways to improve literacy for all K–12 students. It was a poignant discussion, especially in light of pervasively weak student literacy scores, a flurry of new evidence-based learning requirements, and soaring levels of teacher scrutiny. 

“We’re asking teachers to be exceptional learners to internalize development knowledge, curriculum, child development skills, assessment, and take their show on the road while wearing high-heel shoes and dancing backwards,” said Dr. Ann Kaiser, a Susan W. Gray professor of education and human development, Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University. 

Yet you could feel the positive energy, with teachers cheering each other on and brainstorming practical solutions to inspire more readers. So what’s most important in building literacy in pre–K? How do you make the jump from sounds to fluency at the elementary level? Which skills do you start with when you have a teen struggling to read?

Here are five takeaways not to be missed from Lexia’s Science of Reading Week.

1. Every Teacher Needs to Be a Teacher of Reading

The reality is that most teacher prep programs do not equip teachers with the science of reading. Yet all educators are expected to help students read, whether their launching pre-K learners or addressing gaps in high school. In fact, 72% of those attending on Day 1 of Science of Reading Week said their students most needed support in phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, and oral language. On Day 3, focused on adolescent readers, 53% of those attending said their older students feel like reading is a chore.

When prepared with strong foundational skills, students build resilience for—and some learn to love—more in-depth reading as they get older. The science of reading offers educators a blueprint, demonstrating how the brain learns to read and focusing heavily on making connections between sound, symbol and meaning—critical skills students need today. 

2. All Students Can Learn to Read — Beliefs Get in the Way

A child’s brain “doubles in size in the first year, reaching 90% of adult size by age 5,” said Dr. Angela Rutherford, professor of teacher education, director of the Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction, University of Mississippi. By school age, the brain is primed to read; students just need to be taught to make the connections. Once students get older, their agency and buy-in become as critical as strengthening foundational skills and comprehension. 

The tricky part is that everyone–students and teachers—has to let go of predetermined ideas and believe reading is possible despite an IEP, homelife, or if someone is missing fundamental reading skills as a senior in high school. Equally, “educators must let go of popular, unproven teaching methods,” said Jeanne Schopf, M.Ed, NBCT, C-SLD, literacy consultant, Pathways Towards Literacy LLC. 

The chat room erupted in virtual applause when Jeanne Schopf said “Belief systems don’t cut it, evidence cuts it.” 

3. Build a System That Puts Literacy First

Throughout all three sessions, attendees agreed: Teachers need systematic support for Structured Literacy. 

Dr. Rutherford said leaders are important levers for systematic change. They must pave the way for all adults to speak the same literacy language, with clear alignment from the top of the district to paraprofessionals and aides. 

“We don’t rise to our goals; we fall to the level of our systems," said Jeanne Schopf. 

Though you may lack a leadership title, you still “have to be part of the change,” explained Celeste Myers, literacy specialist, Edna Karr High School, New Orleans, Louisiana. Teachers can get creative with texts at high school levels,  team with fellow educators to implement science of reading practices, and share professional learning rooted in the science of reading with leaders.

4. Literacy Change Starts in Tier I

During the second day of Science Week, the discussion lit up when speakers mentioned rethinking Tier 1 expectations. Attendees posted hundreds of comments and cheered on speakers with emoji hearts and clapping hands. 

“You can’t intervene your way out of a Tier I,” said Lindsay Bohm, curriculum coordinator in Peoria Public Schools District 150, Illinois.

Universally, educators said Tier I is misdirected as a one size-fits-all approach. Instead, the personalized interventional strategies given in Tiers II and III should be at Tier I. “Equitable learning is explicit, systematic and used with certainty. If that’s solid, we will have no Tier II students,“ explained Lindsay Bohm.

“When we get literacy right, we get everything right!” reiterated attendee Kelly S. in the chat.

5. Ask For the Support You Need

To be present in the moment and know exactly how and when to intervene, educators must be fluent in reading science. For example, they can’t tackle decoding if they aren’t skilled at analyzing phonemic gaps. 

“We need professional learning and supported coaching,” said Jeanne Schopf.  Traditional professional development doesn’t cut it, according to most participants. No longer should it be expected for educators to train on their own time or learn the science of reading without leadership support. It is a big ask.

As a teacher, you can ask for effective professional learning solutions rooted in the science of reading and suggest leaders follow best practices similar to what Jenna Wright, elementary RLA specialist, Corpus Christi ISD, Texas, shared, including:

• In the first few weeks of school, focus training on what’s needed in the short-term and avoid front-loading too much during your busiest time. 

• Follow up with bite-sized training throughout the year, and suggest it be for both leaders and teachers.

• Ask for professional development with one-on-one coaching and a deep dive into the fundamentals of reading.

How Do You Get Started?

More open conversations between teachers, coaches, parents, and leaders help drive systematic change. Educators can also help by shifting the perception of reading from required work to a pathway for critical thinking. Maryann Hilton, academic coach from Imagine School, Town Center, Florida said it best: Our students need to believe “reading is a door, a window. It’s not a task; it can change your life.”

To get started, explore Lexia’s Science of Reading Hub, which is aimed specifically at teachers who want to continue on their evidence-based literacy journey, wherever they might be in the process.