In Case You Missed It: Fall Science of Reading Week 2025 for School Administrators

If you missed this fall's Science of Reading Week webinar series, or if you attended but want a focused summary of the leadership implications, this recap is for you. Over three days (October 6–8, 2025), education experts discussed literacy instruction from early childhood through adolescence. 

Here is what school administrators need to know:

The Big Picture: Coherence Over Complexity

One message emerged consistently: Successful literacy instruction requires coherence, not a collection of competing initiatives. Fragmented approaches that rely on unrelated resources often lead to overwhelmed teachers and confused students. The most successful schools align their practices pre-K–12, ensure all adults speak the same language about literacy, and systematically eliminate what isn't working.

Day 1: Early Readers: Laying the Foundation (pre-K–Third Grade)

The Challenge: In the opening poll, 45% of attendees identified developing phonemic awareness and decoding skills as the biggest area of support needed for young students.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Science Starts Earlier Than You Think

Dr. Ann Kaiser (Vanderbilt University) reminded us that literacy development begins well before kindergarten. The brain more than doubles during a child's first year and reaches 90% of its adult size by age 5. As school leaders, it's important to recognize that our youngest learners do not arrive with a clean slate or on the same starting line. They already have exposure to language and literature, and the quality of that exposure, or lack thereof, has a significant impact on their readiness to learn. This knowledge helps teachers understand that readiness gaps aren't about student capability; they're about varying levels of prior exposure. With this understanding, educators can design instruction that meets students where they are rather than where we assume they should be—and build on the language experiences each child brings to the classroom.

2. Quality Tier 1 Instruction is Everything

Tier 1 instruction is the core, universal instruction every student receives in the general education classroom. It’s the foundation of your literacy program. In a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), Tier 1 is ideally designed to meet the needs of approximately 80–85% of students without additional intervention.

Jenna Wright (Elementary RLA Specialist, Corpus Christi ISD, TX) was emphatic: "The money maker is in that Tier 1 group. All kids get that every day." Before investing heavily in interventions, audit your core instruction. Schools often move right to identifying readers who struggle for Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention without ensuring Tier 1 is robust and evidence-aligned. As panelists noted, "You can't intervention your way out of low reading levels."

The diagnostic question: 

Does your Tier 2 instruction look remarkably similar to your Tier 1 instruction? If so, your Tier 1 needs improvement. Reteaching the same lessons indicates a fundamental flaw in the initial instruction. It’s a Tier 1 problem, not a student problem.

What makes Tier 1 robust? 

Jenna emphasized two essential components:

1. High-quality instructional materials aligned to the science of reading

2. Ongoing professional development to ensure teachers deliver materials with confidence and accuracy

As Jenna put it, "High-quality material + PD = Tier 1 instruction."

Strong Tier 1 should be preventive, flexible, universal (80–85% of students succeed without additional supports), and consistent across classrooms.

3. Professional Learning Must Be Continuous

Jenna's district provides professional development every six weeks for all staff, not just teachers. Dr. Angela Sykes Rutherford (University of Mississippi) noted that reaching 95% reading proficiency takes 4–5 years of sustained effort and requires leadership teams that support teachers with shared understanding.

Leadership Action Items:

• Evaluate pre-K–3 curriculum alignment. Do programs truly complement and build on one another?

• Schedule recurring, job-embedded PD into your calendar.

• Consider LETRS® for Administrators to ensure leadership speaks the literacy language.

• Define clear "look-fors" for Tier 1 instruction and hold staff accountable.

Day 2: Developing Readers: The Critical Transition (Elementary)

The Challenge: Meeting diverse proficiency levels while supporting the shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."

Key Takeaways:

1. Coherence Over Volume

Frank Lukasik (Director of Literacy and Funded Programs, East Meadow UFSD, NY) stressed, "It's not about MORE, it's about coherence." Schools can overwhelm teachers with programs that fail to work together as a cohesive system. The result is that teachers are overwhelmed managing competing curricula, and instructional coherence disappears. As Frank noted, fragmented approaches accelerate teacher burnout.

To support their teachers and see tangible results, leaders should shift from accumulation to curation. The goal isn't to have the most resources, it's to have aligned resources that let teachers go deeper, collaborate meaningfully, and build expertise—all in the service of shared goals for student growth.

2. Practice Is Nonnegotiable

Jeanne Schopf, M.Ed. (Literacy Consultant, Pathways Towards Literacy, LLC) emphasized a critical gap: Students aren't getting enough "judicious practice"— the repeated, structured opportunities needed to move from acquisition to fluency. Teachers often feel pressured to rush through "I do, we do, you do." Because of this, students are often released to independent practice at 50–60% mastery, despite research indicating they need 80–85% mastery to succeed.

Lindsay Bohm (Curriculum Coordinator, Peoria Public Schools District 150, IL) reinforced this: "We coach them too much to get to the result without supporting their independent reading skills." School administrators can protect instructional time for practice by resisting the urge to add more programs, evaluating whether pacing guides reflect realistic timelines, and observing classrooms for the ratio of teacher modeling to student practice.

3. De-implementation Is Your Friend

Jeanne was direct: "We can't have so many competing initiatives. Only bring in what we know is evidence-aligned." Effective de-implementation requires leaders to use data to make the case, communicate transparently about changes, provide support during transitions, and stay committed to evidence alignment.

Jeanne referenced Atomic Habits, noting, "We fall to the level of our systems." Schools need fewer, better-aligned resources implemented with fidelity to achieve measurable, sustainable results.

4. School Leaders Need to Understand the "Why" and “How”

Lindsay noted that principals and district administrators must deeply understand what quality instruction looks like so teachers feel supported by knowledgeable leadership. When leaders have a deep understanding of literacy, they can recognize quality teaching, ask meaningful questions during data meetings, make informed decisions, and provide specific feedback.

Leadership Action Items:

• Conduct a "program audit"—what can you eliminate? What is not working?

• Observe classrooms for student practice time, not just teacher delivery.

• Build distributed leadership teams that meet regularly to discuss curriculum, data, and PD.

• Ensure leadership teams receive the same literacy training as teachers.

• Create feedback loops where input drives improvements.

Day 3: Adolescent Readers: Closing the Gap

The Challenge: Poll results were sobering: 58% of attendees reported that the biggest hurdle to their instruction is students thinking that "reading feels like a chore." 

Key Takeaways:

1. Adolescents Need Agency

Kerri Larkin (Senior Education Advisor, Lexia®) reminded us of a fundamental truth: Engaging adolescents in the solution to their own reading struggles is essential. As Kerri put it, "It's much harder to do something 'to' a teenager." 

Adolescents are developmentally wired to assert independence. When adults design reading interventions without student input, teenagers often disengage because the approach conflicts with their need for agency and respect.

The Relationship-First Approach

Maryann Hilton (Academic Coach, Imagine Schools at Town Center, FL) advocates for relationship-first instruction, where teachers understand each student's reading identity, challenges, and goals before prescribing solutions. This approach involves:

• Building trust so students feel safe admitting struggles without shame.

• Co-creating goals – setting reading targets with students, not for them.

• Using data transparently – showing students their results and explaining that gaps are targets, not failures.

• Providing choice within structure – students select texts within appropriate complexity ranges.

• Celebrating progress so students see themselves as capable readers.

• Building peer communities where students recommend books to each other.

As Maryann explained, when students understand where they are, where they need to go, and believe they can get there with support, they "buy into that so they know they can do it."

2. Secondary Teachers Often Lack Literacy Training

Maryann is direct: "Teacher programs aren't teaching teachers to teach reading." Secondary educators are trained to teach content—biology, history, algebra—but not how to support students who struggle to read complex texts. Often, this lack of literacy training extends to administrators, making it impossible to coach teachers or make informed decisions about literacy instruction.

Kerri emphasized, "You might not be a reading teacher, but you need to fill those reading gaps for your students." Students who struggle with reading face challenges across all subjects, including decoding vocabulary in science, comprehending primary sources in history, and solving word problems in math.

Practical training for our secondary school educators includes reading science basics, content-specific strategies, structured routines, and recognizing whether students struggle with decoding, vocabulary, background knowledge, or comprehension. We can’t afford to lean on the adage “they should have learned this already.” If our adolescent students are struggling to read, it’s everyone’s duty to ensure those students become proficient readers.

3. Adolescent Brains Are Malleable—But Require Different Approaches

Celeste Myers (Literacy Specialist, Edna Karr High School, LA) explained that the adolescent brain is still developing and highly responsive to engaging, relevant texts and collaborative discussion. Understanding this neuroscience is key to designing effective literacy instruction for older students.

 Brain Plasticity and Print Reading

The adolescent brain remains remarkably plastic. Maryann uses this science to motivate students with engaging texts like "You Can Grow Your Intelligence," helping them understand that their brains grow like muscles through practice, a concept they immediately connect to sports or learning instruments.

Just as your physical strength requires consistent exercise, reading muscles need regular practice. When students understand and see this connection, they realize they themselves have the power to become accurate and confident readers. 

Building Confidence

As Kerri pointed out, "Anything we do to undermine the confidence of our readers is a detriment." Adolescents are acutely sensitive to feeling "behind," yet as Kerri noted, they can't avoid reading in today's world. Instruction must help students see tangible progress and believe they can become stronger readers through practice.

It's not too late to build strong adolescent readers, but the approach must match their developmental needs through collaboration, relevance, and visible progress.

Leadership Action Items:

• Invest in science-of-reading training for all secondary teachers, not just ELA.

• Audit your high school schedule—does it support struggling adolescent readers?

• Create a schoolwide literacy culture where students recommend books to peers.

• Make benchmarks visible so students can track progress.

• Ensure content-area teachers have routines for reading complex texts.

• Begin open leadership conversations about literacy across all stakeholders.

Overarching Message for School Administrators

Across all three webinar sessions, our literacy experts shared thoughtful guidance for school leaders that transcends grade levels and student populations.  

1. Data Must Be Actionable, Not Overwhelming

Use formative assessments to guide instruction with frequent but efficient progress monitoring.

2. All Adults Should Speak the Same Literacy Language

When everyone—from principals to paraprofessionals—uses the same literacy terminology, coherence improves dramatically.

3. Invest in Systems, Not Just Programs

Strong systems for PD, progress monitoring, and instructional consistency matter more than depending on any specific program.

4. Leadership Is the Greatest Lever for Change

Knowledgeable, committed leadership accelerates improvement. Leaders who understand what high-quality instruction looks like can support teachers meaningfully and make evidence-based decisions.

5. This Takes Time

Reaching 95% reading proficiency takes 4–5 years of sustained, aligned effort. Leaders should communicate this timeline and resist pressure to pivot constantly.

Final Thoughts

As Jeanne noted, "Never forget the why." When school leaders approach literacy improvement with courage, vulnerability, and willingness to let go of what isn't working, transformation becomes possible.

The question isn't whether your school can achieve 95% reading proficiency. It can. The question is whether your leadership team is ready to commit to the aligned, sustained effort required to get there.

It’s not too late to experience the full Science of Reading Week Webinar. Listen to expert insights for school administrators and be the decisive literacy leadership your building deserves.