6/9/2025
Science of Reading: Professional Development and Training for Teachers
The science of reading movement won’t improve student literacy outcomes if school and district leaders fail to invest in teacher professional development, a recent EdWeek article warns. Teachers nationwide say they feel overwhelmed by rushed curriculum implementation and a lack of classroom support.
It’s no surprise educators are feeling pressure. Since 2019, state legislators have passed more than 220 literacy bills to transition reading curricula and instruction to the science of reading. However, to effectively implement a science of reading approach, teachers need professional learning that helps them understand the research and how it can be applied in evidence-based classroom instruction.
If teachers aren’t effectively taught the tenets of reading science (and 49% of teacher-preparation programs do not cover them enough), they won’t have the knowledge needed to implement evidence-based literacy strategies with fidelity. Science of reading professional development training can help new and veteran teachers develop deep literacy expertise and implement targeted strategies and interventions to address gaps in student literacy across all grade levels and content areas.
Understanding the Science of Reading
The science of reading is a longstanding body of research rooted in cognitive psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience. It identifies decoding, or the ability to translate written symbols into spoken words, as a foundational skill. It also emphasizes the importance of following an explicit, systematic, and evidence-based instructional approach to reading instruction, known as Structured Literacy.
4 core frameworks help translate science of reading research into classroom practice:
The Five Pillars of Reading Instruction state that students must have a foundation in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to become proficient readers.
The Simple View of Reading defines reading comprehension as the product of word recognition and language comprehension
The Simple View of Reading Word Recognition
(WR)x Language Comprehension
(LC)= Reading Comprehension
(RC)- Scarborough's Reading Rope is a visual model that illustrates how students acquire eight discrete skills to become fluent, skilled readers. If they experience weaknesses in one or more of them, they might have difficulty developing the decoding skills, vocabulary, and background to fully grasp what they’re reading.
- Structured Literacy is a teaching approach trademarked by the International Dyslexia Association® (IDA) that says teachers must teach all of the components that evidence has found to ensure reading success and must employ principles that align with the necessity of each component.
These frameworks all acknowledge that learning to read is not a natural process for most students and must be taught intentionally to ensure all students, including those with dyslexia, can learn to read proficiently. Following these models, teachers can help students grasp simple concepts before they move on to more complex skills.
Why Science of Reading Professional Development Opportunities Matter
Many educators, especially those trained with the outdated balanced literacy model, lack the foundational knowledge needed to implement instruction aligned with the science of reading. In an EdWeek Research Center survey of post-secondary reading instructors published in 2020, 68% of respondents felt balanced literacy, an approach that combines explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent reading and writing, best described their philosophy of teaching early reading.
While pre-licensure programs are changing this approach to transition to evidence-based practices aligned with the science of reading, teachers in the field need high-quality professional development now to address reading gaps. Here are some of the benefits of literacy-focused professional development:
Improved teacher confidence and competence. Teachers gain a deeper knowledge of how students learn to read and how to assess and respond to their needs. As a result, they can adapt and improve their instruction as needed.
Enhanced student reading outcomes. When teachers apply evidence-based strategies with fidelity, students, especially those with reading difficulties, show measurable gains in reading fluency, comprehension, and overall achievement.
Instruction that adapts to diverse student needs. Training that helps teachers diagnose student reading gaps empowers them to differentiate instruction and address a range of student literacy levels—from struggling readers to those ready for advanced content.
Collaborative and sustainable implementation. Professional development that includes coaching, peer collaboration, and administrative support can lead to long-term instructional improvement.
Higher teacher retention and job satisfaction. Teachers who feel confident in their ability to impact student learning are more likely to stay in the profession and contribute to a culture of literacy.
Adherence to educational standards and policies. Currently, legislators in 37 states and Washington, D.C., have mandated teachers use evidence-based reading practices in their classrooms. High-quality teacher professional development focused on the science of reading ensures instruction aligns with current state laws and district mandates.
Despite claims to the contrary, evidence-based reading instruction can’t be mastered in a few professional development workshops. District administrators must invest in long-term science of reading professional training to ensure systemic change.
Where To Find Science of Reading Training for Teachers
Hanover Research says a high-quality professional learning plan “includes an ongoing, coherent sequence of learning opportunities designed to improve the knowledge, skills, and abilities of teachers and instructional staff to ultimately enhance student academic outcomes.”
Effective science of reading professional development should include:
Teacher learning goals, implementation actions, a timeline, success measures, and an evaluation plan
Differentiation based on content area and/or grade level
Customized activities and pathways for novice and veteran teachers that incorporate active learning, collaboration, coaching, mentoring, and opportunities for feedback and reflection
When it comes to professional development offerings for elementary school and middle school content-area teachers, district administrators can choose from a variety of tools and delivery methods. However, not all programs are research-backed or truly aligned with the science of reading. Furthermore, not all afford teachers the same depth of knowledge or flexibility. Here are five options you might consider:
Online learning, including self-paced courses and webinars. Flexible and customizable, teachers prefer these types of longer-term programs because they fit into their busy schedules. Online programs are often easier to scale across districts, allowing teachers to share and practice what they’ve learned with peers in their schools.
Microcredentials. A microcredential in literacy is a short, targeted professional learning certification that recognizes a teacher’s competency in a specific area of literacy instruction. Unlike traditional degrees, microcredentials are skill-based and often self-paced, allowing teachers to demonstrate mastery of specific teaching practices aligned with the science of reading.
Workshops. During hands-on, interactive learning sessions, teachers can build literacy skills they can implement in the classroom immediately and get feedback from other teachers. For workshops to be effective, they must include ongoing support and follow-up coaching.
Peer mentoring. Under this model, experienced educators guide and support their peers. Veteran teachers can offer personalized support and strengthen professional networks. While peer mentoring is a preferred professional development format, some schools and districts may not have peers with the literacy expertise needed to scale.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). In PLCs, teachers collaborate to focus on aspects of student learning. For example, a PLC could share and work on strategies to improve literacy across content areas, with a focus on shared responsibility and continuous improvement. While PLCs are beneficial, they often take place during teacher prep time or after school, adding to already demanding teacher schedules.
Science of Reading Professional Development Opportunities Through Universities
Advanced degree programs in literacy can build deep literacy expertise and open up career paths for teachers. However, they often come with steep costs and take a long time to complete. Some universities offer valuable courses on the science of reading that can benefit teachers.
Educators can often find professional development opportunities through university-sponsored workshops, courses, or literacy programs. Many universities also partner with recognized programs or adapt science of reading training to align with state-approved reading endorsements.
Science of Reading Professional Development Opportunities Through Educational Organizations
Leading organizations such as Lexia®, Orton-Gillingham, The Reading League, and the IDA offer research-based training focused on foundational reading skills like phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. For example, through its Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, IDA sets a high bar for effective reading instruction and supports explicit, structured, and multisensory instruction. Teachers can get this training through IDA-accredited programs, local branch workshops, webinars, and at trainings during the organization’s annual conference, which features leading experts in literacy.
Lexia’s professional learning programs cover all components of an effective, evidence-based literacy program and allow teachers to explore targeted learning around specific topics. Programs like Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning and Lexia Aspire® Professional Learning deepen teacher understanding of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Both programs include self-paced online learning programs that include a microcredential after completion. LETRS and Aspire are IDA-accredited programs that give educators the tools to support all learners, including those with dyslexia.
Lexia LETRS Professional Learning (Pre-K–5)
Literacy experts Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Carol Tolman developed LETRS to train educators about how to teach beginning readers. More than a curriculum or set of activities, the first part of LETRS teaches educators how to assess students’ knowledge of the English language (phonemic awareness), how sounds represent letters that can create words (phonics), and how and why to teach word parts (morphology). In the second part of the course, teachers learn how to develop students’ spoken language abilities, increase vocabulary, and build comprehension skills. They also learn how to diagnose reading problems and differentiate instruction.
LETRS focuses on building students’ oral language and vocabulary skills. This emphasis provides teachers with tools to help students expand their background knowledge and improve their understanding of language, which is particularly critical for Emergent Bilinguals. Teachers also learn how to help students read more smoothly and with expression, which helps students improve their reading comprehension. Educators also learn how to use short assessments to identify struggling students and tailor lessons to bridge specific learning gaps.
Results from several evaluations of LETRS show:
Improved teacher knowledge and practice. Teachers who completed LETRS training demonstrated higher levels of knowledge and improved levels of instructional practice across a variety of objective and self-rated measures.
Positive student outcomes. LETRS is often implemented with other educational interventions, like Lexia® Core5® Reading and other solutions based on the science of reading, to positively influence student outcomes.
Outcomes linked to implementation levels. Researchers most often observed positive teacher outcomes in studies with moderate to high LETRS implementation.
Greater student engagement. Classrooms with teachers who participated in LETRS professional learning had greater student engagement than classrooms without LETRS-trained teachers.
In many states, LETRS implementation can be linked to improved student outcomes—particularly in states that reported moderate to high levels of implementation, such as Mississippi. For two years, about 30% of the state's 7,600 teachers completed all eight LETRS modules, and their quality of instruction, student engagement, and teaching competencies all improved.
Lexia Aspire Professional Learning (4–8)
Nearly half of middle school teachers said they had a moderate or major need for reading specialists, while 45% identified a moderate or major need for tutors, according to a recent RAND study. In 2023, Lexia introduced Aspire for upper-elementary and middle school teachers looking to accelerate literacy skills in their classrooms. Aspire’s self-paced professional development courses help content-area teachers gain the knowledge and skills they need to apply science-based strategies to students who need varying levels of literacy support.
Aspire, which takes approximately 40 hours to finish, focuses on science of reading instruction across three domains: Word Recognition, Language Comprehension, and Reading Comprehension and Writing. After taking a few prerequisite courses, educators can choose which domains they want to work in and the sequence in which they complete those courses. Within each course, educators receive personalized content in response to their performance. Teachers who master concepts can move on to the next course, while those who need additional, scaffolded support receive it in the program.
District and school leaders can view their educators’ progress from the program’s dashboard, which provides real-time data on licenses, performance on assessments, and time spent in the platform. Best of all, Aspire helps support district mentorship programs where experienced educators can guide teachers in implementing Aspire strategies. PLCs can extend this learning, serving as a forum to exchange ideas, analyze student data, and refine instruction.
Empowering Educators With Science of Reading Training
As state legislators continue to mandate evidence-based literacy practices and district leaders look to boost reading proficiency, science of reading professional development will become even more critical for teacher and student success. While new laws and curricula signal progress, student literacy can’t improve unless teachers learn to apply research-backed strategies in the classroom. Programs like LETRS and Aspire offer flexible, in-depth professional learning solutions that diagnose reading gaps, differentiate instruction, and build foundational skills.
Explore Lexia’s professional learning programs to prepare your teachers to transform their classrooms with the science of reading.
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