What Is the Science of Reading? How It Applies to Your Educational Program

The science of reading has arguably driven the most significant reboot of literacy curricula this decade. Today, nearly all 50 states require instruction rooted in reading science, creating a fundamental shift in how literacy is taught.

Leaders need to understand what the science of reading means and how to implement instructional best practices. 

The science of reading identifies the essential skills students must acquire to become proficient readers, extending beyond phonics to include essential yet often overlooked elements like phoneme awareness.

You don’t have to be a researcher or reading expert to get up to speed on what the science of reading can do for your district. In this article, we break down the basics, so you can implement a program that works for you, including:

✔️ A high-level look at the science of reading definition

✔️ Why the science of reading matters

✔️ The advantages of a science of reading-based program

✔️ What to expect, including tips and challenges for implementing a science of reading-based program

✔️ and more

The Science of Reading Definition

What is the science of reading? Let’s begin by clearly stating what it is not. The science of reading is not an ideology, methodology, or a one-size-fits-all approach. The science of reading is the gold-standard body of research, decades of empirical evidence, for how the brain learns to read.  

Literacy expert Louisa Moats, Ed.D, explained it is a “consensus from many related disciplines, based on literally thousands of studies, supported by hundreds of millions of research dollars, conducted across the world in many languages.”

In other words, it is not just one peer-reviewed study but about 10,000 that uphold basic truths, casting new light on what makes the most difference when teaching reading. 

What is the science of reading approach?

The science of reading counters the dominant beliefs and teaching methods of the past that lack the weight in evidence and have shown to leave skill gaps, including balanced literacy, phonics-only approaches, and three cueing. 

In the past, nearly two-thirds of U.S. educators leaned on models like balanced literacy for curricula. Most districts did not offer training in the science of reading; in fact, only 51% of teaching programs prepare educators in the science of reading. Now, more than two-thirds of educators say students who didn’t properly learn to decode words in K–2 struggle with reading comprehension in later grades. 

“Before, we would talk about phonics from a much more constructivist, inquiry-based approach and did a lot of word study within a balanced literacy framework,” said Christine Treasure, director of school improvement for New York’s Monroe One Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Treasure now advocates for instruction to fully address phonemic awareness and phonics. “It’s really what we should have learned during our pre-service training,” she explained. 

4 Takeaways From The Science of Reading

Reading science replaces past memorization and word association strategies with explicit instruction in the five components of the science of reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The research also states that reading comprehension does not occur without an equal and thorough understanding of both word recognition and all of the context and subtleties of language. 

Read A Full Breakdown of the Science of Reading for details about instructional differences and four critical and interconnected models leaders should know, including: 

1. 5 Essential Elements of Reading

2. The Simple View of Reading

3. Scarborough’s Reading Rope

4. Structured Literacy

Briefly, the five essential components of reading must be included in a science of reading approach. Leaders can use The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope as frameworks and models to inform curricula and teaching practices. Structured Literacy is the evidence-based teaching approach for classrooms. Structured Literacy methods can vary but must include systematic instruction in word and language patterns, starting with the most basic and advancing to the more complex.

Why is the Science of Reading Important?

The science of reading creates a huge opportunity to transform literacy outcomes.

What’s known about effective literacy instruction is stronger and more united than it has ever been. And it shows 95% of students of all abilities and backgrounds can learn to read when taught with science of reading-based teaching methods—including Emergent Bilingual students and learners with dyslexia and other neurodiversities. 

Many district leaders have seen this play out in schools nationwide. In North Carolina, Craven County School District educators saw 92% of students meeting usage goals with an evidence-based literacy program reach at-grade or above reading levels. 

In Ohio, Niles Middle School educators used a science of reading-based program designed for grades 6–12 to pinpoint skill gaps and accelerate learning. Of the students using the program: 

• 84% ended the year in intermediate or advanced zones for comprehension

• 69% reached the intermediate or advanced skills in grammar

• 74% reached intermediate or advanced skills in word study

Benefits of Science of Reading-Based Programs

What does a science of reading approach mean for your district? When literacy programs are rooted in the science of reading, the impacts reach far beyond boosting reading scores, including: 

Systemic literacy change

The right programs can offer a comprehensive literacy solution, building teacher expertise, strengthening student skills, and delivering the data insight to track progress, spot gaps early, and intervene before issues take hold. The result: A cohesive learning system that aligns state and district goals, teacher expertise, and student experience. 

High-quality literacy instruction for every student  

Structured Literacy creates “a defined road map of what students need to learn” so every teacher, at any grade, develops equal expertise to teach reading, explained Beth Carstens, a teacher at St. Anthony's School in Columbus, Nebraska, who switched from balanced literacy to the science of reading.

Teacher Retention  

Teachers who do not feel supported are more than twice as likely to leave the profession. When district leaders invest in research-backed professional development and literacy programs, teachers feel more supported, empowered in their practice, and motivated to stay for the long term. 

Informed intervention  

It is impossible to think strategically about literacy without solid information about how students progress—not weeks or months after testing, but in the moment. Effective programs provide easy-to-use, real-time data without interrupting learning. Leaders can drill down at the district, school, class, and individual levels to see change in action and pivot when necessary.

Implementing Science of Reading Programs

How do you make sure a program rolls out successfully? 

Save time and make the most out of current resources with a strategic implementation plan. Use these steps to help build buy-in and create a compass for prioritizing work and keeping everyone united in the same goal: Making every student a proficient reader. 

1. Set goals and take inventory.

“Have a plan that’s intentional. Don’t just jump in the deep end. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it,” Dr. Gustavo Balderas, superintendent of the Beaverton School District in Oregon, said. He implemented a unified, systematic approach to supporting literacy for all students. In addition, including important stakeholders in the planning process, particularly frontline educators, helps leaders better determine what’s currently working and what’s necessary to replace before starting a new program.

2. Provide ongoing professional development.

As noted, most educators were not trained in the science of reading earlier in their careers. Educators need explicit and ongoing training in the five components of reading. Administrators at the McAllen School District in Texas proved the strategy works as they experienced “incredible growth” for students and 100% buy-in from educators when they invested in Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning.  

3. Invest in high-quality, evidence-based resources and tools.

Stephanie Nagle, teacher at Chalmette Elementary in Louisiana, explained the right tools and resources allow her to support struggling students and have the materials needed to challenge high-performing students using the same program. “It helps me differentiate during intervention to make sure my students are learning what they need,” she said. 

4. Use data to inform decision-making.

Look for solutions that provide real-time progress reporting for teacher training and student learning for a more nuanced picture of overall improvement. It can shed light on the impacts of new strategies and allow for more meaningful ways to support implementation efforts. 

5. Partner with experts for a smoother transition.

Consider collaborating with tried-and-true pros who can guide a district through implementation. The right partner can team with leadership to develop and track a customized approach that meets specific district outcomes. For instance, Lexia Success Partnerships also ensure literacy solutions integrate into district platforms and are compatible with existing technology. 

What Challenges Can You Expect?

Taking on any initiative is a journey. Being well-prepared elevates more successes and reduces roadblocks. Consider these common challenges leaders face:

Waning follow-through

Progress can slip without accountability. Ensure everyone has a role and consistently, but kindly, keep tabs. It can be weekly emails with a reminder or a checklist for keeping everyone on track. Then, adjust support levels as needed.

Momentum stalling

To maintain motivation, conduct regular check-ins, set up space and time for collaboration, and let teams know, “We’re in this together.” It can be as easy as monthly meetings, recognition for progress, or sharing strategies when someone feels stuck. 

Doubt seeping in

Often, new strategies can be faced with skepticism, especially when educators don’t feel leadership understands classroom needs. Consider joining training sessions to get up to speed and better understand what will make the most impact when supporting the process.

Consistency taking a hit

When tools are effective, easy to use, and slide easily into lesson plans, educators will use them with fidelity. If participation ebbs and flows, check processes. Misidentification of student disabilities, lack of ongoing professional learning, and outdated instructional methods and materials can sabotage best efforts.

How Lexia Improves Literacy With the Science of Reading

Many programs claim to align with the science of reading and Structured Literacy but do not sufficiently teach students to decode, relying on outdated strategies like cueing or using context clues for guessing a word’s meaning. Lexia® supports Structured Literacy and provides a breadth and depth of science of reading-based instruction and knowledge to support every student and educator.

Empowering Educators

LETRS prepares pre-K–5 educators and administrators as literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Educators learn concrete skills that translate into practical, daily classroom change. LETRS was pivotal in moving the needle in Mississippi and Louisiana, which jumped from last place to 16th in NAEP scores.  

Lexia Aspire® Professional Learning provides a flexible, self-paced, digital solution aligned with the science of reading. More than 250 districts adopted Aspire within just one year of its launch. 

Boosting Student Ability

Best practices for Structured Literacy include explicit, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and responsive instruction. Lexia® Core5® Reading and Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® use Lexia’s Adaptive Blended Learning model to adjust instruction dynamically so teachers can pinpoint individual skills more quickly. The programs build in sequence and help students master foundational skills and fully comprehend all text types. Core5 is more than two times more effective than other elementary reading programs. PowerUp is five times more effective than other middle school programs, and students using it show a 35% improvement in reading skills within just one year.

Informing Decision-Making

The real-time student performance data in Lexia’s patented Assessment Without Testing® (AWT) automatically evaluates students in the moment so teachers can provide precise instruction when students need it most.

Transforming Literacy

When Lexia professional learning and literacy solutions are combined, district leaders see transformative change. In 2022, leaders in a large suburban district in Washington provided training in the science of reading with LETRS. Following the momentum and early results of LETRS training, they adopted Core5 for K–5 student use and PowerUp for secondary student use. In just two years: 

• 92% of students using Core5 advanced at least one grade level

• 74% of PowerUp students ended the year with improved skills

Now that a broader group of educators—including coaches, literacy development teachers, and interventionists—are being trained in LETRS, they can deliver high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction systematically across grades.

Take the First Step. Contact Lexia.

When asked, Dr. Erika Rudnicki, executive director of scholar learning, academic programs, and staff development in Washington, advised, “Changing literacy instruction is complex. This is not a quick fix. You have to do the deep work and make it the priority.” 

The good news is the resources and opportunities exist to ensure success. If you want to accelerate literacy in your district, learn how to select a literacy program aligned with the science of reading to start reading transformation for your students immediately.