Literacy Practices in Today’s Context: A Discussion of Research and Application

Annie Moses, editor in chief of Educating Young Children, recently interviewed Tanya S. Wright, professor of literacy in the Marsal Family School of Education at the University of Michigan. Dr. Wright is a former kindergarten teacher whose research and teaching focus on literacy instruction during the early childhood years. She is the author of several books, including Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators (published by NAEYC), and other publications. Dr. Wright received the International Literacy Association’s Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award in 2022.

Annie Moses: To say that the term science of reading is popular right now is probably an understatement. In recent years, it has consistently shown up across popular media and legislation and other policies.

What do people mean when they use the term in these contexts, and what are some common misconceptions?

Tanya S. Wright: Overall, I think most people using the term science of reading want to draw attention to the idea that research can and should inform instruction. Research studies demonstrate that there are many important areas to support as part of reading instruction, including but not limited to

Language development (understanding the words, phrases, and sentences in text)
Print concepts (understanding how print works)
Phonemic awareness (learning to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds—phonemes—in spoken words)
Phonics (sound-letter relationships)
Fluency (how to read automatically, accurately, and with expression)
Comprehension (strategies to use when you read something confusing, ways to figure out the themes and important ideas in a text, knowledge of different text genres)
Knowledge development (the content and concepts that help us interpret the meaning of a text)

I think one common misconception about the term science of reading is that it is a synonym for phonics instruction (instruction in sound-letter relationships). Many research studies show that phonics instruction is critical for supporting young children to become readers. Phonics should be taught in schools, but it is just one aspect of the science of reading. Research also shows there are many other domains of instruction that matter for literacy development.

Also, when we think about what children need to learn in the early childhood years, we are always interested in writing as well as reading! Writing and reading are mutually supportive activities. In fact, most English Language Arts standards consider reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language development. I typically say “literacy instruction” because in early childhood, we are usually considering all of these domains.

I think some people who are using the term science of reading are specifically interested in studies that use scientific research methods. For example, there is a particular interest in experimental or quasi-experimental evidence (sometimes called randomized controlled trials) that help us to make causal decisions; for example, a decision about whether one instructional method supports children’s learning better than another method. These studies are important as we think about research to inform our literacy instruction.

However, I think a broader definition is that science of reading is the body of research-based evidence using a range of research methods that we can use to answer questions about literacy development and instruction. For example, we need to address questions about

How literacy develops for a broad range of children in different contexts
What instruction is currently provided to children in schools and other educational settings
Why instructional methods may or may not work, for whom, and under what conditions
How we can design innovative and motivating methods and materials that meet the needs of all learners
How we can best support educators to enact research-aligned literacy instruction

The research questions I often want to answer relate to whether instructional practices, curriculum materials, professional development, or policies are based on sound interpretations of a broad range of literacy research in the early childhood years. For these reasons, in my own work, I often say “research-based” or “research-aligned” literacy instruction, and I usually say “literacy”—unless my focus is specifically on reading only.

Annie: How are programs, schools, and educators currently being impacted by the science of reading?

Tanya: Right now, everybody says everything is science of reading! It’s a popular term to use to promote products, materials, and policies. I recommend being a cautious consumer. Just because a product is labeled with or promoted as science of reading does not necessarily mean it has undergone rigorous testing and been shown to work for children in a research study. In most situations, people who create materials and policies are looking at research studies and then integrating what they learn into their work. Ideally, they are looking carefully at research to inform their decision making or product development.

For example, some organizations have created rubrics to review curriculum programs/materials for alignment with literacy research. Some states and districts have policies about using these rubrics to determine what’s acceptable to use in that state. (See "Rubrics for Evaluating Curriculum Programs" below.)

Rubrics for Evaluating Curriculum Programs
The following tools are intended to help educators identify the strengths and challenges associated with different curriculum programs they may be using or considering. They are for kindergarten and up.

Annie: Some argue that this is not a new topic or controversy. They indicate there’s more agreement than disagreement within the research community about teaching reading (and literacy, more broadly).

Tanya: Yes. Overall, in the research community, I think there is far more agreement than disagreement on how we should teach reading and the skills and knowledge that children need. (This is captured well in the Reading Research Quarterly special issues focused on the science of reading.) The tricky part is how, and whether, ideas from research make their way into practice, products, and policies. This is why it’s so important to consider the alignment between the instruction that takes place in classrooms and the research.

Annie: Reports of third-grade reading scores are a key reason the public is so focused on the science of reading. How would you unpack these reports to them?

Tanya: There are reports that say a large percentage of children are not meeting grade-level expectations for reading. We want to make sure that all children are receiving high-quality, research-aligned early literacy instruction in their classrooms as well as additional intervention if they are not making expected progress. Families, rightly so, want their children to learn to read and write in elementary school.

However, many people assume tests used for third-grade reading scores are looking at whether children can look at the letters and figure out the words on the page (decoding). In reality, these tests are looking at whether students can decode and comprehend text. Research has revealed a number of reasons why children don’t meet expectations on state tests. In one well-known study, the researchers assessed a range of literacy skills for children who didn’t meet grade-level expectations on a state reading exam. They found 10 different patterns of students’ reading skills. Each pattern required different instructional supports. This included groups of children who could decode the words but were not yet fluent; another group of children were fluent readers but had difficulty comprehending the texts.

So, it’s important not to look at these scores and decide there’s one reason or one solution. Rather, children need instruction that addresses the range of knowledge, skills, and strategies that help them to become strong readers and writers.

Annie: You’re among those who have argued that literacy development is complex and requires educators to know and do a lot.

Tanya: Literacy teaching is complex and nuanced work. For each aspect of literacy development, teachers need to know what children need to learn at each grade level, how to figure out where each child is in their literacy development, and how to use that information to determine what children need to learn next. Then, teachers need to know and implement appropriate instructional practices for children in their classrooms who may be at different points in their literacy development.

As a society, we have to recognize that early childhood educators are engaged in this very complex work, not only focused on literacy but across all subject areas. We need to ensure that educators have the preparation, resources, and ongoing support they need to do this critical work.

Annie: What should educators working with different age groups think about?

Tanya: As children develop, they need different literacy supports. And we want them to be able to engage with texts with increasing independence over time. For children from birth to 5, most text interactions are mediated by adults (the adult reads to children). As children enter elementary school, they should move toward more independent reading (both decoding and comprehending text) and writing.

There are also developmental differences in how we address literacy domains. For example, literacy supports for toddlers include a focus on language development, such as helping children to express their ideas using an increasing number of words or supporting them to take more turns in conversations. We also read aloud to toddlers to show that books are engaging and how print works (how to turn the pages in a book).

For first graders, we still focus on language development, but now we support children to learn the language of more complex texts, the different language they may see in different text genres, and the language used in different subject areas. We still read aloud with first graders and ensure their engagement, but now we can teach more complex ideas about texts, such as differences between text genres.

This is just more evidence that early childhood educators are engaged in nuanced and challenging work!

Annie: As you know, NAEYC defines developmentally appropriate practice “as methods that promote each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning.” How can educators use strengths-based, play-based practices that align with literacy research?

Tanya: From my perspective, there’s no conflict at all between developmentally appropriate practice and the research on literacy instruction. A strengths-based approach suggests that we understand and then build on the ideas, knowledge, and skills that children already know. Joyful, playful learning suggests that literacy experiences should feel meaningful and engaging for children.

We see joy when a toddler runs to find their favorite book for an adult to read, a 4-year-old writes their own name, a kindergartner’s face lights up when using their letter-sound knowledge to sound out a word, or a second grader glows with pride when they write about a new idea they figured out!

In addition, it’s important to balance teacher-led and child-led literacy opportunities. Both can be playful and engaging, but we do know that some literacy activities, such as introducing new letters and sounds or explaining the meaning of new words, need to be teacher-led to ensure that all children have access to ideas they need to learn.

For example, beyond introducing a new sound-letter relationship, teacher-led learning might include supporting children to find and sort objects (or pictures) that do and do not start with that letter and sound. Young children think it’s really funny when adults ask silly questions like “Does dog start with the /m/ sound?” They love to play games like I Spy: “I spy something that starts with /t/.”

We can also create opportunities for children to use literacy in their self-directed play by putting literacy materials (texts and writing materials) in play centers, inviting children to act out books and stories, and including games (like matching games, letter bingo, and alphabet puzzles) in our classrooms.

There is nothing in the research that requires literacy instruction to focus on worksheets or skills drill. Teaching children to read and write can and should be a joyful experience!

Key Takeaways for Educators of Young Children

Here are five key takeaways for educators about research-based literacy instruction:

Supporting children’s oral language and knowledge building is critical. Young children learn new words when they learn new things. Provide children with experiences and read alouds that expose them to new ideas about the world, and teach children language to talk about these new ideas.
Read to and with children a lot, and invite them to explore a broad range of books and other types of texts in your setting. Different children get excited about reading different books and different types of text.
Play with sounds in words with a focus on phonemic blending and segmentation. (For more about these skills, see Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators). Phonemes matter because they’re the sounds that we represent with letters when we read and write.
Teach sound-letter relationships systematically and explicitly. Children need opportunities to connect phonemes with the letter (or combination of letters) that make each sound and, in turn, to apply this information as they read and write.
Encourage and make time for young children’s writing. Writing and reading are mutually supportive activities. Encourage children to use what they know about letters and sounds (estimated spelling) to share their ideas and stories.

Key Ideas to Share with Families

Here are five ideas to share with families about children’s literacy development and learning:

Talk, talk, talk. Invite your child into conversations. There is a strong link between oral language development and literacy development.
Read aloud with your child, and discuss what you read. Continue to read aloud long after your child starts to read on their own. Once your child can read independently, ask them about what they’re reading, and keep talking about what they’re reading!
Share with your child how you use reading and writing in your home and community. Let them participate as much as possible. Invite your child to help make a grocery list, show them how you use a recipe, read signs and menus together, write a special note or card together, or have your child type a text message to a family member.
Summer reading matters! Encourage your child to keep reading when they’re not in school. Visit your local library, and look out for programs where schools send books home to read over the summer. Look for books and other types of text (including digital texts) that your child finds engaging.
Don’t hesitate to check in with your child’s pediatrician or teacher if you have concerns about your child’s language or literacy development.