Education Commons^™

The Science Of Reading And The Use Of Decodable Texts In The Classroom, Anna Hudson

Honors Theses

This honors thesis includes a definition and explanation of the Science of Reading research, decodable texts and how they are used in the classroom, my creative process in writing my own decodable text, and a copy of my original decodable text "Can Meg Get In?"

Navigating Literacy Proficiency: Merging Science Of Reading And Guided Approaches, Amber Toms

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This action research was prompted by the recognition that a "one-size-fits-all" instructional approach may not cater to the diverse needs of all students, particularly those in special education. The study emphasizes science of reading principles with an appreciation for incorporating guided reading elements to enhance implicit learning and to fast-track learning in order to close the gap, while still catering to the child’s specific needs. The researcher, currently serving as a PK-2^nd grade special education teacher, adjusted the current norms to promote student success. Rather than allocating the usual 45 minutes per day for group instruction with her second-grade …

Improving Reading Interventions: A School Improvement Plan, Ivy Leitch

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan was driven by the researcher’s interest in improving literacy interventions due to an ineffective literacy curriculum. This plan focuses on the essential components of literacy interventions, which research found are phonics, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, and the science of reading. These components will increase literacy skills in all elementary grades and potentially increase FAST scores. As the district purchases a new literacy curriculum in 2026, these components should be at the forefront of their decision.

First Grade Teachers’ Self-Efficacy During Transformational Changes In Literacy Instruction, Amy M. Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Schools across the county are transitioning from balanced literacy to researched based reading instruction. This shift impacts not only instructional practices in reading, but the fundamental understanding of reading development. Teachers are on the frontline of this huge endeavor. This research examined five first grade teachers’ self-efficacy through this transformational change. One-on-one interviews were conducted to explore teachers’ perspectives as they make this shift. Through interpretative phenomenological analysis, (IPA) four themes emerged; lack of training, feelings of disconnect, teacher overwhelm, and passion for change. Recommendations for practice include clear and concise communications of the shifts that are necessary when moving …

Understanding The Experiences Of A First Grade Class With Explicit Phonics Instruction: A Qualitative Case Study, Haley Fry

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The reading wars in American education have raged on with the most recent Science of Reading movement, with the discussion centered around phonics. This qualitative case study examined a real first-grade class as they experienced explicit phonics instruction within the context of a classroom environment in public elementary school in northeastern United States. Participants of this study included eight first-grade students and one first-grade teacher, in one first-grade class. Data collection was broken down into two phases that were rooted in Social Constructivism’s Zone of Proximal Development and Ehri’s Phases of Word Learning Theory. Phase I consisted of classroom observations …

Fish In A Tree Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual living and learning with dyslexia. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and …

Understanding The Virginia Literacy Act, Candace Bechtold, Kimberly Bridges, David Naff, Joan A. Rhodes, Valerie Robnolt, Tara Davison, Suzanne Alexandre, Michael Crusco, Karli Johansen, Amber Butler, Allison Yandle, Jennifer Askue-Collins, Jean Samuel, Sharrie Merritte, Regina Frazier

MERC Publications

This research and policy brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) offers an overview of the Virginia Literacy Act. It is structured to explore the following questions: 1) What are the recent trends in reading achievement in Virginia? 2) What are the policy implications of the VLA for Virginia school divisions? 3) What does the research say about Science of Reading (SoR)? 4) What core instructional programs are approved to meet the VLA? It concludes with a series of key takeaways and recommendations.

The Impact Of The Science Of Reading Required Training On The Reading Proficiency Levels Of Third-Grade African American Male Students, Tonya Campbell

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Proficiency in reading is an essential skill for achieving success in the modern era, and African American students have struggled with reading due to insufficient support during literacy instruction. Through the implementation of the Science of Reading™ course, this research aimed to examine the effect of the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS™) curriculum on the success of African American third-grade males based on the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready (SC READY™) summative assessments and Northwest Academic Evaluation Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP™) data. This study followed the year before LETRS™ was introduced (2019), the 2 …

A Case Study To Determine The Literacy Needs Within Remediation Practices For Students In Grades 1-3, Miranda M. Gillis

Doctor of Education Dissertations

In order to effectively teach reading, it is not enough for a teacher to possess knowledge and skills alone. It is equally important to use evidence-based instructional approaches and interventions, especially when working with at-risk or struggling students. Without appropriate instructional materials and contexts, even the most competent teacher may fail to teach essential literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and writing processes. As the importance of teacher quality gains attention at the state and federal levels, lesson structure and allocation of lesson time for literacy-related activities have become a focus. The emergence of structured literacy underscores …

Exploring Etymology Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

The English language is a borrowed language, a blend of words from many languages from around the world. We see this in the various ways sounds are represented by letters and letter combinations. In transparent or shallow orthographies, there is high predictability and consistent letter-sound correspondence whereas in opaque or deep orthographies, there are many ways to spell the same sound as well as there are many sounds for the same spellings (Burkins & Yates, 2021; Moats, 2020). This assignment description is a guided inquiry for preservice teachers to explore the concept of etymology by watching and reflecting on six …

Home Of The Brave Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual learning a second language and living in a new country. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience …

Language Learning Simulation Using Duolingo Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

It is likely that preservice teachers will work with students learning English as their second (third, fourth, etc.) language. For preservice teachers to better understand the language learning process, Duolingo was used to simulate the learning experience. The assignment description outlines how preservice teachers can reflection pre-simulation and post-simulation about what they learned about language learning.

The “Reading Wars” Are Back: What Are The Implications For Adolescent Literacy?, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

This article unpacks the current political and educational debates around the Science of Reading, Simple View of Reading, and Active View of Reading. In the article, the author describes evidence-based reading practices for adolescents and connects them to components of the Active View of Reading. Finally, the author provides a rationale for caution in over-applying research-based approaches for early literacy with adolescents.

The Science Of Reading: Informing Typical Literacy Practices And Improving Implementation Of Research-Informed Practices, Edward T. Anaya

Education Theses and Dissertations

More than twenty years have passed since the National Reading Panel (NRP) (2000) report attempted to answer the question: Does comprehension strategy instruction improve reading? After reviewing about 200 studies on comprehension strategy instruction, the NRP divided reading instruction into the “Big Five” components. The NRP recommended explicitly teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Despite the panel’s expertise, national reading scores (NAEP, 2022) indicate persistently poor performance of most 4th and 8th graders after more than two decades since the NRP report. At the same time, a preponderance of evidence from scientifically based research continues to pursue improved …

Major Components Needed In A Literacy Curriculum To Promote Student Success, Brooke Smith

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This school improvement plan focuses on what components are beneficial in a literacy curriculum to promote success in students' reading skills and improve FAST Test scores. Research has found phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, writing, and science of reading concepts should be included in a literacy curriculum to be effective. These components will help find a new literacy curriculum for a school district. In all success, an effective literacy curriculum will be found with creating a system to look through to find an effective literacy curriculum, piloting, and analyzing data. The objective in the end is to discover a …

Science Of Reading Advocates Are Teaching Children To Guess At Words, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

Tim Shanahan, Louisa Moats, Linnea Ehri, Wilson Reading Systems, Orton-Gillingham profiteers, SOR advocates, the International Dyslexia Association, and other plucky little phonics-first penguins are advocating that meaning-based reading teachers teach children to read by guessing guess at words. This of course is nonsense.

Developing Teacher Knowledge Of The Science Of Reading: Phonemic Awareness & Phonics, Megan Erin Dziedzic

Culminating Experience Projects

In 2000 the National Reading Panel addressed the low reading proficiency of students in the United States with a report detailing the result of many meta-analysis studies regarding five key areas of literacy: literacy, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (Report of the National Reading Panel, 2000). Through compiling research regarding literacy teaching practices, the panel concluded that to improve literacy scores, we need to focus on research-based, systematic, and explicit instruction, especially in the foundational years of lower elementary (Report of the National Reading Panel, 2000). The science of reading is a broad heading that incorporates neuroscience research …

Improving Reading Skills: A School Improvement Project, Riley Mars

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

Reading proficiency in American schools has been a topic of conversation for over a quarter of a century. Although much focus and funding has been put towards this topic, many students are still not able to read proficiently. As students progress through their academic careers, lack of reading proficiency becomes more detrimental and more difficult to remedy. This school improvement plan was created to restructure MTSS in a newly formed upper elementary building serving 4th and 5th grade. This restructuring will clearly define the roles of each Tier, ensure data-based decisions are being made, and support students with research-based interventions.

Improving The Implementation Of The Science Of Reading In Primary Classrooms, Molly Lout

Graduate Teacher Education

Becoming a proficient reader is critical if one wants to have a successful future. Unfortunately, students in the United States continue to fall well-below basic reading levels. Although a plethora of research on the science of reading exists, many educators have not implemented science-based instructional practices in primary classrooms. A total of 17 peer-reviewed articles were synthesized to show teacher education programs, phonological awareness, decoding skills, and specific interventions played a critical role in students’ acquisition of reading skills. The analysis discovered the science of reading has not been implemented adequately in primary classrooms or teacher education programs. However, the …

Evidence-Based Reading Interventions For Middle And High School Teachers, Brittany Evans, Beverly Hart, Mashonda Surratt

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

Welcome to Evidence-Based Reading Practices. This module is designed to help middle and high school teachers intervene with struggling readers in their regular education classrooms. This module will take you approximately three hours to complete. During that time, you will learn what to do when students are missing the necessary foundational skills to become skilled readers.

View professional learning module.

Missing Pieces And Voices: Steps For Teachers To Engage In Science Of Reading Policy And Practice, Kathleen S. Howe, Teddy D. Roop

Michigan Reading Journal

The current wave of dyslexia legislation backed by the science of reading is the latest literacy policy added to a decades-long list. Teachers, whose voices were largely excluded, are key stakeholders in any literacy policy initiative and are well-suited to inform policymakers about the complexities of teaching readers who struggle, including those diagnosed with dyslexia. This article previews the implications of legislation that narrowly focuses on “science” and disregards unique individual reader profiles. This article encourages teachers to get involved with policy that impacts their practices and provides suggestions to ensure their voices are included in this and future initiatives.

Elementary English Language Arts Demonstration Classrooms: Professional Development In Action, Danielle Hamilton

Ed.D. Dissertations

Illiteracy impacts the society of the United States socially, economically, physically and mentally. The inability to read has been linked to grim outcomes such as poverty, criminal activity, and poor health. By 2020, the term science of reading had gained traction in the educational realm rather than being isolated knowledge in the cognitive psychological research field. Even though research has shown the most effective methods for teaching reading, teachers in the United States were not aware of the convergent scientific evidence. School districts have the responsibility and moral imperative to provide effective professional development for elementary teachers to instruct students …