LEAven Blog

Throughout my years of teaching, there have been many approaches to the instruction of reading that have been championed and/or tried.  Some that have come to mind include basal readers (some might remember the Dick and Jane series!), phonics, sight words, letter people, whole language, literature-based reading, to name a few.  In the past few years, the “science of reading” has gained much attention.  This movement has even resulted in many states passing legislation and/or policies that require schools to use the science of reading and an evidence-based approach to the teaching of reading.

Having been an administrator and science teacher over the forty-three years of my teaching ministry, the idea of the “science of reading” sparked my interest.  But science and reading?   

Science as it is defined, is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained.¹ How does science apply to reading?  Well, another definition that is used for science is:  a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject.  This definition then shows how the basic principles of science can be used to gather evidence on many subjects and areas that when applied correctly can help bring about more effective instruction and learning methods.  Reading is one of these.

What is the “science of reading” approach, what does it include, and what are its implications for our Lutheran schools?

The science of reading, or SoR, basically has identified what works in helping students to become successful readers with the ultimate goal of reading comprehension.  SoR makes up what is known as the Simple View of Reading—a model first put forth in 1986 by Gough and Tunmer.  It says that the development of reading comprehension is simply the product of decoding and language comprehension proficiencies.  “The SoR has debunked various methods used over the years to teach reading that were not based on scientific evidence.”²

This is accomplished by looking at the evidence gathered throughout years of research as well as verified results of successful reading programs.  The evidence indicates that five main areas need to be part of early literacy instruction:

• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension³

Included in these five areas is the need to provide opportunities for extensive reading practice.⁴ These five areas are not taught in isolation or separate from each other but are necessary components of a well-structured reading program. These five areas essentially make up SoR, the science of reading.

It is my belief that our Lutheran schools have been very effective in teaching reading/literacy instruction over the years and that what is now being called SoR is basically what many of our schools have been doing.  Standardized test scores have typically proven this to be true.  As a result, I believe there are two things our schools need to do:   1) continue (or get back to) what is known to be effective literacy instruction and 2) clearly communicate to all our stakeholders and the community our approach to reading instruction and the positive impact on our students’ scores.  This is invaluable PR that can be used to promote our schools and hopefully be one more reason for students and families to attend our Lutheran schools.

¹  New Oxford American Dictionary, Online.

²  Dr. Kirstina Ordetx , “What is the Science of Reading?”  Institute for Multi-Sensory

        Education Journal, January 14, 2021, https://journal.imse.com/what-is-the-science-of-reading/.

³  Ibid.

⁴  Cindy Jiban, “The Science of Reading Explained,”  NWEA, January 25, 2022,

https://www.nwea.org/blog/2022/the-science-of-reading-explained/.