The last five years has seen a revolution in early childhood literacy, as numerous studies revealed that one of the most prevalent approaches to reading instruction—the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project developed by Lucy Calkins—was ineffective at best, and actually harmful in many instances, setting kids back months and years in their reading development. The controversy was kindled by the excellent podcast series Sold a Story in 2022. Columbia distanced themselves from Calkins in 2023. As, as recently as last year a group of Massachusetts parents filed a a consumer protection lawsuit against Calkins’ publishers.
It ends up that the traditional way most of us learned back in the 1970s and 1980s using phonics is the best way for a young student to learn how to read. The science is pretty settled on this.
What We Read Also Matters
On top of this return to basics with the rebirth of phonics, it’s been interesting to see some further studies that show how powerful and effective “knowledge-based” reading instruction can be. Specifically, two studies have shown that integrating reading with social studies and science can significantly improve reading itself.
The first study, from the Thomas Fordham Institute in 2020, showed that students who spent more time on social science work in elementary school had improved literacy scores than those who focused on more common ELA tactics like finding the main idea or determining the author’s perspective.
The second study, from the Northwest Evaluation Association or NWEA—a standards and curriculum organization—this year showed similar results when reading instruction was coupled with science instruction.
The Conclusion
The conclusion seems to be that the most effective way for young readers who’ve gained access to the magical world of literacy via phonics is to transition into using that tool to acquire knowledge—whether about the physical world (science) or the social world (social science) around them.
