There seems to be little appetite in California for mandating SOR, although many other states are doing so. Teacher training is at the core of the issue. Many teachers are learning the science of reading on their own time and on their own dime because they feel they have not been well served by their training programs.

What role does money play in how governance and school districts select and use reading curriculum in our state? Always follow the money?

Should we be investigating how the colleges of education prepare their students to teach reading? It is my understanding that about 1/2 of colleges of education nationwide teach science-based reading curriculum, pedagogy, and approaches to assessments!

What will it take to get Governor Newsom to ban the use of balanced literacy like the gov of Ohio has just done. Why is the teachers union often fighting what is best for the students? How long before Universities train teachers in science of reading so school districts don't have to and students can learn. If teachers were not taught this in there schools how can they teach it.?

Can you spend a little time in explaining the 5 essential elements that constitute the 5 essential elements of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary?

Get a different teacher asap! Pay for tutoring. Do it yourself!

As I mentioned, the state is agnostic on curriculums. However, Gov. Newsom has proposed $ 1 million for a "Literacy Roadmap" to guide teachers and the school board. The bill expanding on it specifically mentions the science of reading and the five key elements of sound reading instruction. This will move the state closer to taking a clear and concise position on effective instruction. It will not be a mandate, however. We'll see what it looks like a year from now.

You can read our literacy coverage here: https://edsource.org/2022/californias-reading-dilemma/672845

Students need to progress from being able to clearly hear the 44 phonemes. Then relate these phonemes to graphemes - written words. Then fluency is critical - being able to read with automaticity. Of course comprehension and vocabulary must be ongoing as well.

In California, there is a list of approved curriculums, but it is outdated and tied to the Common Core standards, not whether it is based on the science of reading. Districts can choose whatever they want.

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In order to help children with reading, engage them in rhyming activities. This will help them identify phonemes and the sounds that make up spoken words - a critical first step in reading!

That’s a great way to build background knowledge, which is crucial to prospering in school as texts grow more complex and abstract.

Letting kids read what they choose to read is key to building enthusiasm. But parents can read to their children as well, at all ages, so that they are exposed to literature that might be too challenging for them but will expose them to more sophisticated fare. Read alouds should continue long beyond the child learning to read, many experts advise.

The National Reading Panel recommended approaches to reading that were evidence-based. They included phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Balanced Reading is based on a failed theory of action that reading can be acquired through repeated exposure to text similar to oral language. Reading must be explicitly taught and is not acquired through exposure. Hope this helps.

>How much does what you're reading at home with kids matter? When my younger brother was learning to read, he only wanted to read Star Wars books, and my parents were just not onboard with that until a teacher told them "it's not what kids read, it's that kids read." Do most experts agree that's true and that the content is not as relevant as the fact kids are reading?

There’s absolutely a compelling case to be made for the arts as a way to teach literacy, the joy of reading, the love of language. There’s also a lot of research suggesting the connection between learning music and boosted spatial reasoning, a pillar of math.

Low reading scores predate the pandemic and have been accentuated by it. Scores dropped nationwide in 2022 compared to 2019. On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 31% of CA students at or above proficient in 4th grade reading

How can we ensure that state and school district leaders implement the science of reading well? And don’t just give it lip service and a 2 hour professional development session?

Also, go to the principal, then the school board to ask how the school is doing on its reading assessments and how much phonics is emphasized in the curriculum

How much does what you're reading at home with kids matter? When my younger brother was learning to read, he only wanted to read Star Wars books, and my parents were just not onboard with that until a teacher told them "it's not what kids read, it's that kids read." Do most experts agree that's true and that the content is not as relevant as the fact kids are reading?

Reading in the Brain is a great book on the neurology behind the science of reading.

K-12 Education is in a world of hurt when it fails to adopt reading curriculum, practices, and assessment that are clearly supported by research! No?

any thoughts on how arts integration dovetails with literacy (there's Merryl Goldberg's 2004 book detailing the SUAVE program), how prop 28 funds might impact literacy learning, and how non-educators can use the arts to assist with language learning?

>Hello! Are you answering questions about the science of reading?

Yes, what is your question?

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The literacy crisis is a long-standing problem that just escalated during the pandemic. Reading scores are lower than ever now but it has also drawn attention to a problem that was too long ignored.

States with comprehensive literacy plans generally have common components. But implementation is critical, not just what the Legislature adopts.
· They require the state to oversee or monitor literacy efforts. California does not
· They include providing common standards for teacher preparation programs (Califrnia adopted these in the fall and higher ed programs offering teaching credentials must begin using them in the fall of 2024 as defined by Senate Bill AB 488 (Sen. Rubio);
· They require/incentivize professional development of classroom teachers; California does not to any great extent. Districts can use their own funding;
· They hire or set requirements for literacy coaches. California does not yet do so, although it is funding literacy coaches for about 300-plus of the state’s lowest-income schools