Background information
How did we get here? For decades, educators, researchers and other education advocates battled in the so-called “reading wars” about the most effective approach to teaching reading. Here is some background information to help you put the current conversation on reading in context.
Reporting from American Public Media
Reporter Emily Hanford explains how cognitive scientists debunked a prevalent theory about teaching reading.
In this 2022 podcast, Hanford investigates the curricula authors and publishing companies that promoted flawed reading theories.
Other helpful resources
- , from national education nonprofit newsroom the Hechinger Report (2020): “Many kids figure out how to read on their own before reading instruction even begins at school. However, a minority of students won’t learn to read without phonics and many students would read significantly worse without phonics.”
- , from the New York Times (2022): “Schools are returning to phonics and other evidence-based literacy methods, and already there are signs that the switch is paying off.”
- , AFT (2020)