When my 4th-grade class discussed the 19th Amendment, which granted women the vote, Clora pretended she was a fictional character outside the White House. Her story was incredibly creative and even included dialogue.
Yet, when it came time to put her story down on paper, Clora wrote sentences like this one: “Twoda I ehm gowing two thu wit hows.”
She had the passion, voice, and vision, but she could not effectively communicate it in writing. In 4th grade, Clora knew less than 20 sounds, compared to the average 44. Her low reading skills affected her writing; she was behind in both as a result.
My passion around literacy runs deep. I have researched theories and practice, participated in graduate courses focused on struggling readers, and collaborated with colleagues to analyze data and chart student success. I did all of this with little support, because the materials I had access to did not focus on building foundational reading skills for students like Clora.
As a result of my work, I am now the literacy coach at my school, a new position that allows me to share my literacy expertise with every teacher in our building.
While much of the country is embracing the science of reading and structured literacy—focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension as crucial aspects of reading development—Massachusetts in some ways still is fighting the “Reading Wars.” We are still relying on balanced literacy, in which reading is considered a natural process and teachers use a variety of approaches to build skills
and a love of reading.
As a result, 57 percent of Massachusetts students are reading below proficiency. Currently, of the 288 school districts in the state, only 144 implement a vetted research-backed curriculum. We follow science-backed evidence in medicine, business, and even social media algorithms. Why are we not doing the same in education?
Gov. Maura Healey’s efforts to pump a proposed $50 million into early literacy initiatives is a solid start. Her plan, with the state's Literacy Launch initiative at its center, ensures educators and students have access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction, including literacy materials, technical support, coaching, and professional development, as well as high-dosage tutoring. But we cannot stop there.
The Legislature must revive the literacy reform legislation filed in the last session, H.579, in 2025 and add to it so its impact reaches more students.
This legislation in its current form has many important aspects, especially the requirement that all school districts implement structured literacy theory and practices in grades K-3. Had this bill been in effect when she entered school, Clora would have had four years of consistent instruction, building her foundational literacy skills prior to entering my 4th-grade classroom, allowing me to help her move from learning to read to reading to learn.
Because some students need reinforcement beyond 3rd grade, the legislation needs to go further. Skills learned in the early years lay the foundation for extended study of word forms called morphology in upper elementary grades and beyond. The Legislature should expand the bill to apply through 6th grade, including the accompanying professional development for teachers.
Teachers like me shouldn’t have to seek out webinars and tutorials on phonics-based instruction, purchase educational literature analyzing the science of reading, or develop our own effective strategies so students can meaningfully engage with language and word meaning.
Another way to enhance the literacy reform bill is to provide funding for qualified coaches and reading specialists to work in collaboration with elementary school teachers. Literacy coaches like me and reading specialists provide expertise specifically focused on literacy acquisitions.
The year Clora entered 5th grade, my school principal recognized the literacy urgency and established my current literacy coach role, and also brought in a certified reading specialist to join our team.
Together, we work to continuously analyze student data, provide literacy interventions and coaching opportunities, and create and facilitate professional learning opportunities focused specifically on structured literacy. All elementary schools should have literacy coaches so that teachers can help their students unlock the code to reading and writing.
Clora continued to build her literacy skills beyond 4th grade, with daily systematic phonics instruction that incorporated a multi-sensory approach to phonetic skills as well as a specific connection between speech and print. In 6th grade, she was one of the highest scoring students in our school on the statewide literacy assessment, earning a rating of exceeding expectations.
Let’s make sure that all Cloras out there have the key to literacy so they can write their own empowering stories.
|
