The Science of Reading: What It Is and Why It Matters

There is a long-held belief that children learn to read naturally: the more acquainted they are with books, letters, and words, the more likely they are to pick it up. Research, however, shows that this isn’t really the case—that, in fact, the key to reading development is early and explicit instruction rooted in specific, structured skill building. Sounds obvious, however, some schools continue to use the “balanced literacy” approach that emphasizes exposure and proximity to the process. At McLean, we’ve always embraced the evidence-based approach known as “the Science of Reading,” which rests on five pillars:

• Phonemic awareness: the ability to recognize and play with individual sounds in words.
• Phonics: understanding how individual and groups of letters form sounds and spelling patterns.
• Fluency: reading words and sentences accurately and with appropriate speed and expression.
• Vocabulary: knowing the meaning of words and their proper usage.
• Comprehension: the ability to understand what you are reading.

Orton-Gillingham, based on the Science of Reading, is a structured, explicit approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling, and was specifically designed to support individuals with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities. At McLean, however, we believe it’s an integral part of reading instruction for all students because best practices and high-quality instruction are beneficial for everyone. Our small group instruction and tailored plans meet the individual needs of our students.

Some students have early success with reading because their memory allows them to recognize and recall the most common words, but they end up struggling with fluency and vocabulary in middle and high school because they don’t have phonetic strategies for sounding out the new words they encounter in more sophisticated texts.

And the need is clear: according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), found that up to 70 percent of students need systematic instruction in foundational skills to become proficient readers.

In addition to gaining skills through Orton-Gillingham, by leveraging the Science of Reading, students gain confidence in their ability to read and spell, which is essential for not just academic success but also personal growth. As they learn, students are able to shift from a fixed mindset (“I’m bad at this”) to a growth mindset (“I can practice and improve”), which benefits them not just with reading but other academic areas and in life outside of school, too. Similarly, the Science of Reading isn’t “one and done”—it’s an area that’s ever evolving and, at McLean, we keep pace with the progress in the Field.

We believe in the Science of Reading because we’ve seen its benefits first-hand. And as educators, it is our greatest joy and privilege to see how, when our students master reading, it opens their minds and worlds to what’s possible.

If you have concerns about your child’s reading, sign up for a Complimentary Reading Screening.

By Michelle FitzGerald, Assistant Head of Lower School & Coordinator of Learning Services