The Science of Reading | Lexia Learning (2024)

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Low reading proficiency rates, exacerbated by interrupted learning, have made proven, research-based solutions a top priority for educators. While 95% of students can learn to read when using instruction based on the science of reading, currently only 35% are reading proficiently. This demonstrates that many districts and schools do not have equitable access to instruction grounded in the science of reading. The pandemic only further intensified the opportunity gap and shined a light on the need for more individualized student support and instruction. As school leaders look for solutions to accelerate learning for all students, many are turning to the science of reading.

The science of reading provides proven, evidence-based practices about how to best teach reading and support students of all abilities. Students, and their teachers, do not have time to waste on unproven practices.

The Challenge

How can the science of reading accelerate learning for all students?

Learning to read is complex.

Learning to speak a first language is a natural process for children, but learning to read is not. Children vary in reading ability and in the skills they bring to the classroom, each requiring individualized and differentiated instruction to be successful. That’s why it's so critical teachers learn about the components of this complex process. The good news is we know more today about the essential elements of effective reading instruction than ever before—how children learn to read, the causes of reading difficulties, and how to prevent them. The science of reading incorporates decades of research into how students learn and how reading should be taught for a wide range of learners. Surprisingly, only 51% of pre-service teaching includes the science of reading.

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What is the science of reading?

The term “science of reading” refers to a large body of gold-standard research collected by cognitive scientists and other reading experts throughout more than five decades. It tells us how we learn to read and the most effective way for reading to be taught. The science of reading provides the evidence of what works best in reading instruction, clarifies instruction for students who have difficulty learning to read, and the exact skills that should be taught and how the instruction should be delivered. Structured Literacy is the application of that evidence into practical classroom instruction and informs best practices about how to best deliver it. Borne out of science, Structured Literacy is proven to develop deep levels of comprehension all learners need to become proficient and confident readers.

Three Cueing vs. The Science of Reading

The three-cueing system, often found in balanced literacy, is an unfounded practice in teaching reading. It encourages an over-reliance on pictures and guessing, hindering the development of decoding skills and overall reading proficiency, because it neglects the crucial sound-symbol relationship, a core literacy component supported by science of reading research.

As awareness of the science of reading grows among educators and policymakers, there's a nationwide shift toward evidence-based practices like Structured Literacy. Approaches rooted in the science of reading provide explicit and systematic instruction in all essential reading skills.

Help your district seamlessly transition away from outdated practices like three cueing with research-proven curriculum and professional learning based on the science of reading.

Lexia® provides a breadth and depth of science of reading-based solutions that support every student and educator. With a comprehensive suite of professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment solutions, we help schools connect educator knowledge with practical classroom instruction to accelerate literacy gains.

Empowered Educators

Teaching reading requires a deep understanding of the processes and science behind it. For teachers, however, taking in all of what the science of reading holds can be overwhelming. Lexia makes it easier for teachers and administrators to understand and apply the core principles of the science of reading to transform literacy instruction.

The LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite is professional learning rooted in the science of reading that empowers teachers to deliver effective reading instruction to meet every student’s needs. It provides early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. With LETRS, teachers master the nuances of differentiated instruction, and develop the confidence they need to help all students accelerate their learning.

For educators of adolescent students, Lexia Aspire™ Professional Learning is a flexible, self-paced, digital solution that uses the science of reading to help weave literacy skills and strategies into instruction to support learners to read, comprehend, and articulate ideas across various subjects. It gives classroom educators, content-area educators, ELA educators, interventionists, dyslexia specialists, and speech pathologists just-in-time, application-based content and activities to meet specific student needs.

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Engaged Learners

Educational equity for all students cannot be achieved without a critical component, instructional equity. Structured Literacy is the application of that evidence into practical classroom instruction and informs best practices about how to best deliver it. Lexia’s Structured Literacy solutions apply the science of reading into practical classroom instruction. They provide personalized instruction that ensures all students receive the support and resources they need to accelerate learning. All Lexia student programs deliver explicit, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and responsive instruction, principles proven to develop deep levels of comprehension all learners need to become proficient and confident readers. Lexia’s evidence-based instructional solutions have been proven effective at scale in diverse school settings and meet the rigorous eligibility and accountability standards for ESSA. Additionally, they can be purchased with ESSER funding and other avenues of federal, state, and local funding programs that can meet and sustain your goals well after ESSER funds expire.

Webinars

Structured Literacy: Applying the Science of Reading in the Classroom

When it comes to reading, knowing the alphabet is just the beginning. For students to become confident readers, there are many skills they must master, such as the relationship between letters and sounds, syntax, the rules of conversation, and more.