What is the Science of Reading?
You may have heard the term “the science of reading” and wondered what it means. In late October, the science of reading was in the news as the Massachusetts House unanimously passed a bill requiring public elementary schools to adopt literacy curricula based on the science of reading.
What is the science of reading? The science of reading is not a method or a product that schools purchase. Instead, the science of reading represents our current understanding of what happens in the brain as a student learns to read. It is based on a robust body of scientific research that includes findings from neuroscience, linguistics, and cognitive psychology. This research was first amalgamated in 2000 by the National Reading Panel in Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction.
What does the science of reading say about the best practices for reading instruction? Research shows that reading instruction needs to focus on five essential areas:- Phonemic awareness: the ability to identify the individual sounds that make up a spoken word.
- Phonics: the relationship between letters and the sounds they make.
- Fluency: the ability to read text accurately with appropriate speed and intonation.
- Vocabulary: knowledge of word meanings and how words relate to a text.
- Comprehension: understanding the written meaning of a text.
Are there methods of teaching reading not based on science? In contrast to the science of reading is balanced literacy, which is not centered on structured, systematic, explicit phonics instruction. Balanced literacy techniques often involve strategies encouraging the student to guess what a word is based on context, meaning, or visual cues like pictures. Research shows that the balanced literacy approach is significantly less effective in teaching students to read.
How is the science of reading incorporated into instruction at Brimmer?Reading instruction at Brimmer is based on the science of reading, with a keen focus on the five essential areas (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). Our comprehensive approach to teaching reading is:
- Explicit: skills and concepts are directly taught.
- Systematic: skills are taught in a logical and sequential order.
- Cumulative: skills build upon prior skills taught.
- Diagnostic and responsive: each individual student’s areas for further growth are identified, and we respond with instruction tailored to those needs.
How can you support your child using the principles of the science of reading?
When you read at home with your child, keep the five essential areas in mind. You can read aloud to your child or they can read aloud to you. Either way, you will be complementing and reinforcing the work we do with your child at Brimmer.
When you read at home with your child, keep the five essential areas in mind. You can read aloud to your child or they can read aloud to you. Either way, you will be complementing and reinforcing the work we do with your child at Brimmer.
Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.