To help kids read at grade level and build stronger reading skills, there must be a shift in how schools teach reading to focus on proven methods like phonics.
Right now, a lot of classrooms use a “three cueing” strategy, which has students guessing words based on context clues instead of really learning how to decode them.
Research shows that systematic phonics—teaching kids to understand letter sounds and patterns—is much more effective for building strong readers.
This plan would involve giving teachers more training in phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension, along with providing classrooms with decodable books and other phonics resources for practice.
Regular assessments would help teachers track progress and make adjustments as needed.
By emphasizing what we know works, we can help kids become more confident readers and boost their overall academic success.