The reading wars continue. If your teachers are debating the best way to approach reading instruction, we offer the articles below to inform the discussions in your district.
The Hechinger Institute’s article “Four Things You Need to Know About the New Reading Wars,” discusses phonics instruction, balanced literacy, and reading comprehension, referencing additional articles including some of those listed below.
The Center for the Collaborative Classroom recently interviewed Dr. Louisa Moats, who shares her thoughts on the Common Core State Standards, the need for explicit instruction in foundational skills, and her understanding and background on the science of reading.
That interview, as well as the Hechinger Institute’s article, reference Emily Hanford’s articles on the American Public Media website.
The following two articles debate Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study’s approach to reading instruction. Both articles are written by experts in the field of reading instruction and provide differing views on the subject. They also provide substantial bibliographies to further inform the conversation.
- Calkins, L. (n.d.). No One Gets to Own the Term “The Science of Reading” Columbia: Teachers College Columbia University Reading & Writing Project.
- Student Achievement Partners. (2020). Comparing Reading Research to Program Design–An Examination of Teachers College Units of Study. New York: Student Achievement Partners.
Learning List has reviewed many ELAR materials for grades K-8, including Units of Study and the Center for the Collaborative Classroom’s materials, that reflect the differing philosophies articulated in these articles. Our detailed alignment reports and editorial reviews inform educators’ understanding about each material’s structure, features and alignment to standards.