Today’s Literacy Headlines

Research points definitively to phonics as a key part of learning to read—but not how much phonics instruction, or for how long, students should ideally receive. One of the most influential names in the “science of reading” movement has issued a surprising warning: After years of neglecting to systematically teach students foundational reading skills, he says, some schools may now have moved too far in the other direction. Phonics—how letters represent sounds—is critical to reading. But once students have mastered its rules, the bulk of their time should be spent working with authentic texts, experts say. “There are indications, circumstantial indications, that what’s happening is a lot of overteaching,” said Mark Seidenberg, an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Studies have found that students have higher test scores after they’re held back. This practice may also have played a role in helping Mississippi make remarkable improvements in recent years. A chorus of policymakers and journalists have insisted with growing confidence that others should replicate the state’s model. But a new study offers a warning about the downside risks of retention. Third graders who had to repeat a grade in Texas were far less likely to graduate from high school or earn a good living as young adults, nearly two decades later. The harmful effects were quite large and came despite initial improvements in test scores.

Getting students up and active with learning tasks is an easy way to keep them motivated and engaged. Here are three activities that can be used at almost any grade level to bring energy back into the room. These activities can be used in any core subject. The key is to create task cards that kids can collaboratively solve relatively quickly. 

When COVID-19 wrought havoc on society in early 2020, today’s youngest schoolchildren were infants or yet to be born. Now in their early school years, researchers are beginning to see how the pandemic years have shaped their education, even though many had yet to set foot in a classroom when it began. First and second graders continue to perform worse than their pre-pandemic counterparts on math and reading tests, according to a report published Tuesday by the education assessment and research group NWEA. But while math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows. The data suggests the slump in academic performance is not rooted only in instructional disruption. Broader societal shifts might be at play.

High-quality out-of-school programs bolster academic learning and social and emotional development for students, and make it easier for parents to participate in the workforce by providing enriching child care. Summer programs, in particular, can play a critical role in preventing learning loss and expanding access to enrichment that many students would otherwise miss. When costs are out of reach, the kids who could benefit the most are the least likely to attend. With federal funding less secure, providers, policymakers and philanthropies can help kids gain access to high-quality, enriching options.

There’s mounting evidence that excessive screen time can harm young children — contributing to anxiety and depression, delaying social and emotional skills, increasing the likelihood of obesity, straining eyes and decreasing attention spans. In response, many parents are reassessing device use and cutting back at home. But some are encountering an unexpected challenge as they try to rein in screen time — their kids’ schools. Elementary schools and districts that ramped up their use of technology during the pandemic have largely maintained those practices. 

Parents are looking more critically at their children’s use of screens and consumption of digital content, which is leading to debates about edtech. While research is sparse on the overall effects of personal devices like laptops and iPads in school, they are becoming a proven distraction in the classroom. Angela Duckworth, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and leader in the educational psychology sector, served as the lead investigator for a newly released study that found teachers estimate 1 in 3 students used laptops during class for non-academic purposes, including texting and social media scrolling.

A recent report on pandemic learning loss from NWEA, an assessment company, captured the combination of frustration and hope over the state of academic recovery. About a third of schools have reached pre-COVID performance levels in reading or math, and just 14% have recovered in both subjects. But even some that were hit the hardest, like high-poverty schools, have made impressive gains. The report was just the latest collection of results pointing to a long road ahead for most schools.

Struggling readers in Missouri’s Kansas City Public Schools showed statistically significant gains in literacy outcomes when virtual high-impact tutoring was used within a multi-tiered system of support framework, a study from Stanford University’s National Student Support Accelerator found. Students who were the furthest behind and received the virtual tutoring outperformed their peers and gained weeks or months of learning. Another promising study on virtual tutoring and student outcomes was released in January by the Center for Research and Reform on Education at Johns Hopkins University. 

Best-selling author Jason Reynolds’ primary goal is to write stories that ignite a voracious love of reading in kids right now—an experience that eluded him in his youth. While his novels often feature Black children grappling with questions of identity and navigating real-world challenges—filling a vital gap in children’s literature—representation isn’t the only thing keeping kids engaged. A restless reader himself, Reynolds gives books “50 pages to hook him,” and his own work reflects that urgency, launching the action within the first few pages: “Kids need that,” he says. “I’m going to give you a couple of pages, but by the end of that, the hair on the back of my neck needs to be standing up.”

A year ago, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency swept into the Department of Education and devastated its research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Nearly 100 contracts for major statistical collections and research studies were canceled. Roughly 90 percent of IES staffers were laid off, stalling many of the agency’s core functions. The now-gutted agency faces an ever more uncertain future as the Trump administration moves to eliminate the Education Department altogether. Yet some department officials, including Trump political appointees, have been working to preserve it. That effort took a small step forward with the Feb. 27 release of a report on the agency by a senior advisor to Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

It’s no longer enough for students to show up to kindergarten able to tie their shoes and share classroom toys. With formal reading instruction starting earlier than ever, kindergarten readiness expectations have expanded to include foundational early literacy skills, such as recognizing letters of the alphabet and rhyming. Students who enter kindergarten without these precursory literacy skills may soon fall behind.

It’s no longer enough for students to show up to kindergarten able to tie their shoes and share classroom toys. With formal reading instruction starting earlier than ever, kindergarten readiness expectations have expanded to include foundational early literacy skills, such as recognizing letters of the alphabet and rhyming. Students who enter kindergarten without these precursory literacy skills may soon fall behind.

In just one academic year, Marietta City Schools in Georgia saw the percentage of elementary English learners (ELs) working in or above grade level rocket from 11 percent to 67 percent. The catalyst for this surge in language skills wasn’t smaller class sizes or intensive tutoring. It was something far simpler. Marietta City Schools implemented programs that leveraged students’ heritage language as a bridge for English learning.

A Pennsylvania initiative called Let’s Play PGH! is funding local organizations to create playful spaces where kids and adults connect, bond and learn together, incorporating child development research, urban design and the science of play. At the Firefly Garden in suburban Pittsburgh, children and caregivers can explore a sensory playground filled with wind chimes, grassy tunnels and a mud box. Their playtime doesn’t end at the park though; each activity is paired with caregiver-focused messages and QR codes that encourage at-home activities.

Upper elementary teachers can channel students’ excitement around the changing season into thoughtful writing that incorporates all five senses. Instead of asking students what they like about spring, I shifted my spring writing prompts to focus on change, contrast, and perspective. These prompts didn’t require extra prep or fancy materials, just a shift in thinking.

After decades of stagnating reading performance, American literacy levels have begun to drop, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a program of the Department of Education. Tim Shanahan says, “As a scholar of reading, I think the best explanation is that most American schools are teaching reading using an approach that new research shows severely limits students’ opportunities to learn. I believe it is important to consider the emerging research that shows there will not be considerable reading gains until kids are taught to read with sufficiently challenging and meaty texts.”

This year marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence—a milestone that invites reflection not only on where the nation has been, but on whose stories have shaped our understanding of that journey. For children’s authors, educators, and civic leaders alike, the anniversary presents both an opportunity and a responsibility: to bring Americans closer to the complexity, contradiction, and promise woven through our shared history. Former Archivist of the U.S. Colleen Shogan discusses an ambitious civic education initiative that draws lessons from past leaders. And four acclaimed children’s authors—Stacey Lee, Brad Meltzer, Steve Sheinkin, and Carole Boston Weatherford—share how they write American history for young people across fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Together, these pieces explore what it means to teach, write, and live U.S. history at 250.

Once students can decode, they need ongoing and thoughtful instruction to understand, interpret, and engage with what they read. Here are several research-backed strategies to teach foundational comprehension skills in early elementary classrooms, beginning with building on students’ natural curiosity.

An elementary school in Ohio has some of the best young readers in the nation. How they did it—and how a new law put it all at risk. The schools in Steubenville, Ohio, are doing something unusual—in fact, it’s almost unheard of. In a country where nearly 40 percent of fourth graders struggle to read at even a basic level, Steubenville has succeeded in teaching virtually all of its students to read well. 

As a certified Mo Willems-ologist (a.k.a. elementary school librarian), I am fully qualified and authorized to share the secret list of key storytelling elements (a.k.a. the Mo-setta Stone) that explain the incredible critical and popular success of his books. Here are 12 recommendations for young fans of Mo Willems.

The recent release of New York’s 2024-2025 graduation rates offers a sobering “report card” for our communities. These rates represent the lived experiences of our neighbors and the future of our community. While we celebrate the 14 districts that achieved a perfect 100% rate, the 71% graduation rate in the Syracuse City School District — a two-point drop from the previous year — should be a call to action to every stakeholder in Central New York and serve as a catalyst for a deeper conversation about the foundation of all learning: literacy.

A much-anticipated report on the future of federal education research makes a strong case for the value of the Institute of Education Sciences and calls for significant changes to make research more useful for educators and policymakers. The report released Friday by the U.S. Department of Education praises IES for significantly improving the rigor of education research and contributing to a strong body of evidence about what works in schools. But it also says too much previous work by IES hasn’t been put to practical use, has failed to address high-priority issues, or is redundant.

Experts caution that low-quality, A.I.-generated videos on YouTube geared toward children often feature conflicting information, lack plot structure and can be cognitively overwhelming — all of which could affect young children’s development.

It is 40 years since Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s The Jolly Postman, or Other People’s Letters first followed its eponymous postal carrier to the homes of the Three Bears, the Wicked Witch, Cinderella and The Big Bad Wolf (among others). Yet displayed as part of a celebratory exhibition at the Postal Museum in central London, Janet’s witty watercolours and Allan’s irreverent take on tradition feel as fresh as ever, even if the curators do now feel obliged to explain that letters were a pre-smartphone method to ‘keep in touch’ (and many may consider the story’s most fairytale element its depiction of a reliable local postal service).

While Massachusetts has taken some steps to advance literacy instruction — for example through an effort to invest millions in educator training and curriculum support — it is not among the states that have adopted a significant legislative fix. Now, though, the Bay State is poised to enact what its supporters call some of the strongest reading legislation in the nation — and some educators worry it goes too far in imposing new standards that override teacher control of classrooms. Critics say a curriculum mandate is too restrictive for a state long considered an education leader.

From brain development to relationship-building, music shapes how young children learn, connect and interact with the world. Research is clear about the myriad benefits of music in early childhood. It can support executive functioning, motor skills, language acquisition and social-emotional growth. It promotes engagement and early literacy. It can strengthen relationships and expose students to languages and customs from other parts of the world. 

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a landmark report, A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum, in April 2024. The report reflects the findings from a comprehensive study of preschool curriculum quality for children ages three to five, with special attention to the needs of Black and Latino children, multilingual learners, children with disabilities, and children experiencing poverty in the U.S. A new summary guide offers decision-makers practical tools for implementing the recommendations of the NASEM report.

Well-crafted, transparent policies defend school librarians and their collections against arbitrary book challenges, restrictive protocols for readers and eroding intellectual freedom. Proactive communication ensures that everyone in the school and the community knows the library’s role, procedures and contacts. When policies are visible and accessible, they become tools for strengthening collaboration rather than afterthoughts. A transparent collection development policy serves as a how-to manual for library staff on building and maintaining physical and digital collections. It also provides a basis for explaining their choices if part of that collection is challenged.

Autism, developmental delay and multiple disabilities marked the fastest growing IDEA disability categories between 2023 and 2024. About 8.2 million students ages 3-21 qualified for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2024. There were increases for both pre-K and K-12 students. 

Revisiting a book repeatedly helps children develop a sophisticated understanding of what emotions look and feel like. Stories place emotions inside meaningful contexts. Characters want something, try something, struggle, make mistakes, persist, or eventually give up. Along the way, characters feel many things: worry when something feels hard, joy when something works, amusement at surprises, pride in effort, and confidence as they grow. Emotions are presented not as isolated labels, but as lived experiences tied to situations: the pursuit of ideas or dreams, relationships, discoveries, effort, and learning.

When schools flocked to tutoring in response to pandemic learning loss, experts initially said they preferred in-person sessions. But new studies bolster the evidence that done well, virtual models can be just as effective at moving students forward as face-to-face instruction. John Hopkins study found that first graders who received services were still on track in reading a year later with no additional help. In Massachusetts, first graders who spent 15 minutes a day online with a tutor from Ignite Reading stayed on track a year later without additional tutoring. Students gained, on average, at least five additional months of learning over their expected growth. 

From astronomers to biologists, these remarkable women pushed against boundaries to make groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

A growing number of states expect districts to integrate tutoring into the school day and have committed funding and staff to make it happen. Several require tutoring for students scoring below grade level and are vetting providers so districts don’t have to. And in a recent round of literacy research grants, totaling $256 million, federal education officials signaled that access to tutoring should be a fixture in the nation’s schools. New federal grants will help states spread tutoring to rural areas.

Attention doesn’t suddenly “run out,” but it does need support. Students respond to how tasks are structured and to the rhythms of their own developing brains. In shorter periods, varied tasks may sustain focus across much of the class, but in longer block schedules, continuous attention is far less likely without intentional structure. Techniques such as interweaving direct instruction with active learning tasks help students practice sustained, intentional focus.

Kindergarten should be the place where reading begins to make sense — where sounds connect, words hold meaning and effort leads to understanding. When instructional systems move too fast, even well-intentioned reforms can work at cross-purposes, asking children to perform before they have had time to learn. The challenge before us is not whether to be ambitious, but whether we are willing to design systems that honor how learning actually unfolds. If early literacy reforms are to deliver on their promise, coherence cannot be an afterthought. It must be the bridge that turns high standards into real understanding for every child.

Julie Fogliano and Marla Frazee’s “Because of a Shoe” and Beatrice Alemagna’s “Her Muddy Majesty of Muck” address children’s anger with compassion. These aren’t didactic works. They are art, with soul-stirring depth and resonance.

One of the most powerful drivers of lifelong reading isn’t a program at all–it’s a relationship. And some of the most effective literacy ecosystems today are those where schools and public libraries work not in parallel, but in partnership with parents and students. Few places demonstrate this more clearly than East Hampton, Connecticut, where a decade‑long collaboration between school librarians and the public library has created a seamless year‑round literacy experience for students.

Most parents want to help their children succeed. We check report cards, ask about homework and try to help our kids study. When that fails, we sometimes hire tutors. But in an era of rising grades, it’s easy to be misled. A new study finds parents often assume everything is fine when their child’s report card shows mostly A’s even when standardized test scores slide. That assumption may underestimate the help and guidance their child needs.

Blended learning is a balance of in-person and video-based instruction. With a blended writing workshop, students learn through a series of instructional videos recorded by the teacher in replacement of whole-group instruction. Providing whole-group direct instruction through videos allows students to work at their own pace and gives the teacher time to circulate for one-on-one support.

Sustained achievement means protecting instructional time, preserving curriculum coherence, and acculturating and training new staff into established routines. It’s resisting the steady pressure of new initiatives, new mandates, and new enthusiasms. All of it is essential and none of it is glamorous. The problem, it seems to me, is not that we’re incurious about successful schools … but that we’re insufficiently selective about which models we seek to learn from and the lessons we take from them. Here are three ways we fail to learn from successful schools. 

There are dozens of ways to spark students’ prior knowledge. In a 2023 literature review, researchers analyzed the effectiveness of 30 prior-knowledge activation strategies and concluded that tactics like concept maps, low-stakes quizzes, and structured group discussion can meaningfully improve students’ comprehension and engagement when used at key moments—before, during, or after new learning. Drawing on research and classroom practice, the 12 strategies here highlight evidence-backed ways to help students tap into what they already know.

As an increasing number of corporations are investing in the advancement of AI, the evidence of this fluid technology on student learning has proven difficult to pin down. Will it revolutionize education as every child gets a personalized AI tutor, consequently boosting academic achievement? Or will it become a glorified machine widely used for cheating and one that minimizes thinking and thereby leads to cognitive atrophy? A new behemoth report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analyzing the emergence of AI in education thus far seems to suggest that it might be a bit of both. According to the OECD analysis, generative AI (i.e., the machine-learning models in widespread use, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) can support knowledge acquisition for students by facilitating learning and improving creativity. Key word: “can.” Emerging data highlighted in the report also point to several snags.

Carole Boston Weatherford is a prolific children’s writer who has become a mainstay in the field, with last year marking her third decade of crafting books for young readers that highlight the experiences and history of African Americans. Upon reaching that milestone, Weatherford’s catalogue continues to expand. This year, she has no fewer than three picture book releases—Let It Shine, Black Hands, and Troubled Waters—hitting shelves, highlighting the importance of affirmations, the impact of African American contributions to the United States, and the value of setting as a historical bookmark. Weatherford spoke with PW about how she came to writing books that capture history for young readers, how the forthcoming anniversary of the U.S. inspired her work, and her perspective on her success.

The part of writing that feels hardest for both adults and students is generating ideas. Sitting in front of a blank page can feel daunting when you don’t yet have a reliable way to begin. To sustain a writing life, teachers need a reliable way to generate ideas before they ever sit down to draft. Beginning with ideas inspired by reading, listening, and noticing creates momentum, reduces the pressure of the blank page, and gives teachers a process they can later model explicitly for students.

School leaders are using supportive and empathetic approaches to help families of young children make attendance a priority. Elementary school principals are in a unique position to set good attendance habits for young students and their families as they enter the K-12 system, said Hedy Chang, CEO, president and founder of the nonprofit Attendance Works. Chronic absence as early as pre-K can negatively impact reading proficiency by 3rd grade, achievement levels in middle school, and suspension and drop out rates in high school, Chang said. There also are impacts on chronically absent students’ executive functioning skills and social-emotional growth. “This has to do with the whole child’s development,” Chang said.

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) announced its 2026 Outstanding International Books list, featuring 41 exceptional titles for children and young adults published in 2025 and originating from 24 countries. Since 2006, USBBY’s annual lists have introduced young readers in the U.S. to global perspectives, outstanding international creators, and stories that foster empathy, bridge cultures, and build connections. Together, these books show young people around the world seeking connection and belonging—through family, friendship, self-discovery, and engagement with their communities. 

They learned to babble to masked adults. They spent their toddler years on video calls with grandparents instead of at storytime in the local library. Many started preschool only to have it disrupted by quarantines or staffing shortages. Now, the first generation of children born during the COVID pandemic has entered kindergarten, and educators say they are meeting a cohort unlike any before. Nearly three-quarters of the educators we surveyed said today’s kindergarteners are behind in early literacy skills compared with students five years ago. Equally striking were findings around attention and confidence. 

World Read-Aloud Day brings classrooms, families, libraries, and communities together through the power of shared stories. A single voice and a meaningful book can shape students’ identities, nurture empathy, and ignite a passion for literacy that lasts a lifetime. Reading aloud does much more than build decoding, fluency, or oral language and listening skills—it creates a communal learning space where every reader belongs. Here are ideas on how to get started with read alouds, including examples of videos that feature authors or organizations reading books aloud.

Happy Black History Month! As you and the young readers in your life pick out this month’s nonfiction books, consider works that highlight Black inventors and scientists throughout history. From George Washington Carver, whose agricultural science work taught farmers how to avoid soil depletion, to Harold Amos, a pioneer in microbiology, to Lonnie Johnson, the inventor of the Super Soaker, there are many Black inventors and scientists for young readers to learn about.

World Read Aloud Day is the perfect time to think about how to expand our school celebrations of highly effective, engaging read-alouds to reach our students at home. Read-alouds, paired with effective interactive strategies, are an easy and effective way to support early comprehension, vocabulary, and a love of reading at home. Here are 10 research-based read-aloud strategies and how to share them with families.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in her final budget proposal this week, is set to unveil a budget proposal for funding schools that invests $625 million in programs aimed at addressing the state’s K-12 literacy crisis. The literacy investment would come at a time of increased focus on the troubling performance of Michigan students in literacy in the early grades. Just 38.9% of third graders were proficient on the English language arts portion of the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress last year. It was the lowest performance of third graders in the exam’s 11-year history. On the national front, just 24% of Michigan fourth graders were proficient in 2024 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

A ray of hope is emerging in American education. Not among Democrats or Republicans, each diverted by culture wars. Not in the education reform movement, largely abandoned by the philanthropists who once propelled it. Not in most schools across the country, still struggling with chronic absenteeism and a decade of faltering test scores. Rather, hope emerges in the most unlikely of places: three states here in the Deep South that long represented America’s educational basement. These states — Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi — have histories of child poverty, racism and dismal educational outcomes, and they continue to spend less than most other states on public schools. Perhaps the most important [lesson learned] is an insistence on metrics, accountability and mastery of reading by the end of third grade. And while reading gets the attention, just as important is getting kids to attend school regularly.

Over the last four years, I’ve partnered with preservice teachers and local schools to transform nearby trails, campus green spaces, and community sites into standards-aligned STEM learning environments for elementary school students. The outdoors supports inclusive, multimodal instruction by offering visual, kinesthetic, auditory, and social entry points, all of which make STEM learning more accessible and meaningful. During outdoor learning, students work in small groups to collect data, test ideas, and make sense of real-world phenomena. Literacy integration emerges organically; students read informational texts before visits, then record field notes, discuss observations, and construct evidence-based explanations.

We Need Diverse Books announced the 2026 Walter Dean Myers Awards. The Walter Awards are given in two categories: Younger Readers (ages 9-13) and Teen (ages 13-18). And the 2026 winners are: Younger Readers Winner: The Incredibly Human Henson Blayze by Derrick Barnes; Honor Title: All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson. Teen Winner: Champion by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld, and Ed Laroche; Honor Title: King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin. The 2026 Walter Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, March 23, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.

Science of reading reforms have boosted decoding, but they were built for monolingual, culturally narrow classrooms. Many science of reading curricula lack multilingual learners’ home languages and cultural knowledge, making it harder for them to comprehend texts. Decodable texts deepen this gap because they are designed to practice phonics rather than to develop rich vocabulary, complex language or connections to texts. As a result, students may look strong on decoding data while continuing to lag in comprehension, confirming NAEP’s widening comprehension gaps even with decoding gains. Despite these challenges, teachers have powerful tools at their disposal that do not require abandoning foundational skills. Instead, they ask us to expand our definition of literacy beyond decoding and provide instructional time for students to develop language comprehension.

“Smile,” “Sisters” and “Guts” still feel fresh as daisies and are currently the most circulated graphic novels in my school library by a mile. … If you have Raina-obsessed readers in your life who have read the “Smile” books, as well as her two stand-alone graphic novels, “Drama” and “Ghosts,” here are 13 other recommendations.

For years, the screen time recommendation for children under age 2 has been simple: They shouldn’t have any. But as surveys of parents have revealed that young children are increasingly exposed to digital media, it’s become clear there’s a disconnect: Families aren’t following the guidance. Not only do the youngest children in the U.S. have some exposure to screens, many of them are getting screen time daily  — and for an average of about an hour each day. 

It is very, very important that kids learn the skill of sounding things out, of converting letters on the page into spoken words. But it’s also critical that in the early elementary years, we are growing their vocabulary, growing their general knowledge of the world, and growing their familiarity with books and stories. When they read something, they should have good odds of being familiar with most of the words in it and have enough background on the world to figure out the rest. Even in states that have logged huge improvements in reading — like Mississippi — the latter is often missing.

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability affecting children, but what does the research actually tell us about how to identify and support students with dyslexia in practice? In this episode, Assistant Professor Phil Capin moderated a discussion with leading scholars Professor Nadine Gaab and Tim Odegard of Middle Tennessee State University, exploring how the science of reading can inform effective supports for students with dyslexia across grades and contexts.