The Science of Reading

Humans naturally pick up certain skills such as walking or talking. Yet one of our most unique abilities, reading, does not emerge on its own. Reading is a skill that has developed over thousands of years and during all that time, one thing has stayed overwhelmingly consistent: reading must be taught. Occasionally, a child will learn to read on their own through early exposure to print and shared reading but for most humans, reading is a skill taught through a process of connecting visual symbols and meaning.

How We Teach Reading

How this process is taught has shifted by language, culture, and time. In the United States, learning to read English has been a swinging pendulum from whole word and whole language approaches to phonics-based methods. Whole word and language methods stress context and meaning, while phonics-based methods stress the relationships of sounds and symbols.

In recent years, states and school districts have turned their attention to The Science of Reading. Despite the fancy-sounding name, it is not one neatly packaged curriculum. Rather, it is the collection of recent multidisciplinary reading research that demonstrates the most effective ways to teach young children how to read. Instruction that is evidence-based supports all students including those with dyslexia (a learning disability that disrupts how the brain processes written words), those who speak more than one language, and those without early print exposure.

This research, which benefits from advancements in brain imaging, has shown that the most effective reading instruction is an intentional, organized and cumulative process. Emerging readers must learn to decode the symbols and sounds and to comprehend the words those symbols and sounds create.

An Early Start Is Important

Early language and shared experiences with books at home lay a foundation on which formal reading instruction in schools can build. The elements of reading are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Young readers learn best when these skills are intentionally combined with rich text, discussion, and writing. At home this might look like reading a book together, pointing out letters and sounds, talking about the story, and giving children opportunities to trace or write letters.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is committed to supporting early reading. We know that having access to books in the home increases exposure to print and builds a larger vocabulary when children are read to frequently. Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based program that partners with primary care providers to give age-appropriate books and guidance at every well child visit. The hospital is also the state partner supporting Imagination Library for Franklin and Delaware Counties. This free program provides all children from birth to age five a book delivered directly to their home. Support from families, schools, libraries, and health care systems can build the skills necessary for lifelong reading and learning.