Professional development for the science of reading

The science of reading is a hot topic in education today. Much has been written about what the science of reading is, the critical need for it, and strategies for using it to teach reading. The May 2022 Kappan, which focused on literacy education, included a wide range of voices from the field discussing different aspects of the topic. And the APM Reports podcast Sold a Story, hosted by Emily Hanford, has brought the topic to the attention of those outside education.

In essence, the science of reading suggests that students who are learning to read need instruction grounded in scientific evidence (Petscher et al., 2020), including practice in five foundational components of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000). Some contend that teacher preparation programs are not teaching the science of reading to the next generation of teachers (Crowe & Howard, 2020; Hanford, 2018). However, research indicates that preservice teachers do grow in their understanding of the science of reading during their teacher preparation programs (Al Otaiba & Lake, 2007; Englert et al., 2020; Hudson et al, 2021; Spear-Swerling & Brucker, 2003; Washburn et al., 2016). The problem is that they struggle to translate the theoretical knowledge they learn in the university into the practical skills they need in the classroom (Tortorelli, Lupo, Wheatley, 2021). For this reason, many teachers need additional training.

Unfortunately, the type of professional development provided in schools often lacks the intensity and duration needed to generate genuine learning. Some experts suggest that an increase in the amount of training (McMahan, Oslund, & Odegard, 2019) and the coupling of knowledge with practice (Ehri & Flugman, 2018; Englert et al., 2020; Hudson et al., 2021) can yield greater results. What types of professional development do university graduates need as they transition to the classroom to succeed in teaching the science of reading?