Improving reading instruction is one of the hottest topics in K-12 education today. It is also one of the most complex, encompassing pedagogy, policy, and politics -- all rooted in a long history of arguments about the best way to teach kids to read. This analysis is a primer on the "Science of Reading" and efforts to implement it across…

The best way to help improve reading teacher instruction during the 1980s is through inservice emphasis upon efficient instructional practices and management techniques. However, many inservice programs are ineffective due to lack of coordination. An effective inservice program can be organized by using the following sequence: (1) a steering…

Study skills instruction is notably absent from the content area classrooms that are their natural home. This situation can change if reading teachers work to implement eight steps to a successful study skills program: (1) listen to teachers and students who know best which study skills should be emphasized; (2) respond by arranging inservice…

This paper describes the recent policy history of reading education, its place on the public policy agenda, and the research that relates reading policy to reading instruction. Part I of the paper provides a brief recent history of federal education policy, which aims to ensure equity. Part II revisits compensatory education and describes systemic…