4/1/2025
What Does Science of Reading-Aligned Really Mean?
What Is the Science of Reading?
As educators who have taken or started Lexia® LETRS® Professional Learning know, the science of reading is not a single curriculum or program. It refers to a vast body of research spanning more than five decades, incorporating insights from cognitive psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education.
Through this research, scientists and educators have identified several key components of reading instruction as essential for developing skilled readers:
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Oral Language
What Does It Mean To Be Science of Reading-Aligned?
Research shows evidence-based programs should:
Address most or all components of reading instruction.
Follow a structured, research-backed progression in their scope and sequence.
Provide explicit, systematic instruction in foundational reading skills.
Offer phoneme-grapheme mapping and strategies for building background knowledge.
Include writing components that reinforce reading skills.
Use assessment tools that align with science of reading-based principles.
With this in mind, you can objectively evaluate technology solutions for science of reading alignment that will support LETRS-trained educators.
How To Identify Science of Reading-Aligned Instruction
Students must master key building blocks before they can progress in their reading. A solution that aligns with the science of reading should cover each of these word and language comprehension components.
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is an essential foundation for learning to read and spell.
What to look for:
Explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness skills.
Activities that focus on identifying, segmenting, blending, and manipulating phonemes.
A structured sequence that progresses from more straightforward tasks (e.g., recognizing initial sounds) to more complex tasks (e.g., phoneme substitution).
Oral and auditory-based instruction rather than relying on printed letters.
Phonics
Phonics is the understanding of how letters and letter combinations represent spoken sounds. Using phonics skills, students learn letter-sound relationships to decode (read) and encode (spell) words. While phonics is often the most discussed component of the science of reading, it is just one of five essential pillars.
What to look for:
Explicit, systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships.
Introduction of letter-sound correspondences logically, starting with the most common and progressing to more complex patterns.
Application of phonics skills in controlled reading and spelling activities to reinforce learning.
Decodable texts that align with students’ phonics knowledge rather than texts that encourage guessing or memorization.
Cumulative learning that builds new phonics skills upon previously mastered ones.
Fluency
Fluent readers can read text accurately, quickly, and with the appropriate expression. Fluency connects decoding skills to reading comprehension, helping students become better readers. Research has shown that students with strong oral fluency skills are more likely to succeed across other literacy pillars.
What to look for:
Models of fluent reading for students to follow.
Guided and repeated reading activities.
Monitoring of student progress in the areas of accuracy, speed, and expression.
Timed reading activities that promote automatic word recognition.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary refers to the words students must know to communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Vocabulary plays a crucial role in comprehension because students must understand the meaning of words and how they are used in different contexts. Vocabulary development consists of two key components:
Expressive Vocabulary—The words a student actively uses when speaking or writing.
Receptive Vocabulary—The words a student understands through reading or listening but may not yet use in speech or writing.
A common misconception is that vocabulary development is simply about knowing and understanding a large number of words. However, true vocabulary knowledge goes beyond word count and includes understanding multiple meanings, figurative language, word relationships (synonyms, antonyms, analogies), and shades of meaning.
What to look for:
Explicit Instruction: The tool should include pre-teaching key vocabulary before reading and connecting new words to prior knowledge.
Word-Learning Strategies: Instead of just introducing definitions, students should be taught how to analyze words using context clues, morphology (prefixes, roots, suffixes), and word relationships.
Exposure to Tier 2 and Tier 3 Words: The program should introduce high-utility academic words (Tier 2) and subject-specific vocabulary (Tier 3) in a structured way.
Interactive and Repetitive Practice: Students should encounter new words multiple times in different contexts to reinforce understanding and usage.
Comprehension
Students with strong reading comprehension skills understand and can make meaning from a written text by integrating background knowledge, decoding skills, vocabulary, and language structures. They also employ critical thinking skills, constantly monitoring their comprehension and adjusting their reading strategies as needed.
What to look for:
Explicit reading strategies, such as summarization, questioning, and making inferences.
Programs that promote background knowledge and vocabulary development to help students understand text more deeply.
Solutions that integrate discussion-based learning to encourage active engagement with text.
Structured scaffolding that supports students as they develop comprehension skills.
Decodable and content-rich texts that match students’ reading abilities, ensuring they are not overwhelmed by complex words.
Varied text formats, interactive elements, and comprehension checks to further support student learning.
Effective comprehension instruction should encourage students to actively engage with the text, apply critical thinking, and monitor their understanding as they read. Solutions that systematically build these comprehension skills are essential for fostering strong and independent readers.
Oral Language
Oral language is a foundational skill that significantly impacts a child’s ability to develop reading comprehension and overall literacy. Research shows that oral language skills, which begin before age 4, are crucial in a child’s preparedness for kindergarten and academic success. While oral language is often associated with vocabulary, it comprises six components: Phonology, grammar, morphology, vocabulary, discourse, and pragmatics. These skills develop early in life and provide the foundation for print-based literacy skills such as decoding and comprehension.
Emergent Bilingual and Historically Underserved Students
Specific student populations, particularly Emergent Bilinguals and historically underserved students, often face challenges related to oral language development. These challenges may stem from various factors, including:
Amount and quality of language exposure.
Limited exposure to print in English.
English not spoken at home.
Lack of background knowledge.
Frequent transitions and disruptions.
What to look for:
Despite its role in literacy development, oral language support is not typically found in literacy tools that claim to be science of reading-aligned. However, given its importance—especially for Emergent Bilinguals—educators should consider additional tools that:
Explicitly Teach Oral Language Skills: A strong oral language tool should go beyond simple vocabulary instruction and include phonology, syntax, morphology, and discourse structure.
Provide Opportunities for both Speaking and Listening: Tools should encourage academic discussions, storytelling, and structured conversations to enhance students’ verbal language skills.
Include Narrative and Expository Texts: Exposure to different types of texts helps students develop comprehension strategies and engage with diverse content.
Integrate Vocabulary Development: Regular exposure to new words in meaningful contexts helps build students’ oral language abilities and supports reading comprehension.
Offer Structured Independent Reading Activities: Purposeful, independent reading assignments allow students to apply and reinforce oral language concepts.
Support Emergent Bilinguals With Scaffolds: The tool should provide visual aids, sentence frames, and opportunities for guided practice to support Emergent Bilinguals in developing both oral and written language.
To understand how students are progressing and where gaps exist, you should look for solutions that include assessments that regularly evaluate students’ oral language abilities and provide insights to guide targeted instruction.
Instructional Practices
When selecting a science of reading-aligned literacy program, you should evaluate key instructional components of a tool to ensure it offers structured, evidence-based support for teachers and students. You can confidently select technology solutions that drive meaningful reading growth by looking at these factors.
Explicit Instruction
Explicit instruction ensures students receive direct guidance and practice rather than being expected to acquire skills through exposure alone.
What to look for:
Tools that offer direct, structured instruction for key literacy skills like phonics and comprehension.
Programs that include modeling and guided practice to help students understand new concepts.
Immediate feedback is incorporated to prevent students from practicing errors.
Structured teacher scripts to ensure consistency in instruction.
Solutions that gradually release responsibility to students, moving from teacher-led instruction to independent application.
Systematic Progression
When solutions are designed to progress systematically, students encounter new skills in a logical sequence, allowing them to build on previously learned concepts. Rather than presenting skills in isolation or at random, an effective literacy tool follows a structured approach where each new lesson connects to prior knowledge, helping students make meaningful connections.
What to Look for:
Clear scope and sequence: The program should outline which skills are taught at each stage, ensuring a logical progression across the five pillars of reading.
Scaffolded learning: Activities should gradually increase in complexity, supporting students as they develop new skills.
Adaptive, flexible instruction: The tool should provide personalized learning paths to meet students at their skill level and help them progress at their own pace.
Data-Driven Design
Effective science of reading-aligned literacy tools are grounded in research-based practices that have been proven to improve reading outcomes. Programs designed using scientific evidence and data-driven methods ensure students receive instruction aligned with the best practices in literacy education.
What to look for:
References to research and studies: The program should cite scientific studies, reading research, and best practices that demonstrate its effectiveness.
Proven instructional methods: Strategies should align with the science of reading, including explicit phonics instruction, vocabulary development, fluency practice, and comprehension strategies.
Data-driven adjustments: A strong tool should use assessment data to inform instruction and ensure students receive targeted support based on their progress.
Assessment and Adaptation
Ongoing assessment and adaptation help teachers give students the right level of support at the right time. Traditional assessments, such as benchmark tests and state exams give you limited insight into student progress between testing periods. To bridge this gap, you should look for solutions that include formative and summative assessments that provide real-time data and inform personalized instruction without disrupting the learning process.
What to look for:
Embedded assessments: The tool should provide continuous progress monitoring without requiring time-consuming testing events.
Personalized learning pathways: Students should receive customized instruction that adapts to their performance, allowing them to accelerate when ready or receive scaffolding when needed.
Actionable reports for educators: Teachers should have access to real-time data dashboards through platforms like myLexia®, helping them track progress at the individual, class, school, and district levels.
Decodable Texts and Practice
Students can get frequent practice with phonics patterns and word-analysis strategies using decodable books. These texts should align with phonics instruction, allowing students to apply newly learned skills in context while minimizing exposure to irregular words they may not yet be ready to decode. By reinforcing phonics principles, solutions that include decodable texts can help students build confidence, accuracy, and automaticity in reading.
What to look for:
Phonics-aligned texts: The tool should provide texts that match students’ phonics progression, reinforcing the patterns they have been explicitly taught.
Systematic and sequential organization: The texts should gradually introduce more complex phonics skills, ensuring students master simple patterns before progressing to more advanced ones.
Fluency and comprehension support: Effective decodable texts should focus on phonics and provide opportunities for rereading, discussion prompts, and comprehension checks.
Implementation/Professional Development Support
While implementation support isn’t exactly part of the science of reading, it can make the instructional shift easier. Effective literacy instruction goes beyond selecting the right literacy tools—it also requires ongoing professional development and implementation support to ensure teachers can apply the research-based strategies they’ve learned in the classroom. High-quality literacy programs might provide training, coaching, or resources that empower and support teachers as they take a science of reading-based approach to reading instruction.
What to look for:
Workshops, webinars, and onboarding training: Programs should offer structured training to ensure teachers understand how to use the tool effectively.
Self-paced and on-demand learning: Educators should have access to flexible learning opportunities that fit their schedules.
Coaching and real-time support: Personalized coaching or live support can help teachers refine their instructional strategies.
Data-driven insights that inform instruction: Training should include guidance about using student performance data to adjust instruction.
Evidence of Effectiveness
Before you decide on a literacy solution, review the evidence of its effectiveness, and look for testimonials from peers. Programs should be backed by rigorous research and validated studies to ensure they produce measurable results in improving student reading outcomes.
What to look for:
Independent studies or case reports validating the program’s success.
Studies that show tools or solutions meet ESSA’s evidence standards.
Peer Feedback
Are other educators able to incorporate the selected science of reading solutions in their schools and classrooms? Are students engaged? Do teachers feel more effective? Peer feedback can help you determine a tool’s effectiveness in the classroom. Look for testimonials, case studies, and reviews from educators who have successfully implemented programs that have had a real-world impact on student learning.
When researching and evaluating a literacy tool, ask:
What do educators and school leaders say about its alignment with the science of reading?
Are there testimonials or case studies highlighting measurable student success?
Do reviews indicate the program is easy to implement and supports teachers in more effective literacy instruction?
Red Flags To Watch For
The science of reading is a popular buzzword, but it is not a one-size-fits-all program. It is not a single curriculum, a scripted lesson plan, or a boxed set of materials. Tools aligned with the science of reading can and should be engaging, but they should first and foremost align with best instructional practices, such as those recommended in LETRS.
You should be cautious of literacy programs that:
Claim to be an “official science of reading” program—the science of reading is not a single curriculum, scripted lesson plan, or boxed set of materials but a body of research that informs instruction.
Focus only on phonics. While phonics is essential, the science of reading also includes comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, and oral language development.
Ignore older students and multilingual learners—science of reading instructional principles apply to all learners, including struggling readers, adolescents, and those learning English as an additional language.
Misrepresent their relationship with balanced literacy—the science of reading prioritizes systematic, foundational skill instruction and does not include practices like three-cueing, which are unproven.
Offer a quick-fix solution—Effective implementation requires systemic change, educator support, and ongoing teacher training, not just a single tool or program.
Lack independent reviews or certifications—Verify whether the tool has been reviewed or certified by trusted organizations like EdReports, What Works Clearinghouse, or the International Dyslexia Association® (IDA).
Cannot provide credible evidence of effectiveness—Look for independent research studies, case reports, and ESSA-aligned evidence demonstrating the program’s impact on reading outcomes.
Emphasize student engagement over explicit instruction—While engaging activities are helpful, a strong science of reading-aligned program must prioritize Structured Literacy and systematic skill development.
Have unclear or little customer feedback—Seek testimonials, case studies, or educator reviews that confirm the program’s success in real classrooms.
While you have many choices when it comes to choosing a science of reading-aligned solution, you can narrow your options more easily by looking at how well each aligns with the key components of reading instruction. By choosing tools that explicitly address phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—core elements proven to build strong readers, you can ensure students will build the skills they need to advance. Additionally, solutions that provide structured, systematic instruction and data-driven insights can help your teachers identify when—and in what areas—students need intervention.
By investing in engaging, research-backed strategies that support diverse learners, you can confidently identify a solution that improves literacy outcomes and meets the needs of all your students.
Take the next step in advancing literacy in your school. Empower your teachers with science of reading-aligned solutions that support instruction.
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