Occasional Paper Series - Volume 2026 - Number 55 - Lessons From the Field on the Science of Reading - School and Classroom Stories Across Contexts

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jake

Occasional Paper Series Issue 55 (April 2026) examines how “Science of Reading” policies, often linked to “Structured Literacy,” have reshaped elementary reading instruction across the United States and globally. The issue contextualizes SoR as interdisciplinary research while critiquing mandates that overemphasize phonics and decoding. It gathers contributions documenting classroom realities, including teacher and student experiences, emotional and relational shifts, and case-based reflections on learning theories, literacy practices, and curriculum implementation across diverse contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages127

Reading Time5 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Lessons from the Field on the Science of Reading: An Introduction

Contributions

Uplifting the Legacy of Black Teachers: Loving and Liberatory Pedagogiesin a Science of Reading Context

La Gran Historia de Dilly Meets the Science of Reading: A Cuento of Scripts, Skills, and Silenced Selves

When Science of Reading Policy Meets Classroom Reality: The Nonsense Word Problem

All Flourishing is Mutual: Cultivating a Gift Economy of Literacy

Thinking Narratively About Science of Reading Forces, Moral Injury, and Teacherhood

“This Curriculum Has No Real Reading:” A Case Study of Student Activism in Response to a Centralized Curriculum Mandate

“It Was Hard, But It Worked:” Children’s Theories of Learning to Read

Bank Street School for Children’s Story of Integrating Structured Phonics into a Progressive Literacy Approach

Occasional Paper Series Volume 2026 Number 55 Lessons From the Field on the Science of Reading: School and Classroom Stories Across Contexts Article 10 April 2026 Lessons From the Field on the Science of Reading: School and Classroom Stories Across Contexts Follow this and additional works at: [https://educate.bankstreet.edu/occasional-paper-series](https://educate.bankstreet.edu/occasional-paper-series) Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, and the Educational Methods Commons Recommended Citation (2026) . Lessons from the field on the science of reading: School and classroom stories across contexts. Occasional Paper Series,(55) . DOI: [https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1646](https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1646) This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by Educate. It has been accepted for inclusion in Occasional Paper Series by an authorized editor of Educate. For more information, please contact [kfreda@bankstreet.edu](kfreda@bankstreet.edu). | Occasional Paper Series | 4. 2026 | | --- | --- | | | 55 | Lessons From the Field on the Science of Reading: School and Classroom Stories Across Contexts Introduction Gail Boldt Patricia Enciso Contributors Natasha A. Thornton Amanda LaTasha Armstrong Brooke Blacknall Jordan Freeman Elaine Nevers-Parker Mukkaramah Smith Elenita Irizarry-Ramos Ysaaca Axelrod Lisa Dewing-Birno Luis Lopez Lindsey Lush Melissa Kurtz Kyle C. Arlington Alina Lewis Cristina Valencia Mazzanti Laura Tiktin-Sharick Madeleine Zuck TipharethAnanda Melanie Bryon Doug Knecht Emily Linsay Emily Schottland Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Lessons from the Field on the Science of Reading: An Introduction Gail Boldt and Patricia Enciso CONTRIBUTIONS Uplifting the Legacy of Black Teachers: Loving and Liberatory Pedagogiesin a Science of Reading Context Natasha A. Thornton, Amanda LaTasha Armstrong, Brooke Blacknall, Jordan Freeman, Elaine Nevers-Parker, and Mukkaramah Smith La Gran Historia de Dilly Meets the Science of Reading: A Cuento of Scripts, Skills, and Silenced Selves Elenita Irizarry-Ramos and Ysaaca Axelrod When Science of Reading Policy Meets Classroom Reality: The Nonsense Word Problem Lisa Dewing-Birno and Luis Lopez All Flourishing is Mutual: Cultivating a Gift Economy of Literacy Lindsey Lush and Melissa Kurtz Thinking Narratively About Science of Reading Forces, Moral Injury, and Teacherhood Kyle C. Arlington “This Curriculum Has No Real Reading:” A Case Study of Student Activism in Response to a Centralized Curriculum Mandate Alina Lewis “It Was Hard, But It Worked:” Children’s Theories of Learning to Read Cristina Valencia Mazzanti, Laura Tiktin-Sharick, Madeleine Zuck, and TipharethAnanda Bank Street School for Children’s Story of Integrating Structured Phonics into a Progressive Literacy Approach Melanie Bryon, Doug Knecht, Emily Linsay, and Emily Schottland 3 21 33 47 57 69 82 99 116 Introduction Lessons from the Field on the Science of Reading: An Introduction Gail Boldt and Patricia Enciso In elementary classrooms across the United States and globally, the past five years have seen a dramatic change in the teaching of reading. Nearly every US state and dozens of countries worldwide have adopted new reading policies requiring public schools to implement what has been called the “Science of Reading”(SoR). Prior to the recent tidal wave of these policies, often called “Structured Literacy,”the “Science of Reading” referred broadly to interdisciplinary research on the cognitive and linguistic processes involved in learning to read and on reading difficulties such as dyslexia, rather than to a specific set of instructional mandates or to a detailed specification of the pedagogical expertise required to enact reading instruction. While SoR policies and regulations

FAQs

What is the focus of Issue 55 in the Occasional Paper Series?

Issue 55 focuses on changes in the teaching of reading as Science of Reading (SoR) policies affect elementary classrooms, especially the classroom experiences of teachers and children.

How does the issue describe “Science of Reading” versus “Structured Literacy” policies?

The issue distinguishes SoR research as interdisciplinary work on cognitive and linguistic processes in reading, while noting that SoR policies are often translated into narrow mandates emphasizing explicit phonemic awareness and phonics for decoding.

What kinds of classroom impacts does the issue aim to document?

The issue aims to document emotional, intellectual, and relational changes as SoR mandates become increasingly present in the time and space of schooling, including how research is enacted in everyday classroom life.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jake