Research tells us that the best way for kids to learn to read begins with a phonics-based program. But what else does the science of reading research reveal? How can we set the stage for every student to achieve literacy success?

While building strong foundational reading skills is important, if students only practice decoding without using their new reading skills to acquire knowledge, they are more likely to struggle with reading in upper elementary school and beyond when its reading's main purpose is to acquire knowledge. So when should a student's knowledge journey begin?

The research is clear: a student's knowledge journey should begin in kindergarten. They must begin reading to learn as they are learning to read so they are prepared to pull meaning from unstructured texts. As the graphic on the left illustrates, as students build knowledge and vocabulary, they're better prepared to grapple with more complex texts.

With high-quality materials at the center of your English language arts block, you’re taking the first step to shift towards a comprehensive approach that focuses on building and supporting every student on the path to literacy success.