For decades, American classrooms have been shaped by different philosophies about how children learn to read. Several prominent approaches have contributed to the conversation. Two of those are Lucy Calkins’ Units of Study (often called balanced literacy) and the Science of Reading. Understanding these approaches can help teachers make informed decisions about supporting their readers.
Lucy Calkins developed her Units of Study curriculum based on the belief that children learn to read naturally when surrounded by rich literature and meaningful reading experiences. Her approach, implemented in approximately one in four elementary schools nationwide, emphasizes reading workshop models where students choose books at their level and learn strategies like using context clues, looking at pictures, and thinking about what would make sense in the story.
The Science of Reading, on the other hand, represents decades of research from cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, and reading researchers. This body of evidence shows that reading is not a natural process like speaking, but rather a complex skill that must be explicitly taught through systematic instruction in five key areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The fundamental difference lies in how each approach views the reading process. Calkins’ original method encouraged students to use multiple cues—meaning, structure, and visual information—to figure out unknown words. Students might look at the first letter of a word, think about what would make sense, and make an educated guess. The Science of Reading approach emphasizes that students should primarily rely on decoding skills—sounding out words letter by letter—with meaning and context serving as confirmation rather than primary strategies.
Why This Matters for Struggling Readers
The distinction between these approaches becomes crucial when working with students who find reading challenging. Research consistently shows that children who struggle with reading often have difficulty with phonological processing—the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken words. For these students, strategies that rely heavily on guessing or using context clues can actually impede their progress.
When students look at pictures to guess words instead of sounding them out, they’re not building the neural pathways necessary for independent reading. Students with dyslexia, English language learners, and children from backgrounds with limited print exposure particularly benefit from explicit, systematic phonics instruction. These students need clear, direct teaching of how letters represent sounds and how to blend those sounds into words.
However, it’s important to note that Calkins has responded to research and criticism by revising her curriculum. In 2022, she released updated Units of Study materials that incorporate daily phonics lessons and abandon the three-cueing system. These revisions represent a significant shift toward research-based practices, though some educators debate whether the changes go far enough.
The reality is that many dedicated teachers have used balanced literacy approaches with genuine care for their students. These teachers weren’t intentionally failing their students. They were implementing what they believed to be best practices based on their training and available resources.
Practical Strategies for Teachers
Whether you’re transitioning from balanced literacy practices or strengthening your Science of Reading implementation, here are actionable strategies to support struggling readers in your classroom.
Start with systematic phonics instruction that follows a logical sequence. Begin with the most common letter-sound correspondences and progress to more complex patterns. Teach students to identify individual sounds in words (phonemic awareness) before expecting them to blend sounds into words. Use explicit teaching methods where you model the skill, guide students through practice, and then allow independent application.
When students encounter unknown words during reading, encourage them to sound out the word first rather than guessing. Teach prompts like “What sound does that letter make?” or “Can you slide through all the sounds in that word?” instead of “What would make sense here?” or “Look at the picture for a clue.”
Provide plenty of practice with decodable texts—books that contain mostly words students can sound out based on the phonics patterns they’ve learned. While these books might seem less engaging than picture-rich trade books, they allow students to practice their decoding skills and build confidence as independent readers.
Build Comprehension Alongside Decoding
Strong phonics instruction doesn’t mean abandoning comprehension or vocabulary development. In fact, when students can decode words automatically, they have more mental energy available for understanding what they read. Continue reading aloud to students daily, exposing them to rich vocabulary and complex ideas beyond their current reading level.
Teach comprehension strategies explicitly, but focus on evidence-based approaches like teaching text structure, making connections, and asking questions. Help students understand that good readers use their background knowledge to understand text, but they don’t use it to guess at words.
Create a balanced approach by combining systematic phonics instruction with meaningful reading experiences. Students need both the tools to decode words and reasons to want to read. Celebrate progress in both areas, acknowledging when students successfully sound out challenging words and when they demonstrate understanding of what they’ve read.
Move Forward with Confidence
The most important thing to remember is that teaching reading is both an art and a science. While research provides crucial guidance about effective practices, skilled teachers adapt these methods to meet the needs of individual students. Some students will need more intensive phonics instruction, while others may pick up decoding skills quickly and need more focus on comprehension and vocabulary.
Professional development in Science of Reading practices can help teachers feel more confident implementing evidence-based methods. Many states now offer training programs, and organizations provide resources for educators seeking to strengthen their knowledge of structured literacy approaches.
Remember that changing instructional practices takes time and patience, both with yourself and your students. Focus on making gradual improvements rather than overhauling everything at once. Celebrate small victories, like when a struggling reader successfully decodes their first multisyllabic word or demonstrates growing confidence during independent reading time.
Empower Every Reader to Succeed
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