October 2023

What does the scientific reading research say about learning to read? 

What have we learned from the decades of scientific reading research? 

G. Reid Lyon, PhD, neuroscientist and distinguished reading researcher has synthesized what we know in what he calls: 

The 10 Maxims: What We've Learned So Far About How Children Learn to Read. 

• Almost all children learn to speak naturally; reading and writing must be taught.

• Literacy begins at birth. It is root ed in early social interactions and experiences that include regular exposure to oral language  and print. Strong roots tend to produce stronger readers.

• All good readers are good decoders. Decoding  should be taught until children can accurately and independently read new words. Decoding  depends on phonemic awareness : a child's ability to identify individual speech sounds. Decoding  is the on-ramp for word recognition .

• Fluent readers can instantly and accurately recognize most words in a text. They can read with expression and at an appropriate rate for their age. Reading fluency requires comprehension AND it supports comprehension.

• Comprehension—the goal of reading—draws on multiple skills and strengths, including a solid foundation of vocabulary and background knowledge.

• One size does not fit all: use student data to differentiate your instruction.

• Direct, systematic instruction helps students develop the skills they need to become strong readers. Indirect, three-cueing instruction is unpredictable in its impact on word reading and leaves too much to chance.

• These maxims apply to English Learners/Emergent Bilinguals, who often need extra support to bolster their oral language  as they learn to read and write in a new language.

• We should support students who speak languages or dialects other than General American English at home, by honoring their home language and by giving them expanded opportunities to engage with General American English text.

• To become good readers and writers, students need to integrate many skills that are built over time. 

If you are interested in digging into the research base for the Ten Maxims, check out this link to see the research studies completed over the years that supports Dr. Lyon's claims! 

The Ten Maxims: The Research Support.   Source: Reading Universe (used with permission)

If you would like to hear Dr. Lyon explain more about the neuroscience behind the claims, his research and the history of the science of reading you can hear him on The Science of Reading Podcast, Back to School '23 Interlude, Episode 2, Part 1 & 2.