February 2022

Hi Illinois Friends and Family!

We wanted to update you on some progress we've made with legislation related to early literacy instruction. The Science of Reading Illinois helped co-write part of The Illinois Right to Read Act, which is posted for a hearing next Tuesday, 2/8 before the Senate Education Committee. Our contribution focused around having ISBE support districts to adopt evidence-based literacy curriculum and professional development for staff. If you or anyone you know would be interested in filing a witness slip (directions and link below), we would appreciate your support.

Yours educationally,

Science of Reading Illinois (SoRI)

Below is some sample language we are using for our written statement:

The epidemic of illiteracy in Illinois certainly predates the current pandemic. On the 2019 Illinois Assessment of Readiness, before Covid, 37 percent of third graders in Illinois met or exceeded expectations in English-Language Arts. There are simply too many students being educated in Illinois who do not have foundational skills in reading. As a State, we can do way better.

Fortunately there are clear solutions. Over 20 years ago, the National Reading Panel pointed to the most effective ways to teach students how to read. The problem is not that we don't know the most effective ways to teach students how to read. The problem is that we are not doing it. Effective curriculum and instruction in reading is not being universally implemented in districts across Illinois. In fact, we would argue that many districts are using ineffective strategies to try to teach students how to read.

Our non-profit, The Science of Reading Illinois, was formed by a group of School Psychologists seeking ways to ensure the implementation of effective core reading curricula for all students. We are currently working with a number of stakeholders in the Illinois Early Literacy Coalition. The state legislature has the opportunity to address inequitable and ineffective reading practices by working to provide guidance to districts regarding effective core literacy curricula that will lead to better outcomes for young students, who are literally the future of our State.