The Science of Reading: A Look at Recent K-12 Reading Research and Implications for LESLLA

Abstract

In the past few years, a new surge of attention to reading research in primary and secondary education has emerged in the United States. This movement, dubbed "The Science of Reading," aims to promote research-based practices in K-12 literacy instruction. The Science of Reading (SOR) movement also seeks to inform practitioners of strategies commonly seen in K-12 literacy instruction that are not research-based, or that may be contrary to scientific evidence of how the brain acquires the ability to read. Because teaching reading is an essential component of our work as LESLLA practitioners, there is value in examining the research and discussion that is being generated through the SOR movement. Although the large majority of current reading research involves young readers in primary and secondary schools learning to read in their L1s, understanding the processes involved in learning to read for the first time is applicable to the work of LESLLA as well. This paper will provide an overview of key concepts highlighted in the SOR literature, and discuss implications for LESLLA practitioners.