Resources

The Mess We’re In: Understanding The Illiteracy and Sub-Literacy Crisis

Sixty-four percent of students in Colorado performed below the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Proficient Level in Reading in 2024. The percent of Black students who performed below proficient was 88% and for Hispanic students that number was 93%. These performance gaps were not significantly different from those in 1998.

https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024220CO4.pdf

“The U.S. Dept of Labor estimates that illiteracy costs the American economy about $225 billion a year in lost human productivity, and it has been estimated that bringing all adults in the U.S. to an equivalent of a sixth-grade reading level would increase the Gross Domestic Product by 10%, or approximately $2.2 trillion”

(Rothwell, J. (2020). Assessing the economic gains of eradicating illiteracy nationally and regionally in the United States. Gallup, Inc.).

Resources to increase understanding of where we went wrong with teaching America’s children how to read and write…

“Teaching reading is rocket science.” Louisa Moats, Ed.D.

Coloreado is committed to staying informed on the latest research and best educational practices. For a deeper understanding of this research check out the resources in either overview or in-depth format. 

• The Science of Reading / Speech to Print Instruction

  • Overview: Nora Chahbazi article in Dystinct Magazine
  • In-Depth: Access the Structured Linguistic Literacy Global Summit 

• The Science of Learning / Cognitive Load Theory

• • Overview: Video about Cognitive Load Theory (8 minutes)
    
  • In-Depth: Interview with John Sweller, the psychologist who developed Cognitive Load Theory (30 minutes)
    

• The Role of Knowledge on Comprehension

• • Overview: Natalie Wexler video on the role of background knowledge on comprehension ( 2 minutes)
    
  • In-Depth: Article on Differentiating Comprehension from the Components of Reading

• The Role of Effective Writing Instruction 

• • Overview: Explore the ThinkSRSD Facebook Page with Dr. Leslie Laud
  • In-Depth: Investigate the ThinkSRSD Website

• Literacy Instruction for English Learners

• • In-Depth: Video on The Foundation of Effective Literacy Practice and Why Its Harder for ELs and Their Teachers (57 minutes)
    

• Comparison Between Speech to Print (EBLI) and Structured Literacy (OG) Instruction

• • Overview: Blog Post The Benefits of Speech to Print vs. Print to Speech
  • In-Depth: Webinar on The Benefits of EBLI over OG (40 minutes)
    
  • In-Depth: Dr. Mark Seidenberg on Where Does the Science of Reading Approach Go From Here?  

• EBLI Research and Data

• • EBLI and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
  • EBLI Data 
  • Case Studies

The good news is that we have the instructional tools and the knowledge to address this issue. “The question remains, do we have the political will…and the moral courage…to use literacy as a vehicle to include all?” (Dr. Kymyona Burk / Right to Read Film, 2023).