Reading & Literacy

The Next Federal Reading Initiative Could be Broadest Yet

May 15, 2009 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

In the wake of the demise of the federal Reading First program last year there’s been a lot of speculation about when and how the federal government would again attempt to tackle the nation’s significant literacy problems. There’s been little question about whether there would eventually be a successor to Reading First, which pumped about $6 billion into K-3 reading instruction across the country since 2002.

There’s been more discussion of the issue lately (Eduflack outlines his own suggestions here). Now there’s a draft bill circulating which details a federal reading effort that would target children of all ages, essentially from birth to high school.

Could this signal that the recent federal hiatus from reading-reform issues, prompted by the controversy over Reading First, might be coming to an end? A Senate aide confirms that there is bipartisan interest in the bill, which reflects the handiwork of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington-based organization that has focused a lot on adolescent literacy. The bill, I’m told, could be introduced after Congress’ Memorial Day break.

The proposal holds true to many of the tenets of Reading First, particularly the need for instruction grounded in skills that also builds vocabulary and comprehension. But it goes further in making writing a key component of effective reading instruction, as well as the importance of students’ motivation to read.

Reading First drew criticism from many in the field for ignoring those elements. Some other additions might answer some of that criticism as well: There is an expressed emphasis on what are described as “the characteristics of effective literacy instruction.” Under that banner students would be exposed to a variety of texts, reading practice, and text-based collaborative learning. Also emphasized are language development, the family’s role in building literacy, and the need to build students’ interest in reading.

Instructional materials used by grantees in the program would be need to be “based on scientifically valid literacy research,” the draft says. There’s no detail about what that term means, and under Reading First the demand for materials and strategies based on “scientifically based reading research” caused a lot of confusion and was interpreted in different ways. It also led to a lot of commercial products marketed as “research-based” that didn’t necessarily meet the standard.

Reading First was also slammed for real or perceived conflicts of interest among federal officials and consultants involved in the program. The draft bill, and new rules instituted at the Ed. Dept. in the wake of the Reading First controversy, try to address those problems.

The proposal, of course, carries a hefty price tag: $2.3 billion.

Do you think the feds should get back into the reading reform business? Does the draft bill address all the key points, and adequately tackle the problems in Reading First?

A version of this news article first appeared in the Curriculum Matters blog.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Promoting Integrity and AI Readiness in High Schools
Learn how to update school academic integrity guidelines and prepare students for the age of AI.
Content provided by Turnitin

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy Spellcheck Won't Cut It. Here's Why Kids Need Spelling Instruction
Spelling instruction has waned in recent years. Literacy experts explain why schools need to revive it.
4 min read
Close-up photograph of a young girl writing in a workbook while doing her elementary school work.
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Opinion Teaching Media Literacy in an Era Awash With Misinformation
Conversations reveal how different student interpretations are from teachers' and can guide instruction.
4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper
Inspire Engaged & Confident Readers
Looking to support reading skills, lessen anxiety, and meet needs of diverse learners? Explore a Project Tomorrow study on the effects of...
Content provided by Thorndike Press
Reading & Literacy Opinion How a Podcast About Reading Promoted Sweeping Instructional Changes
Emily Hanford catalyzed the "science of reading" push but has mixed feelings about some reforms that followed.
8 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week