The Science of Reading: A Defining Guide offers educators, leaders, and other stakeholders a firm definition of the “science of reading” and the research foundation that informs effective literacy instruction.
The guide clarifies what the science of reading is — a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about how reading and writing develop, why some learners struggle, and which assessment and instructional practices are most effective — and what it is not, helping practitioners discern between evidence-aligned practices and trends, fads, or untested approaches.
It integrates a clear explanation of foundational concepts such as the Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and the role of explicit, systematic instruction in word recognition and language comprehension, and it highlights how robust research from cognitive psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and education converges to inform classroom decisions.