Reading List
Want to learn more about the literacy crisis and how you can help? You’re in the right spot.
This curated list of research, videos, playbooks, and more provides some context to our work and approach. More importantly, we hope it inspires you to generate your own literacy solutions.
There’s always more to learn. If you have resources to suggest, reach out!
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What the Words Say (APM Reports, 2020) Emily Hanford explores what scientists have figured out about how reading comprehension works and why poverty and race can affect reading development.
In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat (New York Times, 2022) Lucy Calkins, a leading literacy expert, has rewritten her curriculum to include a fuller embrace of phonics and the science of reading.
VIDEO: The Legacy of Anti-Literacy Laws (Lacey Robinson, 2018) How does the legacy of racism impact literacy instruction for children of color?
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The Science of Reading: Defining Guide (The Reading League) provides a firm definition of what the science of reading is, what it is not, and how all stakeholders can understand its potential to transform reading instruction.
VIDEO: Science of Reading 101 (Lunch & Learn 2022) Temple University professors lead a 20-minutes overview of SOR basics.
The ‘Science of Reading’ and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says (Education Week, 2022) As more states and districts are embracing the “science of reading,” some educators and advocates have raised the question: Will these methods work for English-language learners?
Examining the Balance in Literacy Instruction (Read by 4th) Start a dialogue about the Science of Reading with talking points about the role of code-based and meaning-based instruction.
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The 'P' Word Revisited: 8 Principles for Tackling Today's Questions and Misconceptions about Phonics Instruction (International Literacy Association, 2022) This article describes principles to clarify common misconceptions and dilemmas about phonics instruction. Read on to learn why differentiation, orthographic mapping, and contextual reading are necessary in any phonics curriculum.
Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction (2020) New data and analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality finds significant progress on the science of reading instruction in teacher preparation.
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Teaching Reading to African-American Children: When Home and School Language Differ (Julie A. Washington, Mark S. Seidenberg, 2021) Explore the impact of dialect, specifically African-American English, on reading instruction.
Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors (Rudine Sims Bishop, 1990) This essay is a must-read as Rudine Sims Bishop uses "Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" as an analogy to discuss the importance of book diversity.
Do Elementary Students Reading Motivation Levels Differ by Racial/Ethnic And/Or Immigrant Background? (Wendy Castillo, 2020) Prior research indicates that students enter school with high levels of reading motivation, but levels begin to decline as soon as second grade. However, most studies rely on predominately White samples. This research shows that self-report reading motivation levels are higher among Black and Hispanic students than among Whites.
VIDEO: Humility and Accountability: A New Direction in Literacy (The Black Educator Pipeline) Shayna Terrell from the Center for Black Educator Development hosted a must-see conversation with Kareem J. Weaver, the Founder and CEO of Fulcrum. They cover the Science of Reading, research, accountability in teacher preparation, and advocating for our children.
VIDEO: Reading for Their Lives (Citizen Stewart, 2021) Watch Dr. Alfred Tatum joins Christ Stewart and Sharif El-Mekki to talk about the importance of focusing on Black literacy.
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Playful Learning Landscapes Playbook Activate playful learning in your community. This guide offers a framework, a deep dive into research, and examples you can replicate.
Playful Learning Landscapes Metrics Framework (Brookings, October 2021) This framework will help generate data that are critical for scaling Playful Learning Landscapes by defining the desired outcomes of playful learning in public and shared spaces—and most importantly—how they are measured.Creating playful learning spaces in cities: The important role of stakeholder buy-in (Brookings, 2022) Using a human-centered design process ensures that PLL installations not only reflect the cultural and historical needs and preferences of the community, but also engender a sense of ownership when the installations are complete.
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Strategies for Reducing Student Absenteeism in Philadelphia (Research for Action, August 2020) Learn more about Philly’s attendance stats, attitudes, and local and national best practices to adopt.
Attendance Playbook: Smart Strategies for Reducing Chronic Absenteeism in the Era of COVID (Future Ed and Attendance Works, 2020) Best practices for monitoring and promoting attendance during the pandemic and distance learning.
A randomized experiment using absenteeism information to “nudge” attendance (IES Regional Educational Laboratory Program 2017) A study conducted in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia, finds that a single postcard that encouraged guardians to improve their student’s attendance reduced absences by roughly 2.4 percent.
When school rewards backfire (Hechinger Report, 2019) Perfect attendance certificates didn’t work in California and sometimes caused harm, particularly in the middle grades.
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What is Collective Impact (Collective Impact Forum) Too many organizations are working in isolation from one another. Collective impact brings people together, in a structured way, to achieve social change.
Collective Impact, 10 Years Later (Stanford Social Innovation Review 2021) This series will reflect on this evolution through articles, case studies, practitioner interviews, and roundtable conversations that highlight the range of ways this approach has taken root—and importantly, the impact it has had on improving outcomes for marginalized and oppressed communities.
Collaborating for Equity and Justice: Moving Beyond Collective Impact (Nonprofit Quarterly, 2017) These principles facilitate successful cross-sector collaboration for social change in a way that explicitly lifts up equity and justice for all and creates measurable change.
