The Reading Institute

A new report highlighted by The 74 shows that nearly one-third of K–3 teachers still use reading practices that research has shown are ineffective for helping children learn to read.

Science of reading policies are seeking to transform liteacy outcomes across the country, and implementation is essential to success. Evidence-based reading instruction grounded in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension gives students the foundational skills they need to become confident readers.

The findings are especially concerning in high-poverty schools, where students are less likely to receive instruction aligned with the research despite standing to benefit the most.

Expanding access to high-quality, evidence-based professional learning and programs are essential to ensuring more educators can confidently teach reading and more students can thrive.

Report: Nearly One-Third of Teachers Still Use ‘Discredited’ Reading Methods About 30% of K-3 reading teachers use a 'balanced approach,' including asking kids to figure out words through context clues – a practice banned in some states.

Reading Ready at work in the classroom! 📚💙

SUNY Potsdam teacher education students are bringing research-backed literacy instruction into local classrooms through Reading Ready, working one-on-one with young readers at Norwood-Norfolk and Lawrence Avenue Elementary Schools. The program gives future educators hands-on experience with structured literacy while helping children build foundational skills in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, and confidence.

We're proud to partner with SUNY Potsdam as part of The Reading Institute’s University Tutoring Collaborative, helping connect teacher preparation with classroom practice and meaningful support for young readers.

[📸: SUNY Potsdam]

We may be a little late to this trend, but we couldn’t resist 💙📚

Meet some of the people behind The Reading Institute working to help more students become confident readers!✨

We’re proud to share that The Reading Institute has received a Gracias Incubator award from the The University of Chicago's Becker Friedman Institute for Economics as part of a $1.6 million initiative exploring how beliefs about AI shape student engagement and learning in tutoring programs!

The project will include a randomized controlled trial comparing human tutoring, AI tutoring, and a combined approach across an expected 5,000 K–10 students.

This work will also support the expansion of TRI’s University Tutoring Collaborative into Iowa, where public and private universities across the state are preparing to participate.

We’re excited to contribute to research that helps shape the future of effective, evidence-based tutoring and literacy support.

When schools and universities work together, students and future teachers both benefit.

That’s the focus of a new The Buffalo News feature on The Reading Institute’s partnership with Buffalo State University and South Buffalo Charter School. Through our University Tutoring Collaborative, teacher candidates are delivering one-on-one, science-of-reading-based tutoring to first graders, building skills that last.

Exciting things in the works for Reading Go… 👀🎬 Stay tuned for more! 📚

(shout out to our friends at Five Pebbles for their continued partnership! 💙)

Congratulations to our Founder, Dr. Katie Pace Miles, on being named one of Clarity's 50 Essential Public Education Leaders in New York! 🎉📚

At a time when strong, research-informed leadership matters more than ever, we’re proud to see Katie’s work shaping the future of literacy across New York and beyond. Well deserved! 💙

Happy Spring Break, NYC educators! ☀️📚

We hope this week brings a little sunshine, rest, and time to recharge. You’ve earned it. 💙

As investments in Science of Reading grow, quality and alignment matter more than ever.

The Reading Institute is featured in a recent Hechinger Report article examining New York’s $10M investment in a union-developed course, and raising important questions about cost, effectiveness, and alignment with the research.

The piece highlights the need for approaches that are nimble, cost-efficient, and truly grounded in evidence. We’re proud to be recognized as a leading example of this model!

Our Science of Reading course is designed to be efficient, affordable, and research-based, supporting educators in translating reading science into effective classroom practice.

As states continue to invest in professional learning to support structured literacy, ensuring quality and evidence alignment is critical to delivering real results for students.

We’re thrilled to welcome Jessica Fitts to The Reading Institute’s Board of Directors. 💙

As a founding partner of Donovan & Fitts LLP, she brings a powerful combination of legal insight and strategic perspective to TRI, and we’re honored to have her support our mission to expand access to evidence-based literacy instruction.

Welcome, Jessica! 📚