Reading Equity Project

04/24/2026

We are grateful to The Seattle Medium for covering the low-literacy epidemic. It's destroying lives, and it's preventable, because instruction method matters more than ability, hard work, or socioeconomic status. If you want to support or get involved, stay tuned for details about a new training and tutoring initiative that will create an army of skilled instructors across Seattle and Washington State, at no cost to families.

More than half of Black students in Seattle struggle with reading, raising questions about instruction methods. Literacy gaps widen educational disparities.

03/31/2026

The Science of Reading Lost in Translation

New York State fell for one of the most predictable traps in literacy reform: Instead of building a true Science of Reading training program, the state produced a hybrid that promotes the same diffuse, inconsistent practices that undermined reading levels in the first place. That is regression, not progress.

The Balanced Literacy legacy approach is intentionally high-level and embraces interpretation. Structured Literacy is the opposite: an extremely granular, specific, sequential, mastery-based, end-to-end instructional protocol. Every detail is purposeful, honed by decades of research on the most efficient, effective path to fluid reading. Those details are dictated by the biological reality of brain structure, not theory, which is why student outcomes are directly correlated to the fidelity of implementation.

Changing student outcomes requires transformation, not integration, and a team with deep cross-functional knowledge.

A New York State course intended to help educators use phonics and the science of reading effectively doesn’t do so and could impede students’ progress, literacy experts say.

03/06/2026

This is one of the more comprehensive Science of Reading overviews we have seen, covering history, research, and role models. The takeaway: Unless 90% of students can read, or you see steady, significant growth in that direction, it is not implemented fully or well.

Fed up parents, civil rights activists, newly awakened educators and lawmakers are crusading for “the science of reading.” Can they get results?

10/14/2025

Don’t miss Read Washington’s 10/25 webinar with Dr. Timothy Shanahan, explaining how legacy instruction hinders students and what educators can do to about it. Reading Equity Project is a proud sponsor, grateful for Read Washington’s powerhouse of knowledge.

Read Washington hosts professional learning events bringing the science of reading to Puget Sound area educators. Upcoming speakers include David Kilpatrick.

09/26/2025

Mississippi's reading scores surpassed Washington's in 2016, for both low- and high-income students. With $15 million from the legislature in 2013, Mississippi prioritized its lowest-performing schools and provided extensive teacher training and embedded coaching. The lesson is not to spend more, but to spend differently and strategically, which includes knowing what to stop.

States and districts transforming literacy act at the system level, because Structured Literacy program design and implementation extend far beyond a single person, discipline, program, or vendor. They also act at the local level, one student and teacher at a time. Reading Equity Project's team and network of advisors have decades of experience doing this very thing all over the country. Will Washington fund us to do it here?

03/12/2025

An Ohio district has had 93% reading proficiency for 25 years. It's no surprise their teachers have not heard of 'Balanced Literacy.' Check out episode 11:

There's an idea about how children learn to read that's held sway in schools for more than a generation — even though it was proven wrong by cognitive scientists decades ago. Teaching methods based on this idea can make it harder for children to learn how to read. In this new podcast, host Emily H...

12/17/2024

Imagine one of the most stressful days of your life, then imagine going to school like that every day. On top of that, most vulnerable students do not have the academic supports that security and affluence provide, due to life circumstance outside their control. We have a special responsibility to care for vulnerable students both inside and outside of school.

Name: Dawn Rains Organization: Treehouse Years Serving the Community: 34 When did you start working in nonprofit organizations and what was it that helped you decide to make this your career? When I was in college, I knew I wanted to find a career where I could make a difference in the world, but I....

10/31/2024

The best proof is independent. Dearborn Park Elementary's internal literacy screening shows that students in Reading Equity Project's summer program increased their literacy skills by 70% across 8 different measures, vs. 4% and 17% during the school year. It's not magic, it's the .

10/18/2024

Interactive map of Structured Literacy — Yes teaching reading is ROCKET SCIENCE!

10/18/2024

Finally, an overview of the components in Structured Literacy!!!! For the Interactive version: https://lnkd.in/

10/08/2024

Footage from the summer! We designed the literacy program that boosted kids from 53% of grade level to 85% -- in just six weeks. https://www.facebook.com/reel/543931787958583/?s=fb_shorts_tab&stack_idx=0