To celebrate Read Across America Week, Dr. Laurie Curtis, literacy and dyslexia program manager for the Kansas State Department of Education, discussed how the science of reading uses evidence-based principles to more effectively teach children how to read, write, speak and listen. 

Watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zINYasVY0c  

In this interview, Dr. Curtis explains the principles of the science of reading and why educators have shifted away from balanced literacy to structured literacy to teach children how to read. 

“Structured literacy is good for any student that's learning to read and it's critical for our students who have dyslexia,” she said. “Structured literacy doesn't just look at what we teach but how we teach it and that's really what makes the difference for our kids who are struggling readers.” 

“We know the prerequisite knowledge kids need to have before we teach them something new,” Curtis continued. “It's very cumulative. It builds on skills from the past but also it's very engaging. It's interactive, multisensory and it has good feedback that's meaningful for kids. In structured literacy we really examine how we teach it so it's that content and the pedagogy that goes along with being a good teacher of literacy.” 

The Kansas Education Framework for Literacy outlines the structured literacy and dyslexia initiatives the Kansas State Board of Education approved in 2018. The literacy framework employs the four fundamentals of structured literacy, standards alignment, a balanced assessment system and quality instruction.