The science of reading is the basis of the new laws on literacy and education in Georgia |

ATLANTA – Georgia is preparing to implement a new approach to teaching reading in early grades.

Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed into law two literacy bills passed during this year’s legislative session.

About 36% of third graders in Georgia are reading below grade level, and about 17% of adults in the state lack basic literacy skills, according to results from the state’s 2022 Milestone Test.

The new laws aim to improve these numbers by introducing two related approaches to literacy instruction: “the science of reading” and “structured literacy.”

“Reading science is a type of relatively new term that encapsulates the role and need for systematic instruction in phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and comprehension and vocabulary,” said Sarah Woulfin, an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Texas-Austin.

“It’s become kind of a streamlined way of talking about evidence-based reading instruction, with the goal of changing reading instruction in a particular direction.”

“Structured literacy,” as defined in one of the new literacy laws, refers to an “evidence-based approach to teaching oral and written language…characterized by explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic instruction.”

The new law identifies six specific key topics: phonology, sound-symbol association, syllabic teaching, morphology, syntax and semantics.

“The idea is to provide guidance and strategic thinking for the delivery of literacy instruction,” said Matt Smith, director of policy and research at the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education (GPEE).

“We are talking about making reading instruction more systematic in the early grades. … There is a process. They screen and identify the students who have reading deficiencies.”

Many of these ideas have been around for decades and are already included in Georgia’s educational standards. However, the new laws require school districts to use evidence-based approaches and aim to ensure consistent implementation across the state.

Proponents of the approach argue that this is the key to ensuring educational equity.

“Literacy is the social justice issue of our time, and the science of reading is our best tool for achieving that,” said Ramona Brown, professional development trainer in reading science at the Atlanta Speech School’s Rollins Center for Language and Literacy.

“It is helpful to all students and harmful to no one, and … through these approaches, 95 percent of children learn to read, whether they are here in Atlanta or in Crisp County.”

“For the majority of children in our country, whether they have dyslexia or have not had access to opportunities for generations, or whether they speak English as a second language… we find from research that an overwhelming majority of children receive explicit instruction “needed,” added Ryan Lee-James, academic director of the Atlanta Speech School.

“The explicit nature of the lessons means we don’t leave things to chance or for you to figure it out for yourself.”

The high literacy goals of the new legislation must be supported by careful implementation at district and school levels to achieve results.

“There really needs to be a lot of systems, supports and resources in place so that people have the time and space to learn about these approaches that are being developed,” said Woulfin, a professor at the University of Texas.

“If there are not the appropriate professional learning opportunities for teachers and school leaders so that everyone has the time and space to learn these new curriculum materials and try these new approaches to teaching, at the end of the day, classroom practice is not going to change. “

“There’s a chance that this could work really well if different parts work together and connect together,” Smith added. “But there’s another kind of concern, which is that there’s a lot going on and so we have to stay on top of it because a lot of different things are going to be happening at the same time.”

One of the newly signed laws calls for the creation of a literacy council composed of lawmakers, educators and experts. Smith said this could be helpful in ensuring a consistent approach and keeping things on track.

“I am glad that both laws were passed at the same time because I think it will be mutually beneficial in terms of strategy, public communication on literacy and [and] also about the scientific, evidence-based components of reading,” he said.

Another potential obstacle to the success of the initiative is funding. There was no specific funding in the budget for the early literacy draft. It’s possible additional funding will be appropriated for the measure in next year’s legislative session.

Without the funding, the measure would amount to an “unfunded mandate,” said John Zauner, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association. He said as Mississippi sought to reverse its low literacy rate, the state supported the effort with millions of dollars, something currently lacking in Georgia.

“We always need resources to teach reading effectively,” added Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. “We need books in our classroom that speak to different levels.”

“We need to offer our students much more than just the standard textbook. … The books we have in our classrooms must reflect the diversity of our students in the world.”

When Chattahoochee County adopted a science of reading approach, a major commitment of resources was required, said Kristie Brooks, the county executive.

“It was a difficult task financially. And it’s also a difficult task in terms of time commitment,” Brooks said. “We have had two and a half years of intensive training, coaching and classroom modeling. It was so important that it was done right.”

Brooks said the investment was worth it for her district.

“We were just really pleased with the work that we saw,” she said.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.