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For more than 25 years, the AFT has been a leader in bringing the science of reading to life: By helping teachers identify trustworthy research, master essential practices, and expand their classroom libraries. By giving books to kids and offering families practical tips for boosting their children’s skills. By guiding policymakers toward what works.
American Educator has supported that effort, from our special issue on the unique power of reading in 1998, to our focus on family engagement in literacy in 2023, to Natalie Wexler’s article in this issue. To catch up on a few dozen of our favorite articles on literacy, see the “reading” section of our subject index.
In this new column, every spring and fall we’ll highlight resources—from the AFT, educators, researchers, and anyone else well versed in evidence-based reading instruction—to ensure the highest quality information reaches the widest possible audience. As we debut this column, we’re sharing the great materials our union offers.
Behind the scenes, the AFT has been and remains a crucial partner for two major websites devoted to highly effective reading instruction:
Reading Universe is a comprehensive site for learning to bring the science of reading and writing to life in your classroom. It has videos showing real instruction—such as “Teaching the Digraph ‘th’ ” featuring AFT member Katina Johnson—as well as ready-to-use teaching strategies, interviews with educators and researchers, and more. Reading Universe also shows how all the different literacy skills are related. Using its taxonomy, educators engage in a structured, cumulative approach to reading and writing instruction.
Colorín Colorado is the most widely used website for educators and families of students learning English as a second language. It has tips for families in several languages—including Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese—booklists that celebrate students’ languages and cultures, and an extensive set of ready-to-use guides for teachers, including classroom videos. For example, in one video, AFT member Anne Formato previews vocabulary with her high school English learners to prepare them to read a letter by Captain John Smith.
For in-depth professional development on evidence-based reading instruction, the AFT offers both online and in-person courses. With 11 courses to choose from—including “Reading Interventions 101,” “Supporting Students with Dyslexia,” and “Content-Area Writing Instruction in the 6–12 Classroom”—you’ll be sure to find what you need to reach all of your students. And because families reading together is vital for fostering a lifelong love of reading, the AFT also offers a series of parent and caregiver workshops on topics from read-alouds in early childhood to connecting with teens. As one parent said, “It opened my eyes to engage with my kids more and use devices less.” To learn more about these courses and how to access them, check out the AFT’s professional development catalog.
One of the AFT’s most exciting initiatives is Reading Opens the World: We’re making sure all kids have their very own books! Since 2011, the AFT and First Book have given out nearly 11 million books to children at events across the country that celebrate the love of reading. Learn more by visiting aft.org/read. If you’d like to host a Reading Opens the World event, ask your local union leader to fill out this form.
If you’re ready to move into literacy policy, advocacy, or legislation, check out the Albert Shanker Institute’s resources for bringing the science of reading to scale. Since 2022, the institute has tracked and analyzed states’ efforts to strengthen reading instruction through legislation and reviewed pending bills for AFT state federation leaders in California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Drawing on this work, the institute has developed evidence-aligned policy recommendations and a publicly available database of model legislative language. The institute recently launched a series of papers exploring advances in reading science and their implications for educators. The first paper, by leading researcher Maryanne Wolf, examines how brain science informs reading instruction. The institute also regularly publishes blog posts on the more than 500 literacy bills it has examined over the past four years and other pressing issues in literacy.
If you have resources related to the science of reading or would like to share your experiences implementing evidence-based reading instruction, contact the American Educator team at ae@aft.org.