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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 20h

“We identified over 200 programs that teach at least three of the five core components of scientifically based reading instruction right alongside at least one contrary practice.”

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 20h

Teacher preparation in America is such a mess.

“@NCTQ’s analysis revealed that 40% of teacher prep programs are still teaching two or more practices that are incompatible with scientifically based reading instruction.”

www.nctq.org/research-ins...

Is Mississippi cooking the books?

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 2d

Kelsey Piper (the author of the piece above) and I just teamed up to provide more detail on the Mississippi outcomes, and in short, this piece debunks any possibility that Mississippi’s testing cohort is influencing its success story:

open.substack.com/pub/theargum...

No. The skeptics are wrong. The Southern Surge is real.

Illiteracy is a policy choice

Reposted by Karen Vaites

Lakshya Jain @lakshya.splitticket.org · 14d

By many independent standards, Mississippi’s educational standards now exceed California’s.

Illiteracy is a policy choice.

www.theargumentmag.com/p/illiteracy...

Why aren’t we gathering behind Mississippi’s banner?

www.theargumentmag.com

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 2d

Highly recommended reading:

Christopher Huffaker @huffakingit.bsky.social · 3d

In yesterday's Boston Globe Magazine: My story on the Southern Surge and the Northern Nosedive.

New England schools are failing — and ‘nobody seems to care’ - The Boston Globe

Our math and reading scores have been declining for a decade. The “Southern Surge” should be a wake-up call.

www.bostonglobe.com

Reposted by Karen Vaites

Christopher Huffaker @huffakingit.bsky.social · 3d

In yesterday's Boston Globe Magazine: My story on the Southern Surge and the Northern Nosedive.

New England schools are failing — and ‘nobody seems to care’ - The Boston Globe

Our math and reading scores have been declining for a decade. The “Southern Surge” should be a wake-up call.

www.bostonglobe.com

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 2d

The Mississippi success story is regularly misrepresented – dismissed as fluke or fakery, or reduced to “just phonics.”

Kelsey Piper and I are having none of it.

We tag-teamed on this new piece for The Argument magazine:

open.substack.com/pub/theargum...

Is Mississippi cooking the books?

No. The skeptics are wrong. The Southern Surge is real.

a cartoon girl is laying on a bed holding a book and the words pretty please are behind her

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

And @katonv.bsky.social has made upper grades her superpower, I know she will have things to add.

Please share your favorite reads and podcast episodes in the replies?

@mjliben.bsky.social @abbyteachesdsm.bsky.social @shannonsaglio.bsky.social @tinaengberg.bsky.social @missypurcell.bsky.social

ALT: a cartoon girl is laying on a bed holding a book and the words pretty please are behind her

media.tenor.com

What does the science of reading look like in high school (part 1 of many)?

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

I also recommend the @katasolow.bsky.social Science of Reading classroom substack highly.

They just published a 3-part series on science of reading in HS, for example: scienceofreadingclassroom.substack.com/p/what-does-...

What does the science of reading or structured literacy look like in high school?

scienceofreadingclassroom.substack.com

Cracking the Code Behind Dismal 8th Grade Reading Scores

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

Robert Pondiscio wrote about it here:
open.substack.com/pub/thenext3...

Compelling evidence suggests students hit a "decoding threshold" below which reading comprehension grinds to a halt. Fixing it won't be easy.

How to Help Older Students Who Struggle to Read

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

Rebecca Kockler’s work suggests that the ability to decode multisyllabic words is major factor in literacy success. Huge implications for upper grades screening and intervention. We can’t talk about it enough.

@natwexler.bsky.social wrote about it here: nataliewexler.substack.com/p/how-to-hel...

Many students above third grade need help deciphering words with multiple syllables

nataliewexler.substack.com

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

I’m getting this Q a lot, and I may pull together a reading list blog, BC there is a LOT of good content coming out right now specific to upper grades.

Let’s start with some crowdsourcing!

As for new research, the most striking thing reading is the decoding threshold research…

🧵

a woman in a blue dress with #schitts creek on the bottom right

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

My thoughts:

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 4d

Overdue leadership transition at EdReports:

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 8d

A literacy post in Blue Sky!

ALT: a woman in a blue dress with #schitts creek on the bottom right

media.tenor.com

Is the Science of Reading Community Anti-Book?

Reposted by Karen Vaites

Tom K @gctom.bsky.social · 9d

When I taught 5th grade at FCPS in Maryland, I was shocked that their language arts curriculum (Into Reading) did not include any books.

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 10d

I’ve been surprised to find discover hesitation about value of whole books in SO Reading spaces.

Also, both orgs reviewing curriculum don’t consider the use of whole books in reviews. EdReports & Reading League both give high marks to curricula lacking books. 😳

open.substack.com/pub/curricul...

We didn’t think so, but reactions to our column on book-starved curriculum got us thinking.

Were You Assigned Full Books to Read in High School English? Tell Us.

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

I was pleased to learn that Dana has read my writeup on elementary and middle school curricula. But the explanation she gave about focusing on HS first just doesn’t make sense.

My rationale below:

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

I was pleased to learn that Dana has read my writeup on elementary and middle school curricula. But the explanation she gave about focusing on HS first just doesn’t make sense.

My rationale below:

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

More here:

bsky.app/profile/kare...

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

I would implore you to broaden your focus.

HS ELA is a problem, but the call is coming from inside the elementary & middle school buildings.

I recently wrote about the issue of book-starved elementary/MS curriculum, to capture the issue:

1/2

open.substack.com/pub/curricul...

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Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

Good news: it looks like NYT will cover the issue of books going missing from US classrooms.

Bad news: they are only focused on high school. But the call is coming from the elementary and school buildings, too.

Pls join me in encouraging @danagoldstein.bsky.social to broaden her focus.

Dana Goldstein @danagoldstein.bsky.social · 14d

Were you or your kids assigned full books to read in high school English — novels, nonfiction or plays from beginning to end — or mostly shorter excerpts? We are digging into this very controversial maybe-trend and need your help:

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/u...

www.nytimes.com

Karen Vaites @karenvaites.bsky.social · 12d

I would implore you to broaden your focus.

HS ELA is a problem, but the call is coming from inside the elementary & middle school buildings.

I recently wrote about the issue of book-starved elementary/MS curriculum, to capture the issue:

1/2

open.substack.com/pub/curricul...