{"id":572974,"date":"2021-06-08T06:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T10:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/?post_type=article&p=572974"},"modified":"2021-06-23T10:51:51","modified_gmt":"2021-06-23T14:51:51","slug":"how-covid-reshaped-the-reading-wars-in-texas-educators-say-more-structured-science-of-reading-approach-worked-best-during-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.the74million.org\/article\/how-covid-reshaped-the-reading-wars-in-texas-educators-say-more-structured-science-of-reading-approach-worked-best-during-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"How COVID Reshaped the Reading Wars in Texas: Educators Say More Structured \u2018Science of Reading\u2019 Approach Worked Best During Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cT<\/span>igers, today we\u2019re going to keep unpacking the alphabetic code,\u201d said first grade San Antonio teacher Victor De La Cerda, teaching a reading lesson to a lively group of six year olds\u2014some in person, others in Zoom boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatch my mouth,\u201d De La Cerda says as he makes a long \u201cu\u201d sound.<\/p>\n

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(Screenshot courtesy of Victor De La Cerda)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Intermittent with group drum rolls created by childrens\u2019 fingers rapidly tapping tables, the class identifies words with a long \u201cu,\u201d which can be spelled four different ways. Today they will focus on the spelling \u201cu_e\u201d as in \u201ccute.\u201d<\/p>\n

If they don\u2019t master it this time\u2014 for one of the million reasons a kid learning during the pandemic might miss a concept\u2014it\u2019s okay. The class will revisit the skill soon, as part of a future lesson.<\/p>\n

This structured approach is one of many reasons De La Cerda was already sold on the \u201cscience of reading,\u201d which he learned in graduate school.<\/p>\n

As a first-grade teacher in Texas, he\u2019s smack dab in the middle of what some have called<\/a> the latest chapter in the Reading Wars, the multi-decade battle \u2014 freshly complicated by the pandemic \u2014 over whether structure or curiosity best teaches kids to read.<\/p>\n

The science of reading uses a strict regimen of skills and steps to connect the parts of the brain involved in reading. Compare this to a chef who strictly follows recipes to ensure a final dish reaching the desired consistency and flavor.<\/p>\n

On the other side are balanced literacy proponents who prefer the more customized approach of reading levels and groups. These are like chefs who, knowing the principles of cooking, rely on seasoning to taste and adding ingredients as necessary until the dish is ready to be served. They say rigid adherence to the science of reading method robs young readers of their joy, making the classroom a dreary, disengaging place.<\/p>\n

As San Antonio school officials turn their attention toward the 2021-22 academic year and recovery efforts to catch kids up, they hope to convince still-hesitant teachers to believe in the practicality and facility of the science of reading method.<\/p>\n