Let’s Talk Reading: The Science of Reading and Montessori

Montessori and the Science of Reading is at the top of many teachers’ minds these days. Many educators report a larger gap in reading achievement since Covid. In addition, new legislation in many states has created mandates for public schools and generated questions around best practice for reading instruction in private schools. How do we support struggling readers as numbers grow? In a Montessori classroom, the environment is a teacher. Elementary students need to be able to read to access the materials and gain the independence and autonomy that will help them thrive as masters of their own education.

”Science of Reading” is a hot topic. It is now written into legislation in my own state, and has come with mandated professional development for teachers (even for those that don’t teach literacy). Therefore, it’s been controversial (to say the least). Teachers have picketed at the statehouse at the same time organizations scramble to create the PD opportunities people will need for continued or new licensure.

I have a master’s degree in reading, a Reading Specialist license, an AMS Reading Certificate, and am Orton-Gillingham trained at the comprehensive and intermediate levels. Back when I started my reading instruction journey, the phrase “science of reading” was not a proper noun—it just meant following the research, and this is what I have always been passionate about. I read studies on literacy instruction at breakfast. I have open office hours to talk literacy with parents…I joyfully embrace the label “Reading Instruction Nerd”!

Over the last 20 years, though, I’ve seen many trends in reading instruction come and go. In the 80’s, whole language was “the only right way” to teach reading. Then some moved to phonics. Now it’s Science of Reading. Is this the answer we’ve all been looking for?

Well, it’s a lot closer than the others have been!

What is the Science of Reading?

The Science of Reading is based in a belief that practice should follow research. That means that the system is not static, but constantly evolves as research demonstrates new ideas or changes in results. This dynamic approach means it is not a formulaic algorithm that can be mapped out in advance. It means that literacy teachers are scientists. Instead of focusing on exact lesson plans, Science of Reading PD is focused on teaching educators the metacognition and break-down of the processes and skills required for reading.

The key thing to note is that the Science of Reading (and modern research) support that for a majority of students, explicit instruction is vital to nurturing skilled readers. Sometimes I hear Montessorians cringe because they think that explicit instruction is “not Montessori” because it’s too teacher-led. However, here are some examples of very explicit instruction in these areas already built into the Early Childhood curriculum:

• Sandpaper letter lessons-it doesn’t get much more explicit that many repetitions of three period lessons!
• The I Spy Game-a phonemic awareness exercise designed to prime children for reading.
• Matching cards-building student word recognition on a foundation of phonics.

Components of Science of Reading

There is a danger of this explicit instruction fading at the elementary level if we don’t intentionally continue it. It is important to note that reading in Italian (the language of Dr. Montessori’s curriculum) is much “easier” than reading in English, due to the shallow orthologs of the language. This has been recognized for many years, and the Pink, Blue, and Green series was developed to extend the phonics and word recognition curriculum into the elementary years to acknowledge that mastering reading in English takes more than a couple of cycles. However, this fails to acknowledge other areas that research shows are vital to being a skilled reader. The Science of Reading uses an infographic called the “Reading Rope” to demonstrate this (see below).

Skilled reading, for many students, requires explicit instruction in:

• Language Comprehension
  • Background knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Language Structures
  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Literacy knowledge
• Word Recognition
  • Phonological Awareness
  • Decoding
  • Sight Recognition of Words

Together, these skills work to build strategic thinking and automaticity for readers (both required for comprehension). The June 2024 issue of the Montessori Minds Professional Development Newsletter will focus on resources for professional development aligned with the Science of Reading, designed to help educators understand the complexities of literacy and feel confident and well-resourced as they support their students.

A Caveat…

One last note: while I support all the components of the Reading Rope and the Science of Reading and believe they are an essential part of instruction for many children, there is still one area of the Science of Reading I just can’t quite get on board with…

While this is the most legitimate reading instruction wave I have experienced (and I would say is finally not a fad driven by curriculum sales companies or lobbyists, at least mostly), it is still being treated with the same hyperbole as the trends that came before. It is “all or nothing” language. Whole-language skills such as picture cues and context clues are now dirty words. This is where I have to personally draw a line.

While those skills are no SUBSTITUTE for explicit, strategic reading instruction, there is still a place for them in the world. Not all of the text students will be asked to read (on three part cards for example) is designed as part of a literacy development continuum. They need back-pocket strategies for words they encounter that they do not yet have the strategic competencies for. This is the same reason we teach sight words—it’s not that they don’t follow rules, it’s that children need them NOW, so we teach them through memorization, out of order from the explicit instruction that will help them make sense later. At these moments, if strategically using headers, pictures, or context clues will help crystalize an unfamiliar word and build comprehension of the overall text for a student, then by all means I want students to use them! There is nothing more limiting than trying to categorize useful strategies as off-limits and no longer legitimate.

I believe educators can be trusted to understand that there is a time and place for these skills, and that explicit instruction in all areas of the Reading Rope is king, in their literacy instruction. Let’s not put ourselves in a box. Scientists follow the data, not mandates, and isn’t that what the Science of Reading is encouraging us to be? In my mind, this in itself makes it a natural pairing for Montessori, in which we are encouraged to be the “scientist, servant, and saint” for our students.

Follow along with the Let’s Talk Reading series by subscribing to the blog! Have upcoming articles delivered right to your inbox.