Implementing the science of reading is about far more than adopting a new curriculum. In this reflection, I share two very different implementation stories from my own district—one successful and one that fell short—and the leadership lessons I learned along the way. Through honest reflection, I explore the difference between teacher buy-in and teacher ownership, why ownership is essential for lasting change, and how school leaders can create the conditions that allow evidenc

What if professional learning wasn't something educators attended, but something they experienced together? In this week's Sundays with Sarah, I reflect on the power of mentorship through the KCSD Summer Literacy Academy—a partnership that brings together students, teacher candidates, practicing teachers, and future administrators in a shared learning community. When educators at different stages of their careers learn alongside one another, everyone benefits. New teachers ga

Vocabulary is more than word lists and weekly quizzes. This Father's Day, reflect on the conversations, experiences, and shared moments that shape the words we know and the knowledge we carry. In this installment of The Science of Reading in Action, explore how vocabulary develops through meaningful experiences, why connecting words to concepts matters, and practical ways educators can create language-rich classrooms where words truly stick. Read the full post on Substack and

From Knowing Better to Teaching Better "They can read all the words." It's one of the most common phrases educators hear. But accurate reading and fluent reading are not the same thing. In this installment of The Science of Reading in Action, Doc Holbrook explores why fluency is the bridge between decoding and comprehension, practical routines teachers can use tomorrow, and how school leaders can recognize strong fluency instruction in action. Read the full post on Substack a

From Knowing Better to Teaching Better Most educators know phonics instruction should be explicit, systematic, and cumulative. But what does that actually look like in practice? In this installment of The Science of Reading in Action, Doc Holbrook explores what effective phonics instruction sounds like in classrooms, why consistency matters more than finding the "perfect" program, and what administrators should be looking for during classroom walkthroughs. Read the full post

Why so many bright students reach high school without ever truly learning how to write The other day, my daughter announced that she wanted to apply to a few Ivy League schools. And of course, Oxford. (I mean… who doesn’t want to go to Oxford?) She is in ninth grade. Extremely bright. School has always come easily to her. She was one of those children who, at four years old, simply started reading. No struggle. No intervention. No concern. Like many parents of high schoolers,

This past month I had the opportunity to contribute to a vision paper on adolescent literacy put together by StoryShares. For years, adolescent literacy has been ignored. Students who reach adolescence are deemed too old to learn how to read. Schools look for ways to ‘push them through’ rather than remediate the problem. For many reasons, teaching adolescents to read is much more difficult than teaching elementary-age students. Things like teaching the state standards, dema

A Mother’s Day Reflection on Language, Literacy, and the Power of Libraries By Doc Holbrook Once a Week, We Went to the Library Once a week, we went to the library. That was just what we did. We checked out books. In the summer, we signed up for reading challenges. And as I got older, I remember the excitement of finally venturing to the other side of the library, where the adult books were kept. It felt important somehow, like crossing into something bigger. I remember how t

After hearing Timothy Shanahan speak at Nassau BOCES, I kept coming back to one idea: improving reading achievement is not just about curriculum. It is about time, systems, priorities, and people. If students who are behind need significantly more instructional time to catch up, schools have to ask themselves an honest question: Where do those minutes come from, and who is teaching during them?

Why is it so hard to let go of writers workshop? Doc Holbrook examines the root of teacher resistance, the need for explicit writing instruction, and how leaders can guide teachers through instructional change.

We knew early—and we waited. This blog unpacks what happens when schools delay support, why early identification matters, and how targeted, explicit instruction can change the trajectory for every struggling reader.

Secondary classrooms are full of mixed reading abilities. Learn practical, no-fail strategies English teachers can use to help students access complex texts without lowering expectations

Grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside visiting fellow Dr. Antonio Fierro. A powerful reminder from our time together: we are all teachers of language.

Grateful to have Deon Butler with us this week. His message was clear: the streets are loud, but education has to be louder. Powerful conversations with our students that we won’t forget. This week, we had the privilege of welcoming Deon Butler into our schools. Deon is a former NFL player who learned how to read at the age of 27. He is now a motivational speaker and author of the book A Gift and a Curse. He spoke to our middle school students. He sat with our high school rea

What if summer school wasn’t about fun or failure—but about time? This post reimagines summer as a strategic opportunity to accelerate learning through high-impact tutoring, data-driven decisions, and a flexible, sustainable model that works for both students and teachers.

How schools can grow oral language through read-alouds, conversation, and knowledge building—and why it matters for reading development.

A Question I Keep Coming Back To Across New York State, districts are creating Portraits of a Graduate . The language is inspiring. Schools want graduates who are critical thinkers, effective communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. The vision is thoughtful and well-intentioned. But I keep coming back to a simple question. What does a portrait of a graduate mean if a student cannot read proficiently? Because every single competency in a portrait of a graduate depend

Systemwide change and structured literacy don’t happen in silos. This post explores mentorship, partnerships, and how teams build sustainable educational change together.

Upper-grade literacy systems have learned how to teach students to crack the code. What we haven’t learned yet is how to bring them back into learning after years of missed reading, knowledge-building, and time in complex text.

Across diverse educational settings — urban, rural, and global — the science of reading holds. While resources, structures, and systems vary widely, the instructional principles that support literacy development are universal. The challenge is not determining what works, but ensuring that evidence-based practices are accessible, sustainable, and responsive to local contexts.