Every Teacher a Reading Teacher: Retraining and Reimagining Literacy Instruction Districtwide

One of the most striking observations in my journey to implement the science of reading across my district has been the deep loyalty teachers have to balanced literacy practices. Despite the overwhelming research showing that balanced literacy practices don’t work, and despite our own district’s data proving its ineffectiveness, many teachers still hold onto these practices. So, why is this shift so hard? And what can we do to help teachers make the change?

Let’s first start by defining balanced literacy.

The term "balanced literacy" refers to an approach that blends phonics and whole language instruction for teaching reading and writing. However, critics contend that it lacks solid evidence to support its effectiveness and may even be detrimental. Often, balanced literacy programs do not provide the systematic phonics instruction that is essential for learning to read. The label "balanced" can be misleading, as these programs tend to prioritize whole language methods over phonics. Effective, evidence-based reading instruction should focus on structured and systematic phonics.

Behavior Changes Before Beliefs

As administrators, we can mandate new programs and tell teachers what to teach, but we all know that approach doesn’t go over well. When introducing shifts in practice, I try to build a shared vision that teachers can relate to and get on board with. Many will buy into the change right away, but others will resist. And if we want this shift to succeed, we need to bring everyone along for the journey.

So, how do we get the holdouts on board? I believe that when teachers see tangible evidence that new practices work, they’ll eventually buy in. But in the meantime, we need to focus on what we can do to support them. The answer lies in the teachers themselves. Programs can be helpful, but a good program becomes great when driven by knowledgeable, confident teachers.

Investing in Teacher Training

To successfully retrain teachers, districts must make a significant investment in professional development. This training must go beyond simply showing teachers how to implement a new program. Teachers need to understand why these shifts are happening, how the brain learns to read, and which instructional practices best support that development.

Classroom teachers are the frontline defense against reading difficulties. They’re tasked with identifying struggling students early, providing evidence-based interventions, monitoring progress, and adapting instruction based on data. This means teachers must have the skills to assess who needs help, determine the right interventions, and access the resources available in their school or district.

What We’re Doing in My District

Show Me the Money

I knew we needed a new Tier 1 program. I also knew we would have to figure out how to fund it. Securing money for new curriculum can be tough, especially when budgets are tight. We had to get creative. We started looking at all the other programs we were already spending significant amounts of money on. With the addition of the new program, many of these will not be needed. Another way to stretch money is choosing to do a slow rollout, adding 1 or 2 grades at a time. If you do this, I suggest starting in kindergarten and working your way up.

But funding a new program is just the beginning. Teachers need more than just training on how to teach it—they need ongoing, knowledge-building professional learning. While I can provide some training in-house, I can’t do it all alone.

Grow Your Own

In a district as large as mine, I can’t be in every building at once. So, I identified key educators in each school, built relationships with them, and began training them to support their colleagues. A good place to start is with your literacy specialists. This “train the trainer” approach is essential to scaling professional development across the district. These trained teachers serve as on-the-ground support for their peers, making it easier to implement changes and providing additional resources for teachers who need them.

Professional Learning: A Cohort Approach

The support within the building was extremely helpful when we rolled out our new assessments. The literacy specialists were there to help administer, score, and analyze the data with the teachers. However, learning about how the brain learns how to read, is an in-depth process. Louisa Moats has a famous quote in which she says: "Teaching reading is rocket science." Many of our teachers were trained in balanced literacy practices in college and have received that type of on-the-job training. We knew these teachers need a thorough training in how reading works. We also can't train everyone all at once. We decided to create cohorts of teachers to take part in SUNY New Paltz’s 35-hour, asynchronous microcredential course on the Science of Reading. After each module, teachers will meet with me in synchronous sessions, where they can reflect on what they’ve learned, collaborate with colleagues, share ideas, and analyze student data.  We’re prioritizing our most vulnerable student populations and starting with the teachers who serve them—reading specialists and special education teachers. We're also starting a 9th grade English cohort - more about that next week!

If you don’t have someone like me in your district, that’s okay! Find someone who’s well-versed in the science of reading and tap into their expertise. Work with them to organize synchronous sessions, so teachers can continue to grow and learn together. We’re prioritizing our most vulnerable student populations and starting with the teachers who serve them—reading specialists and special education teachers.

Partnerships with Local Colleges

In addition to our district-based training, I also adjunct at the local SUNY college. We’re exploring a partnership with the college to run a literacy clinic at our high school. Many teacher preparation programs require their students to complete tutoring hours, and this gives us an excellent opportunity to support our students while providing college students with real-world experience. It’s a win-win, and the best part? It’s free!

Conclusion

Creating a professional development plan that retrains teachers to embrace evidence-based practices requires intentional planning, investment, and ongoing support. It’s not enough to simply implement a new program; we must focus on building teacher knowledge, providing continuous learning opportunities, and offering practical support on the ground. By growing our own in-house experts and creating collaborative spaces for teachers to share and learn together, we can make this shift a reality and ultimately improve reading outcomes for all students. The work is tough, but with a well-designed plan, we can make a meaningful impact.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop our strategies and build partnerships that will help us achieve our goals!

References

Al Otaiba, S., Baker, K., Lan, P., Allor, J., Rivas, B., Yovanoff, P., & Kamata, A. (2019). Elementary teacher’s knowledge of response to intervention implementation: A preliminary factor analysis. Annals of Dyslexia, 69(1), 34-53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-018-00171-5

Desimone, L. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development towards better conceptualization and measures. Educational Researcher, 38(3), 181-199.

Fullan, M. (2011). Change leader: Learning to do what matters most. Jossey-Bass.

Lane, H. (2014). Evidence-based reading instruction for grades K-5. (Document No. IC-12). University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center. http://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/tools/innovation-configurations/

Shanahan, T. (2019, September 23). What do you think of the reading workshop? Or how not to teach reading comprehension. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-literacy/what-do-you-think-reading-workshop-or-how-not-teach-reading-comprehension