Integrating Quality Literature With Instruction Based in the Science of Reading

Abstract

The main focus of this chapter is to provide teachers with ideas to support students' right to read while utilizing a structured literacy approach to instruction. To address a nationwide lack of reading proficiency, many states have passed legislation mandating the use of science of reading methods, including structured literacy instruction. Critics of the science of reading argue that the focus on the core reading principles within structured literacy “kills the love and joy of reading,” and educators often use this belief to justify using reading practices that lack documented evidence of success. Yet, researchers have found that the stronger reading skills a person possesses, the more they enjoy reading. Using global books with the elements of structured literacy helps us protect children's right to read while giving them the skills necessary to develop reading proficiency.