Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning
By Natalie Wexler
(ASCD, 2025 – Learn more)
Reviewed by Melinda Stewart
In Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning, Natalie Wexler presents a critical examination of how the science of reading has reshaped our understanding of literacy acquisition and just as importantly, how it has been misapplied in classrooms across the United States.
As an experienced journalist and education advocate, Wexler dives deep into the gap between academic research on reading and the way literacy instruction is often delivered in schools. Her goal is to bridge the gap, advocating for an approach that incorporates scientific research and practical application.
Wexler’s central thesis is that to achieve truly effective literacy instruction, the science of reading is insufficient on its own. Wexler underscores the need to address the broader cognitive and social dimensions of reading, including comprehension, critical thinking and the development of background knowledge.
Her argument highlights that these aspects are often neglected in current literacy practices that tend to focus too narrowly on decoding skills or the practice of strategies, failing to account for how children engage with and derive meaning from texts.
Wexler’s exploration of the disconnect between research and classroom practice is compelling, and her critique goes deeper than mere misalignment. She addresses the knowledge gap in education systems, where teachers are often asked to implement new strategies without a clear understanding of the theory behind them. For example, the lack of foundational knowledge about cognitive load theory and its impact on learning can lead to ineffective instructional practices, especially when literacy instruction fails to account for how working memory and attention capacity interact with new learning.
As a secondary educator, I was very intrigued by her exploration of how sentence-level instruction plays a crucial role in fostering reading comprehension. By providing students with the tools to decode and understand text structure of sentences, educators can help students better grasp the meaning of complex texts. This approach can significantly reduce cognitive load by helping students process information more efficiently, especially as they encounter more intricate sentence structures in higher grade texts.
Wexler firmly supports the science of reading as the foundation of literacy instruction, but she takes the science of reading “beyond” its traditional focus. She argues for cultivating a rich knowledge base that integrates both linguistic and world knowledge to assist all students and their ability to engage with texts. A content-rich curriculum is essential for helping students build the background knowledge needed to understand more complex texts as they progress in school.
Without considering that literacy is deeply influenced by prior knowledge and experiences, literacy instruction will continue to fall short, leaving students unable to connect with the material in meaningful ways.
Melinda Stewart has been an educator for 30 years. She has an MA in Teaching, Education and Learning and has done graduate work in the areas of English as a Second Language, Reading, Spanish, and most recently English Language Arts. She is currently working as a Spanish teacher and ELM coach at Fairmont Junior Senior High School. Melinda is an MEA and AFT professional development facilitator and trainer who has a deep passion for learning and equity.
