Reading doesn’t come naturally. It’s a sophisticated skill that has to be taught and learned. It requires guidance and a lot of practice.

It's also a fundamental skill. Every student has to make the jump to reading. As discussed in Lesson 2.7, some kids struggle more than others. Ensuring that all kids can read — including those that struggle — is a fundamental responsibility of the education system. Kids learn to read so that they can read to learn.

Beyond the act of reading, it is increasingly vital for students to develop media literacy, the capacity to apply critical thinking when reading or watching material.

What are reading standards?

English literacy in education

The Common Core standards establish expectations that are broader than English class: they set requirements for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.

From about 6th grade on, teachers in history, science, and other subjects help students develop literacy skills through practice. Students develop English skills in many classes — not just in English class. For example, the standards don’t say a student has to take physics. But if a student does take physics, then the teacher needs to supplement content information with instruction on how to read the textbook, write about the subject, and so on.

The Common Core defines a set of capacities that students need to exhibit with increasing "fullness and regularity" (Yes, it's education jargon, but read on. We explain.)

To provide guidance to school districts and curriculum developers, in 2014 the state officially adopted a curriculum framework that sets out expectations for textbooks and other instructional materials. The framework is aligned with the standards.

School districts approve their own materials.

School districts have the authority to certify that the materials they select are aligned with the standards. This was a big change; prior to 2013, materials had to be reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education.

In the Ed100 Blog:
Too many kids can't read

California has a weak record when it comes to literacy. In 2019, California placed 41st in the nation on 4th grade reading and 39th in the nation on 8th grade reading. In late 2022, EdSource ran a special report about the crisis. Effective change will require coordinated action throughout the system, including better learning materials, seriousness about the science of reading, and attention to results.

English Learners

In California, more than 40% of public school children speak a language other than English as their first language. In education-speak, these students are called English Learners (EL) or English Language Learners (ELL).

In California, more than 40% of public school children are "English Learners" who speak a language other than English as their first language.

Schools gauge students' progress toward fluency using a relatively new set of tests, the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC, pronounced ELL-pack). After an initial assessment, students are tested annually to evaluate their progress. When a student scores high enough, teachers and parents may reclassify them as fluent.

Schools and districts must support literacy development

If your school has more than twenty English Learners, according to California law it must set up an English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC, pronounced "EE-lack"). This committee's purpose is to advise your school's leadership, particularly when it comes to determining the goals expressed in the School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA, usually pronounced "SIPsuh").

Your school district is also required to have a similar district-level committee (DELAC, pronounced "DEE-lack") to advise the district's school board on programs and services for English Learners. This advice is meant to include input on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP — see Lesson 7.10). The ELAC and DELAC may be particularly important if your district is expanding programs for bilingual education based on the 2017 passage of Proposition 58.

Research about English Learning in California has been difficult because of the limitations of California's education data systems. In 2018, the Getting Down to Facts II studies suggested that English Learners are probably more likely than other California students to be taught by early career teachers. In their conclusion, the authors argue for more clarity:

If your school district has a pattern of assigning inexperienced teachers to schools with high concentrations of English Learners, your Site Council, ELAC and DLAC should be talking about it. School districts are obligated to provide cost-free training to members of ELACs and DELACs. (Ahem... May we point out that Ed100 is available in English and Spanish? If your ELAC members aren't aware of Ed100, please drop them a note!)

Bilingual education

In November 2012, the State Board of Education adopted a set of English Language Development standards to help guide instruction for English learners.

California's English Learner Roadmap, created in 2017, sets out a path for improving instruction for English language learners. In 2018, research conducted for the Getting Down to Facts II project suggested a to-do list that includes stronger investment in programs to prepare bilingual teachers and improved access to preschool for English learners.

The changing politics of multilingual education

Bilingual education used to be controversial in California. In 1998, voters passed an initiative (Proposition 227) that required nearly all California public school instruction to be conducted in English. Times change. In 2016, voters reversed course and overwhelmingly repealed the ban. Schools now may choose how to teach English learners, whether in English–only, bilingually, or in other types of programs.

Educators in California are not limited to teaching in English

The California State Department of Education embraced the policy change with a plan titled Global California 2030. In describing the goals of the program, the CDE declared that "By 2030, we want half of all K–12 students to participate in programs leading to proficiency in two or more languages, either through a class, a program, or an experience."

(Ed100 Lesson 6.16 provides research on the importance of biliteracy skills, and on the California State Seal of Biliteracy).

Phonics and the reading wars

In the Ed100 blog
2024 legislation failed, again, to close California’s early reading gap

English teachers lack nothing when it comes to passion for their work. Prolonged disagreement about how best to teach elementary English has been dubbed the reading wars.

The debate has been widely simplified as a question of approach: should all students be taught to sound out words phonetically (the phonics camp) or it is enough for students to recognize words in context (the whole language camp).

Researchers have concluded that the phonics advocates are basically right. California's weak results in language arts are partly the result of a long embrace of a reading strategy that doesn't work for all kids. Whole language teaching methods on their own don't tend to work well for struggling readers or students with reading issues. In order to read, students need to be able to decode words and comprehend language. Meanwhile, publishers have attempted to skirt the conflict by developing materials that include elements of both approaches.

For much more about the Reading Wars, listen to the podcast series Sold a Story from American Public Media.

Does reading matter anymore?

The digital era has brought new thinking: what constitutes “reading” and how does that play into how we define literacy? Now, you might be thinking the answer is pretty simple. Students with reading literacy skills can look at words on a page and answer questions about the content, right? But what about content from videos, audio, or other digital sources? Surely comprehension of non-written sources has some role in students’ overall literacy. Teachers, education policymakers and test designers are currently grappling with how large a role that will be.

For now, at least, reading remains the primary skill that matters for test scores and progress in school. As time goes on, the debate might be settled in the same way the reading wars weren't: Elements of both reading skills and digital skills will be included, probably without clear guidance. So, how can you best support the literacy development of your child right now?

Media Literacy

It's dangerously easy to assume that things you read or see are true. Schools play an important and growing role in teaching students how to see through biases and discern truth from untruth. In 2023, as generative artificial intelligence tools (A.I.) began to become widely available, the California legislature wrestled with policy options to quickly insert media literacy into curriculum frameworks.

Next steps for developing English language skills

Literacy starts at home. The earlier the better. There is some evidence that children from high-income families are exposed to more words than children from families on welfare — the gap was once reckoned to be as large as 30 million words. Research now indicates that reading to children builds richer language skills than talking with them. It makes sense: The language in books is usually more enriching than everyday speech.

How is your school supporting English Learners? This advocacy guide from EdTrust-West helps parents and communities know their rights.

Schools and parent groups can do a lot to support literacy at home. For example, Reading Rockets provides downloadable fliers in many languages. The California State PTA provides grade level guides to help parents understand Common Core literacy standards and see if their children are on track.

Next we’ll look at fluency of a different sort: science, technology, engineering, and math, known in edu-lingo as the "STEM" subjects.

Updated April 2024