{"id":2831,"date":"2023-05-15T16:55:32","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T16:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=2831"},"modified":"2023-05-15T17:09:24","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T17:09:24","slug":"report-outdated-reading-curricula-impedes-wisconsin-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wifamily.news\/?p=2831","title":{"rendered":"REPORT: Outdated Reading Curricula Impedes Wisconsin Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared at https:\/\/will-law.org\/report-outdated-reading-curricula-impedes-wisconsin-students\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

WILL\u2019s review of reading scores and outdated lesson plans show big changes are needed in Wisconsin\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The News<\/span><\/b>: <\/span>The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) just released a new policy brief and parent resource, <\/span>Trust the Science? The Use of Outdated Reading Curricula in Wisconsin Schools<\/span><\/a>. In this brief, we explore the correlation between the use of \u201cW<\/span>hole Language\u201d lesson plans and lower reading proficiency, controlling for other factors.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the newly released report, WILL has updated its <\/span>School Scorecard Dashboard<\/span><\/a> to include school district reading curricula. We believe that giving accurate, easy-to-access information about our school districts is critical to the future of education in Wisconsin.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Quote<\/span><\/b>: WILL Research Director, Will Flanders, stated \u201cReading is a fundamental skill that every successful citizen must have. Right now, outdated \u2018Whole Language\u2019 teaching methods dominate many school curricula, and our findings show reading proficiency suffers because of it. We believe in empowering parents to know what their child is learning and support Wisconsin\u2019s efforts to adopt a \u2018science-based\u2019 curricula.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why It Matters: <\/span><\/b>Wisconsin\u2019s reading proficiency is suffering, while o<\/span>ther states have seen their reading scores improve after adopting lesson plans modeled after \u201cThe Science of Reading.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Governor Evers vetoed several bills last session that would have required Wisconsin districts to move away from whole language curricula. As this issue continues to be a priority for policymakers and an important topic for families around the state, WILL\u2019s research provides\u2014for the first time\u2014a statewide look at what curricula districts are using for reading, and whether this choice has improved or lowered reading proficiency levels.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Science of Reading\u201d is a \u201cback to the basics\u201d approach that is focused on learning phonics,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>increasing vocabulary, and sounding out words rather than the context-clue based \u201cguessing\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>techniques that characterize the popular \u201cWhole Language\u201d approach.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To learn what curricula your district is using, check out WILL\u2019s School Scorecard at <\/span>www.knowmyschoolwi.com<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Key Findings & Solutions:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n