BOSTON – A national survey of more than 800 American parents(1) commissioned by Lexiaa part of cambium Learning group, and conducted online by The Harris Poll, found that just over half (51%) of parents strongly agree that their children’s teachers are adequately trained in the science of reading. However, Lexia’s own national survey of educators(2) found that only 27% of educators felt the same way.
“Understanding what parents are likely thinking about their child’s school and its faculty is valuable to school and district administrators,” said Lexia President Nick Gaehde. “And when it comes to the science of reading, the disconnect between parents’ perception of teacher preparedness and teachers’ sense of preparedness is pretty extreme. Only when we become aware of a situation can we move towards a solution.”
The term “reading science” refers to decades of research in fields such as cognitive science, linguistics, and neuroscience that identify best practices for teaching reading. Structured literacy is the approach to reading science research and includes components such as phonics, vocabulary building, and comprehension.
“In May, Education Week reported that 31 states and the District of Columbia had adopted laws and policies requiring early reading instruction to be aligned with the science of reading,” Gaehde continued. “Lexia’s tools and resources are based on the science of reading, so we are very pleased to see this large research base or decades of evidence receive this well-deserved recognition.”
Even parents have become aware of the value of the pedagogical approach. More than half (54%) of parents in the Harris Poll/Lexia survey believed it is very important for their child’s school to implement the science of reading and structured literacy principles into the curriculum.
“The national wave of interest in the science of reading is quite new,” Gaehde said. “On the other hand, the majority of educators we surveyed have been in the profession for more than six years. So while they use Lexia resources, the science of reading was not part of their knowledge base when they first entered the profession. Consequently, many teachers want to continue honing their skills in this area.”
Nearly half (49%) of educators in Lexia’s survey indicated they understood the importance of the science of reading and structured literacy, but wanted more training. A slightly smaller proportion (46%) said that what they needed most to feel successful was more training and professional development opportunities in the science of reading.
Other findings from the survey include:
● Less than half (48%) of parents in the Harris Poll/Lexia survey are very satisfied with the literacy program at their child’s school.
● The same proportion (48%) of parents say they are very or somewhat familiar with the science of reading and the principles of structured literacy.
● More than one-third (43%) of educators said that better teacher training (e.g., reading science training, technology-driven education, etc.) would help their students be at or below grade level. above during the 2023-24 school year.
● More than two-thirds (69%) of educators felt it was important that products that support literacy instruction be based on the science of reading.
Lexia Educator Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online within the United States by the Lexia Learning research team from May 9 to June 14, 2023, among 862 Lexia users, including classroom teachers and building and district administrators, who logged into myLexia in the 30 days prior to survey implementation.
Harris Poll/Lexia Survey Methodology for Parents:
This poll was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Lexia Learning June 14-21, 2023, among 877 U.S. parents of children attending school in the fall and entering pre-K-12th qualification. The sampling precision of Harris online surveys is measured using a Bayesian credibility interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to +/-4.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected]
About Lexia Learning
Lexia®, part of Cambium Learning Group, is a leader in the science of reading-based solutions. For nearly 40 years, the company has focused on preschool through 12th grade literacy and today offers solutions for students and educators. With a comprehensive professional learning offering, curriculum and integrated assessment, Lexia helps more students read, write and speak with confidence. For more information visit www.lexialearning.com.
About Cambium Learning Group
Cambium Learning Group is the education building blocks company providing award-winning educational technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the most essential elements for educational success, offering simpler, safer solutions that make a significant difference right now.
For more information, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia® Learning, Learning AZ®, Voyager Sopris Learning®, ExploreLearning®, Time4Learning® and Kurzweil Education®.
(1) Defined as parents who have a child entering prek-12.th grade who will attend school for the 2023-2024 school year
(2) Defined as educators, classroom teachers, and building and district administrators, who use Lexia literacy products.
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