Editorial: California schools should adopt science of reading

Too many of California’s children cannot read. Schools must do things differently to change that, and they should start with the “science of reading,” an evidence-based approach backed by the governor and state lawmakers.

Prior to the pandemic, student reading performance was trending upward, albeit slowly. Then COVID-19 brought school closures, and reading performance fell. The 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress found that fewer than 30% of fourth graders and eighth graders qualify as proficient readers.