As a district literacy facilitator, I’ve seen how the right tools, strong collaborative teacher teams and rich instructional strategies can set students up for lifelong success in reading. But I’ve also seen how overwhelming it can be for school leaders to evaluate and choose the right early literacy program, knowing their decision affects an entire school community.
More and more states are now recognizing the importance of grounding instruction in the science of reading. We are seeing legislation in states, including in Wisconsin, requiring districts to adopt evidence-based reading programs, train teachers in structured literacy practices and monitor early literacy outcomes.
At the same time, teachers are facing the daily challenge of implementing these programs in early grades, where the stakes are high and students are just beginning to build foundational skills.
If your district is considering adopting a new reading program or strengthening the one you have, here are a few lessons we’ve learned in Wisconsin that might make your journey a little smoother.
1. Do your research
Not all reading programs are created equal. Before committing, take the time to explore what the science of reading tells us about how children learn to read. Look for programs with philosophies rooted in Scarborough’s reading rope and make sure the program has clear structures, growth expectations, systematic phonics instruction and opportunities for students to authentically practice what they learn.
That includes giving early readers access to texts they can actually read, often called “decodable readers.” These are especially useful in the early stages of learning to read, when kids need multiple, meaningful opportunities to apply foundational phonics concepts with confidence.
We’ve found particular value in resources like Charge into Reading, a decodable series that not only aligns directly with well-researched programs like Amplify’s CKLA and the University of Florida’s UFLI, but also incorporates robust phonics instruction with its supplemental classroom and take-home materials.
Too often, decodable books can feel dry or babyish, but what we’ve seen with these books is that when the stories are creative and thoughtfully written, students stay motivated and invested in their reading journey.
2. Bring everyone to the table
The most successful literacy programs aren’t chosen in silos. In our district, we’ve found that when literacy instruction is a shared responsibility, it becomes a shared success.
Tap into your district’s talent pool of innovators and thinkers. Involve learning coaches, classroom teachers, instructional aids, special educators, school psychologists, EL specialists—even your media center staff. Each person brings a unique and lived perspective on how to best support student success
3. Make implementation manageable
One of the biggest barriers to success is adopting a program without the proper support structures and people in place. Teachers are already stretched thin and a complicated program, no matter how good it looks on paper, can quickly lose momentum.
For this reason, choose something that is aligned to Tier 1 curriculum and doesn’t require a total overhaul of your school day. Offer bite-sized professional learning sessions and give staff time to collaborate and share ideas. Allowing for this collaboration during the adoption stage is crucial for long-term success and student results.
4. Make reading visible and accessible
Students need and deserve authentic time in text to apply the skills they are learning. One simple idea that’s worked wonders in our schools was creating decodable book bins.
The bins are organized by foundational skill focus or thematic topic and are stored in a common space for all teachers to access at any time. Think of them like a school-wide “Little Free Library.”
We need to be meeting all students where they are. This means crafting purposeful libraries with engaging and diverse texts. By providing high-quality decodable books at every level of reading, we encourage children not only to want to read but to feel empowered and encouraged to independently apply their new bank of literacy tools.
Final thought: You can do this
We didn’t transform foundational literacy in our district overnight. We started small, brought people together, picked resources thoughtfully and kept checking in on what the data told us was working—and what wasn’t.
Remember, literacy isn’t just a single classroom, single-subject issue—it’s a community effort. When we build the foundation together, we build better readers for life.
