The Reading Wars: Why There’s So Much Debate—and What Really Matters

If you’ve ever felt confused by the debate over how reading should be taught in schools, you’re not alone. “Whole language,” “balanced literacy,” “phonics,” “structured literacy”… it’s a lot to take in.

This debate, sometimes called “the reading wars”, centers on one major question: What’s the most effective way to teach children to read? Decades of research strongly supports explicit, systematic phonics instruction as a core teaching component, particularly for struggling readers. This method is part of what’s often referred to as the “Science of Reading.”

However, not all schools have fully shifted to evidence-based methods. This can leave some children, especially those with learning differences like dyslexia, without the instruction they need to succeed.

That’s where we come in. At Cohasset Learning Studio, we use structured, research-backed techniques to ensure that every student gets the tools and support they need to become a confident, capable reader, no matter what their classroom experience has been.