"Foundations First: Reclaiming Reading and Math through Proven Instruction"
House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education
2025-09-03
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Source: Congress.gov
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For years, for decades, countless young people in this country received literacy instruction that was not science-based and did not promote the mastery needed for success in school and in life. But now, in almost every state in America, science-backed literacy instruction has prevailed. Still, progress has been uneven, and there's unfortunately still much work to do to see that best practices are followed in states and districts across the country. And more recently, we are seeing the same type of mistakes repeated when it comes to math. The latest nation's report card reflects this limited progress, showing that both fourth grade and eighth grade reading scores dropped 5% compared to 2019. Math scores dropped three points for fourth graders and eight points for eighth graders. These low scores are part of a longer-term trend of poor performance in the US. Essentially, all scores on the NAEP long-term trend assessment have nearly flatlined since 1971. International comparisons paint the same troubling picture. A recent international assessment showed that American 15-year-old students are below average in math among nations across the world. Now, there are many reasons for this decline, but one major reason, which is our focus today, is how many schools moved away from grounding their instruction in the science of learning. For generations, students in elementary school were taught to read by identifying letters and the sounds they represent. But then starting in the 1970s, a new idea called whole language arose, leaving behind the explicit instruction of phonics as old fashioned. This new method, which came to be known as 3Qing or balanced literacy, encourages students to read by guessing an unknown word based on its context and structure within a sentence or even adjacent pictures in the book. This approach was at odds with the science of reading, which aims to ensure students develop strong foundational skills. The science of reading emphasizes five core skills that every child must master, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
More than 40 states have now passed legislation for evidence-based reading programs in their schools. These programs emphasize the importance of phonics and building a deep vocabulary rather than guessing words based on context. There's a similar science behind learning math skills, where foundational skills like the four basic functions of arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, are taught so that students can perform those functions automatically, and students are given step-by-step direct instruction in problem solving. But in too many places, this approach has been overtaken by teaching philosophies that reject direct instruction from teachers, devalue content knowledge, and insist on student-led exploration. But here's the good news, which provides great hope for the future of education. States that truly emphasize the science of learning in reading and math have gotten outstanding results. In Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, for example, a renewed focus on phonics and arithmetic mastery and holding schools accountable has resulted in rapidly rising test scores even through the pandemic. Similarly, Luminous Minds, a California-based education platform, has proven that literacy gains can be achieved in even the most challenging districts through rigorous science-based literacy instruction. Today, we'll hear from witnesses who have proven that principled leadership and science-backed instruction transform student outcomes. It is time we reclaim America's academic foundations. This means getting back to basics when it comes to reading and math. Our nation's freedom, prosperity, and national strength depend on it. I'm looking forward to today's hearing. And with that, I will turn to the ranking member for an opening statement.
thank you very much mr chairman and thank you to the witnesses for being here today welcome back i expect that we've all spent the previous month visiting learning and connecting with our constituents and although we may disagree on some things we surely can and should agree that our nation's children deserve an education that allows them to reach their full potential and that is safe The inspiring educators and school administrators and bright young people I meet with in schools in Northwest Oregon always remind me of this. That being said, unfortunately, as we're having this hearing today, people in Minneapolis are still reeling from another school shooting, this time at Annunciation Catholic School. The start of the school year should begin with joyous activities, not burying classmates or recovering from bullet wounds. And as Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Jacob Fry said in the aftermath, we can't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying when the shooter attacked. Congress needs to act to prevent gun violence. And after every senseless shooting, I'm increasingly more frustrated that we don't. And this is relevant because we want kids to be able to be focusing on learning, not worried about their safety. Now to the issue at hand, improving math and reading instruction for students. I'm looking forward to this hearing and I have some optimism that we can find some bipartisan agreement as we did with our hearings on screen time and childcare. But I need to start with a few reminders.
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