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Lost in a World of Words

THE GREAT DIVIDE

Part 1: Lost in a world of words

Learning to read is the greatest gift a school can give a child. And yet here, in the birthplace of public education, outmoded teaching methods leave thousands of students struggling to gain this critical skill.

Part 2: In Massachusetts’ richest towns, many top-ranked schools cling to outdated methods of teaching reading

More than a third of children in the state's 50 wealthiest communities failed to meet expectations on last spring’s English Language Arts MCAS exam, according to a Globe analysis of test results for grades 3-8.

Part 3: ‘The system is rigged’: How Massachusetts school districts fail dyslexic students and their families

This academic neglect puts a huge burden on parents, forcing them to take on what can amount to full-time jobs as advocates for their children, pouring money and time into fights with school districts to get the instruction they need.

Part 4: When even text messaging is a struggle: The pain of being a teenager who can’t read well
It’s the experience of likely thousands of teenagers across Massachusetts each year, students who not only are failed by schools in early elementary years, but who are allowed to slide to the end of their public school experience without becoming competent readers.

Healey proposes major investment in reading instruction

Governor Maura Healey proposed Wednesday night a five-year plan to bolster early literacy efforts, underwriting high-quality reading curriculum and teacher training with an initial $30 million investment.

In states where lawmakers step up, reading scores rise

It’s a national reckoning, one the Massachusetts Legislature has been conspicuously absent from.

‘Out with the old’: Boston Public Schools attempts to raise reading scores through overhauling instruction

After years of dismally low reading scores, the state’s largest school system is making a dramatic shift toward “structured literacy,” instruction that draws on a body of research.

Five things to know about literacy instruction in Massachusetts

Massachusetts targeted just $5.3 million in the 2024 budget toward early literacy for the entire state, a fraction of what other states are spending.

Resources

What reading curriculum did your district use last year? Look it up here.

Nearly half of all districts were using a curriculum last year that the state has deemed “low-quality,” the Globe found.

Suspect your child is dyslexic? Here’s what you can do.

If you suspect your child has dyslexia, experts recommend you take action quickly. That’s because the older a child gets, the more difficult it is to remediate their reading skills.

Reading red flags: What parents need to know

Here are some questions that can help guide the conversation with your child's school, based in part on information from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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