Linda Diamond has dedicated her career to teaching children to read, particularly those with word reading difficulties like dyslexia. Linda co-founded the Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education (CORE Learning) alongside former California Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Honig, and served as CORE’s president for 26 years.
Linda has also worked as a public school teacher, principal, director of curriculum and instruction for a K–12 district, and senior policy analyst. She is the co-author of Teaching Reading Sourcebook, Assessing Reading: Multiple Measures, and Vocabulary Handbook.
At the start of this year, you wrote this blog about achieving national change in reading instruction. Now, in the fall of 2023, what feels most urgent about achieving—and sustaining—change in California?
What I believe is urgent for California is the need to establish a process for identifying and selecting effective curriculum aligned to the science of reading rather than only to the Common Core State Standards, which is insufficiently clear on what the science says.
Using The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines would be an excellent way to select curricula that are seriously aligned to the reading science. We do need to revisit curriculum products in California because those on the current adoption list are not strong. I would like to see lists similar to the ones mandated by Colorado’s READ Act of both core and supplemental curricula that focus on foundational skills.
Also California’s current ELA/ELD framework is already strong, but the proposed Roadmap modeled on Mississippi’s would be helpful. In addition, clear guidance is needed on implementation, including coaching and administrator training and support, with funding to enable this to happen.
Finally, we need a universal screener and support for teachers to be trained and able to implement it. I am excited about Multitudes, but in the meantime, excellent screeners such as DIBELS, i-Ready, Fastbridge already exist and we should not wait.
SB 691 was recently signed into California law. What are your reflections about this?
I am thrilled that the bill that was signed into law by the Governor is a universal screener, which overcomes earlier objections that it was only for dyslexia. A universal screener is what is needed; not just one for dyslexia risk. We need to recognize that a universal screener will identify all children struggling to learn to read.
A universal screener is what is needed; not just one for dyslexia risk. We need to recognize that a universal screener will identify all children struggling to learn to read.
In addition, employing a universal screener does so much more—it helps to alert schools and districts to carefully evaluate Tier 1 instruction so that most children get a strong start. As testing continues, it can help a school identify gaps in both instruction and curriculum.
This also means we need diagnostic tools to drill down to the children identified at risk to determine if a learning disability actually exists, and we need to build out a multi-tiered system of support using the data obtained.
What bright spots around literacy and the science of reading do you see developing in California?
I see so many bright spots in California that I am really encouraged.
First, the passage of SB488 changes teacher preparation to more closely align to the science of reading. Work is underway now that the California Teaching Performance Expectations and literacy program standards, including the dyslexia guidelines, have been completed. Additional funding is in the current budget for coaches and specialists, and the grant has been awarded.
We are fortunate that a county office that understands the reading research—and not a county office steeped in balanced literacy—has been awarded the grant.
Another bright spot is Tony Thurmond’s appointment of two terrific co-directors for an office on literacy. Both Nancy Brynelson and Bonnie Garcia know what needs to be done.
Also the recent paper from Pivot Learning and CORE Learning, Narrowing Down to Find Common Ground, shows that constructive dialogues are happening between historically opposed groups.
Tell us about California schools or districts where you are seeing promising shifts in reading instruction.
There are many promising school districts making significant changes. EdSource has spotlighted many. I look to Bonita Unified School District, Pajaro Valley Unified, LAUSD, Etiwanda, and Oakland Unified among others. All of these districts have made or are making progress.
However, one district stands out for a different reason than most would expect: Fresno Unified.
Fresno’s Superintendent Bob Nelson has set as a goal, not the common “end of third grade” target, but instead a target that children will be reading by the end of first grade–his moonshot goal! He is correct. The research is very clear about this target. In 1988 Connie Juel tracked students from first to fourth grade and those not reading in first grade rarely caught up. Juel found that the probability was .88 that a child would remain a poor reader at the end of fourth grade, if the child had been a poor reader at the end of first grade!
Those who were not reading by the end of first grade rarely caught up without significant and appropriate intervention.
In 1996, the Connecticut Longitudinal Study found the same distressing outcome, following 403 students from first to ninth grade. Again, those who were not reading by the end of first grade rarely caught up without significant and appropriate intervention. So, while Superintendent Nelson may face push-back, he is to be commended for setting a moonshot goal.
What would you say to a California teacher or leader who is embarking on their own science of reading learning journey? What encouragement or advice would you offer?
I would say, “good for you!” Go for it. Connect with others who are on the same journey.
Here are a few concrete ways to get started:
- Listen to Emily Hanford’s APM podcasts.
- Get a good professional book, like mine, The Teaching Reading Sourcebook.
- Join the new California chapter of The Reading League.
- Watch some super documentaries:
- Blame it on Gutenberg: https://blameitongutenberg.org/
- The Truth About Reading: https://www.johncorcoranfoundation.org/movie
- The Right to Read documentary: https://www.therighttoreadfilm.org/
- Download Collaborative Classroom’s Collaborative Conversations About the Science of Reading ebook
- Get The Reading League’s Science of Reading: Defining Guide
- Finally, join a Facebook group like The Science of Reading—What I Should Have Learned in College.
Stay strong, knowing you are doing what is right for your students!