California took a big step toward overhauling its reading curriculum last week when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill pushing for phonics-based instruction in elementary and middle school classrooms.

The new law provides training for school principals and reading specialists in the “science of reading,” a method of literacy instruction focused on vocabulary, comprehension and sounding words out rather than learning words by sight. The approach has led to improved reading scores in Mississippi, Louisiana and districts like Los Angeles Unified, which adopted it several years ago.

The law also updates the state’s list of textbooks, flash cards and other classroom reading materials to align with a phonics-based approach.

The law comes on the heels of a host of other literacy initiatives, in

See Full Page