Noteworthy Voices 2-MIN. READ

Where Do We Go from Here? Responding to the NAEP Reading Scores

By: Barrie Olson 04/08/2025
Discover how integrating both foundational reading skills and knowledge building can address declining literacy rates, shown by the NAEP reading scores, and foster lifelong learning.
Small children are gathered at their table, independently reading books.

The latest release of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scores has sparked a wave of concern and reflection among educators, policymakers, and parents. As we dive deep into the data, it’s evident that a multifaceted approach is essential to addressing the nuances of reading comprehension and literacy. However, one critical aspect of the conversation remains unclear: how do educators navigate between building foundational reading skills and cultivating background knowledge?

It’s Not an Either/Or, It’s Both

In the debate surrounding best practices for developing strong readers, it’s crucial to recognize that effective literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading is not about choosing between phonics and knowledge building. Both are critical. Foundational skills, characterized by a systematic approach to teaching print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency, are vital. Similarly, building background knowledge, encompassing the breadth of topics and contexts that inform comprehension, is equally important.

A myopic focus on one side of this equation risks oversimplifying a complex challenge. A student who struggles to decode words is unlikely to comprehend texts, regardless of how much they know about a topic. On the other hand, a proficient decoder who lacks context and content knowledge will struggle to fully grasp and engage with what they read.

Bridging the Reading Gap

Ideally, educators have access to both an evidence-based foundational reading program and a knowledge-rich curriculum. Even better, these are fully integrated and teach literacy as a system. Such an approach ensures that students can decode words while also building a robust framework of understanding that enhances their comprehension and critical-thinking skills. 

Today, legislation and policy are focused on the use of evidence-based approaches to teaching foundational reading skills, which we support. There is much less focus, however, on ensuring that curricula support students in building and applying knowledge. So, what do you do if your current curriculum falls short in terms of rich content and you want to enhance it? Think in terms of text sets. 

If our goal is to empower students as readers and thinkers, then it’s imperative to go beyond a single text. Rather, consider how groups of texts work together to create an enriched learning environment. This requires more than simply providing multiple texts on a single topic; it’s about orchestrating a synergy where each text plays a distinct role in knowledge building. 

Building a Knowledge-Rich Learning Environment through Text Sets

The quad text set framework helps us develop reading comprehension and engagement by organizing related materials into four distinct categories. 

Here’s what you will need:

  • A Target Text: This is your anchor text, one that challenges students and serves as the ultimate gauge of their comprehension.
  • Conceptual Texts: These texts build the necessary background knowledge required to engage meaningfully with the target text.
  • Visual or Video Texts: Such media helps to activate and supplement prior knowledge, making abstract concepts more concrete and accessible.
  • Accessible Texts: These aim to capture students’ interest and motivation by making the content relevant and engaging.

For example, if your Grade 4 students are studying keystone species and their role in an ecosystem, here’s how you might implement a text set around this topic:

  • Target Text: Try an engaging informational text like The Wolves of Yellowstone: A Rewilding Story, which focuses on wolves—a keystone species—and their impact on the ecosystem. Ask yourself what background information students need to know to be able to understand the anchor text.
  • Conceptual Texts: To build background knowledge you might introduce The Superpower Field Guide: Beavers, which explains what a keystone species is and their role through the lens of beavers, another keystone species. This text introduces key concepts and vocabulary.
  • Visual Texts: What visuals can help activate prior knowledge? Food chains are critical to understanding what a keystone species is, so showing students a food chain diagram activates prior knowledge they may already have.
  • Accessible Texts: Not every student has been to Yellowstone or loves informational texts. Try incorporating a fictional narrative like A Wolf Called Wander to help students see the world through the eyes of a wolf, making the topic more relatable and engaging.

Evaluating Your Curriculum

Even if you don’t have the time or resources to build your own text sets, when you’re looking at your existing curriculum, think about those texts through the lens of how they support knowledge building. Go deeper than “they are building knowledge on topic X.” Instead, think about how they build that knowledge: 

  • Is the text providing key background or conceptual knowledge? 
  • Are you activating prior knowledge? 
  • Are you making the topic relevant or engaging? 

The role a text plays should impact how you teach and have students interact with the text. With a strong text set in hand, you’ll see students who aren’t just bringing knowledge to each subsequent text they read to aid in comprehension, but who are also applying that knowledge to aid in processing and communicating that knowledge. 

Reflect and Act

As we reflect on the NAEP reading scores, it’s important to acknowledge the necessity of reading instruction that encompasses both foundational skills and content knowledge. The road ahead requires a commitment to integrated literacy instruction, where foundational skills and knowledge building are interwoven with rich, contextual learning experiences.

By leveraging text sets and thoughtful curriculum design, we can create environments where every student becomes not just a reader but a lifelong learner, equipped with the skills and knowledge to navigate the complexities of the world. 

If you want to learn more, listen to Impact in Action: The Future of Literacy Instruction Podcast where I discuss this further with Dr. Nonie Lesaux, interim dean of the faculty of education at Harvard. Together, let’s move forward with a unified approach that embraces the full spectrum of reading education. 

To learn more about evidence-backed literacy instruction, check out our literacy products. 

Filed Under

Noteworthy Voices Best Practices Curriculum Elementary School Instructional Strategies Reading/ELA Science of Reading Unfinished Learning

About the Author

Dr. Barrie Olson is the vice president of reading curriculum and instruction at Curriculum Associates. In her work, she takes a system’s approach to drive a forward-looking literacy vision that connects each level of the educational system to enact change and create equity for all students and support for all educators. Barrie has spent the last 20 years pushing the boundaries of what English language arts instruction can look like, first as a university English professor, then leading a national educational nonprofit, and more recently, in educational publishing. Uniting the perspectives of researchers and practitioners across education, English, psychology, and cognitive science, Barrie creates high-impact and authentic standards-driven reading and writing solutions that enable students to be change agents in their lives and the lives of others.

Barrie Olson