Literacy
We are excited to support you and your child with gaining meaningful literacy experiences inside and outside of school.
Learning to read for understanding requires sounding out and recognizing words—decoding—but it also requires making meaning of the words and sentences we hear—language comprehension. Research in the Science of Reading is clear about what matters to teach in early literacy instruction: phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary and oral language comprehension, and text comprehension.
Important Information for Families: Understanding Act 20
We are excited to share important information about Act 20, a new piece of legislation enacted to enhance early literacy across Wisconsin.
MMSD’s Early Literacy Plan aligns with Act 20 and is designed to support and enhance reading instruction from the early grades. Our plan provides a framework that complements and strengthens our existing literacy practices to ensure that every child receives the support they need to succeed academically.
“This rigorous curriculum integrates the experiences of our diverse communities in meaningful and innovative ways. We are excited about this unprecedented level of investment in curriculum for our school district - the largest commitment to literacy in over a decade - and for its potential to pay tremendous dividends for our future generations of scholars.”
— Cynthia Green, MMSD Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning
What is the Science of Reading?
The science of reading is the converging evidence of what matters and what works in literacy instruction, organized around models that describe how and why. An important model in early reading research that Reading Comprehension (RC) is the product of Decoding (D) and Language Comprehension (LC), or RC = D x LC.
Early Literacy and Beyond Task Force
MMSD and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education formed a joint task force focused on analyzing the most promising approaches to teaching reading and utilizing literacy — at every level — as an equity strategy to ensure all MMSD students receive high-quality, grade level accelerated instruction.
A return to phonics
by Jenny Peek
The science of reading has finally returned to Madison public schools after years of parents, teachers and advocates calling on the district to change its approach to literacy.
MMSD is proud to announce our city wide initiative "Mad for Reading" to amplify the joy and excitement and fundamental importance of literacy. Join the movement.