The twenty-first century Reading War is, in fact, nothing new, but some
of the details are unique to our current culture driven by social media.
This volume seeks to examine the current Reading War in the context of
the historical recurrence of public and political debates around student
reading abilities and achievement.
Grounded in a media fascination with the "science of reading" and fueled
by a rise in advocates for students with dyslexia, the current Reading
War has resulted in some deeply troubling reading policy, grade
retention and intensive phonics programs.
This primer for parents, policy makers, and people who care confronts
some of the most compelling but misunderstood aspects of teaching
reading in the U.S. while also offering a way toward ending the Reading
War in order to serve all students, regardless of their needs.