6 Reasons Parents Need to Understand Reading Science
Why do parents need to understand reading? Your ability to advocate for your child’s reading needs is directly tied to how well you understand how reading works. Your knowledge is your child's greatest asset.
PARENT ADVOCACY COLLECTION
5/8/20244 min read
In this article...
If you’re reading this, you’re already that parent — the one who refuses to just nod politely during a parent-teacher conference while words like phonemic awareness, decodable text, or structured literacy swirl around the room like educational confetti.
Good for you.
Because here’s the truth: your ability to advocate for your child’s reading needs is directly tied to how well you understand reading development.
Let’s talk about five reasons why your understanding of reading science isn’t just “nice to have.”
It’s essential.
1. Schools Don’t Always Teach Reading the Way the Brain Learns Reading
You would think every classroom in America is using the most up-to-date, evidence-based reading instruction.
Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Many schools still rely on meaning-based or “balanced literacy” approaches – the ones that encourage guessing from pictures, memorizing whole words, and using context clues instead of actually decoding. These approaches feel warm, fuzzy, and effective, but research does not support them as effective for most children, especially not struggling readers.
In contrast, letter- and sound-based instruction is what aligns with how the brain builds its reading circuitry. Yet despite decades of research, these approaches still coexist in classrooms like some sort of educational Frankenstein. And guess who gets caught in the middle?
Your child.
This is why it matters that you know how reading should be taught. To learn more about how the brain learns to read, see this article.
2. If You Don’t Know High-Quality Instruction, You Can’t Spot Poor Instruction
Most parents assume their child is receiving excellent reading instruction. And many teachers truly believe they’re providing it! But intentions don’t equal outcomes.
To advocate effectively, you need to know what should be happening.
For example, in strong early reading instruction:
Phonemic awareness should happen daily for at least 5 minutes
Systematic phonics should take up the majority of reading time in K–2
Fluency practice should occur several times a week
Vocabulary + background knowledge must be intentionally taught
If none of these things are happening – or they’re happening “sometimes… maybe… depending on the unit”… – that’s a problem. And it might be the reason your child is struggling.
Instruction is the first place parents should look when reading difficulties appear – not a diagnosis or a label. It's only once you know what “good” looks like that you can finally ask the right questions. To learn more about the specifics of good instruction, see this article.
3. Knowing the Science Empowers You in School Meetings
It is very hard to advocate when you feel like teachers are speaking a language you don’t know. But once you understand terms like phoneme, grapheme, orthographic mapping, or decodable text, suddenly you’re not just the confused parent who can only hope the experts in the room are making the right decision. You are an expert yourself.
You’re the one asking:
“What phonics scope-and-sequence are you using?”
“How are you supporting phonemic awareness this year?”
“How much decodable text practice do students get each week?”
“What specific fluency routines are in place?”
And you’ll know what answers to look for. Knowing the science and language of reading instruction gives you power — not to be combative, but to be informed, confident, and clear about what your child needs. To learn more about the language of reading instruction, see this article.
4. If Your Child Struggles, You Need to Know What Kind of Struggle It Is
Not all reading difficulties are the same. In fact, they tend to fall into three profiles:
Word reading difficulties
Comprehension difficulties
Mixed difficulties
If you don’t understand these categories, you can’t meaningfully interpret testing, teacher comments, or reading assessments. Your understanding helps prevent unnecessary mislabels and ensures real needs aren’t ignored. To learn more about the three reading profiles and how to identify why your child struggles, see this article.
5. No One Knows Your Child Better Than You
Teachers see your child for a snapshot. But you see the whole movie.
That means:
You know whether they struggle with sleep, attention, or eating (all can relate to reading difficulties)
You understand their interests and quirks
You can tell when something is off
You can see patterns a school may miss
So your voice actually matters most – but only if you’re armed with information that positions you as a partner, not a bystander. When you understand reading science, you stop feeling like you’re “interfering,” and start realizing you are an essential part of the decision-making team.
This is what we call the Parent Advantage — the power you have when you combine deep knowledge of your child with deep knowledge of what they need instructionally.
6. Advocacy Isn’t About Being Pushy — It’s About Being Precise
Parents often hesitate to speak up because they don’t want to offend the teacher. But advocacy isn’t about blaming – it’s about naming. You’re not saying, “You’re teaching wrong.” You’re saying, “Here are specific elements my child needs to thrive. How can we make sure they’re in place?” This is reasonable, collaborative and effective.
The reality is that schools are overworked and often undertrained, and ineffective reading instruction can derail a child for years — but effective instruction can change the brain itself.
And because the combination of your insight about your child and your knowledge of reading science is the most powerful tool your child has. This is the Parent Advantage. And it starts with knowing how reading actually works.
Convinced yet? If you are curious to learn about how reading works and how you can help your child, we are here to help! Get started with FREE education by subscribing to our newsletter below.