Massachusetts lawmakers are taking another step to address the state’s literacy crisis. The House unanimously passed a bill that would require all school districts to use research-based literacy curriculum and strengthen how future educators are trained to teach reading.
Jill Souza Norton—with the Mass Reads Coalition joined Boston 25 News Now at 3 to discuss what the legislation means for students and teachers. She said high-quality literacy instruction must include five essential components — phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The bill also targets higher education, ensuring that teacher preparation programs align with evidence-based reading practices. Currently, the state does not require districts to report to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education which literacy curriculum they use — a gap advocates say leaves families in the dark about classroom instruction.
To read more about the legislation head to The Mass Reads Coalition website: https://www.massreads.org/
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
