Literacy Advocates Push Lawmakers To Embrace ‘Science of Reading’ As Session Nears

Wyoming literacy advocates are gearing up for a tough fight this winter as they try to convince lawmakers to back a bill that would overhaul how reading is taught in K–12 schools. The measure won early support at a Joint Education Committee meeting this month, but getting it introduced — and passed — during a budget session will take serious persuasion, Gillette News Record reports.

The bill would create a far more robust statewide literacy program, grounded in the “science of reading,” a large body of research on how the brain actually learns to read and write. Advocates say Wyoming’s current literacy laws aren’t being enforced and kids — especially those with dyslexia — are slipping through the cracks.

“The biggest thing is making sure legislators understand that in their own districts, we’re leaving kids behind,” Sen. Wendy Schuler, R-Evanston, the bill’s co-chair, told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

Because this isn’t a budget bill, it needs a two-thirds vote just to be introduced. On top of that, some lawmakers worry the proposal goes too far in dictating how teachers can teach reading.

But advocates with WYO Right to Read say misinformation inside school districts, inconsistent interventions, and outdated teaching methods are hurting kids. Their plan: meet with every lawmaker before the session starts.

“They don’t know what they don’t know,” said Gay Wilson of WYO Right to Read. “We want legislators, principals, and teachers to understand evidence-based instruction.”

Under the current draft, Wyoming would ban schools from using the “three cueing” method — an approach that tells kids to guess at words using context — and instead require “structured, evidence-based” literacy instruction. The bill spells out how students with dyslexia and other reading challenges should be supported.

Advocates say districts often tell parents the state “doesn’t recognize dyslexia,” even though it does. That misinformation, they say, leaves families without the help they’re legally entitled to.

“When that misinformation is being spread across our state, what does that say about children’s rights to read?” said WYO Right to Read’s Annie McGlothlin.

Wyoming’s test scores show the problem clearly: in 2024, only 36% of fourth graders and 29% of eighth graders reached proficiency in reading. Parents and kids testified earlier this month about years of failed interventions.

One of those parents was Chandel Pine, whose son, Paul, struggled with reading for years despite being held back and receiving extra help. He developed severe mental health issues tied to those struggles and died by suicide in fifth grade.

“He thought he was stupid,” Pine said. “Why did we have to wait until that point?”

Rep. Tom Kelly, R-Sheridan, said he’s worried the bill might override successful programs in some districts.

“I do have concerns that a one-size-fits-all policy could disrupt systems that are working,” Kelly told the committee.

School administrators also pushed back, arguing teachers shouldn’t be restricted from using certain tools.

But advocates say the methods being restricted don’t work for kids with dyslexia — and the science shows structured literacy works for all kids, not just some.

“Every child learns to read the same way,” said advocate and dyslexia specialist Kari Roden. “Some just need more intense instruction. That’s it.”

Despite concerns about overreach, Schuler said the bill has been shaped by years of collaboration from parents, educators, and literacy experts.

“We’ve got to think outside our own schools and families,” she said. “Are we doing the best we can for all kids?”

She acknowledged the bill may feel like an overstep to some.

“But if it’s an overreach,” Schuler said, “it’s an overreach for the right reasons.”