The Canon of Literacy: A Three Sciences Framework

by Paige C. Pullen, Ph.D.

The Canon of Literacy represents a call to integrate three distinct but interconnected bodies of scientific knowledge—the science of reading/literacy, the science of learning, and the science of instruction—into a coherent, evidence-based approach to teaching children to read and write proficiently.

For decades, literacy education has been shaped by pendulum swings between competing philosophies—from whole language to phonics-first and back again. The science of reading movement has been a critical corrective, bringing renewed attention to decoding, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle, while elevating comprehension, vocabulary and background knowledge. However, the science of reading is not the science of instruction, and, alone, it is not sufficient to ensure high levels of learning. Knowing what to teach is only part of the equation. Educators also need to understand how children learn and how to design instruction that supports that learning. The Canon of Literacy addresses this gap by arguing that effective literacy instruction must draw on three sciences rather than just one.

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