School Yourself

The Latest in Literacy, 2/21/26

Phonics Wars, Texas book mandates, Sweden's pivot on books, a teacher's meta-analysis on comprehension, and more

19 hrs ago • Karen Vaites

23

2

4

Introducing 'The Latest in Literacy,' a Marshall Memo for literacy (and more)

Can a Substack newsletter save us from the death of Literacy Twitter? Let's find out.

Feb 14 • Karen Vaites

35

5

17

The Science of Reading goes to Washington

Outtakes from this week's Congressional hearings. Do they portend national action on literacy?

Feb 13 • Karen Vaites

18

10

7

Congress holds hearings as Massachusetts and Texas embrace curriculum mandates

Congress shows interest in literacy, plus movement toward curriculum mandates in bellwether states

Feb 6 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

19

3

5

Misconceptions about phonemic awareness are everywhere—including ChatGPT

There's no evidence for oral-only phonemic awareness instruction. Time to tell the LLMs.

Feb 4 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

19

3

4

January 2026

Curriculum mandates are trending, with movement in MA and MI. Should they be?

Massachusetts is poised to implement curriculum mandates, as legislation moves through its state house. Michigan wants to follow. Should we boost these…

Jan 24 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

22

11

10

A call for a national curriculum database

We desperately need a window into curriculum use in American schools. I'm begging Linda McMahon to rescue us from our confusion.

Jan 15 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

32

18

9

December 2025

For the antidote to sloppy skepticism about Mississippi, look to Louisiana

Tired of the Mississippi mistrust doom loop? Louisiana offers a counterweight. The Bayou State deserves more attention for its own smart model, anyway.

Dec 3, 2025 • Karen Vaites

27

8

13

November 2025

Georgia on my mind (‘cause it’s a cautionary tale)

The lesson from Georgia: When state lists are a mixed bag, districts pick the weaker stuff.

Nov 19, 2025 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

17

11

How book-rich, knowledge-rich curriculum is fueling the Southern Surge

Louisiana and Tennessee brought "knowledge-building," book-centered curriculum into statewide use, and reading gains followed.

Nov 12, 2025 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

31

10

22

Our Curriculum Review Landscape is ‘Frankly Bananas’

By popular demand, I'm summarizing the issues with ELA curriculum reviews. It's a mess.

Nov 11, 2025 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

23

5

9

Massachusetts MoJo: Will a Deep-Blue State Lead on Curriculum Reform?

All eyes on Massachusetts as landmark literacy legislation advances to the Senate in a bellwether blue state.

Nov 2, 2025 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

21

9

11