LANSING, Mich. — Legislation aimed at improving reading outcomes for Michigan's students is set to become law.
Senate Bills 567 and 568 passed with bipartisan support in both the Michigan Senate and House last week and will now head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
“Today’s commonsense, bipartisan package will allow teachers and tutors to use proven science of reading strategies to improve literacy. It will also strengthen professional development for our educators and more support and screening for dyslexia and other learning challenges," Whitmer wrote in a statement after the bills were passed.
The legislation, first introduced in October of 2023, will change how reading is taught in public schools as well as create a comprehensive dyslexia screening program for students.
The new teaching methods, which would be implemented by the beginning of the 2027-28 school year, are set to use "evidence-based" instructional methods using the "research requirements consistent with the science of reading."
The "science of reading" is a body of research about reading and issues related to reading and writing that has been compiled over the last five decades across the world, according to The Reading League, an organization that the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) recommends for finding instructional literacy materials.
If the bills are signed into law, Michigan will become the 41st state to implement "the science of reading" legislation since Missouri became the first state to do so in 2012, according to an analysis by Education Week.
This new approach to reading in Michigan's public schools isn't a one-size-fits-all approach, nor is it mandated curriculum for schools. School districts will still have a say in how and what their students are taught, but their curriculums must be evidence-based and fall within the science of reading guidelines.
The science of reading doesn't have a strict curriculum, but instead is ever-evolving and represents a body of research that shows what has worked for students learning to read and what hasn't.
The science of reading uses five "big ideas" as pillars when used to teach children to read, according to the National Center on Improving Literacy. Those big ideas are:
- Phonemic Awareness—Ability to identify and use individual sounds in spoken words.
- Phonics—Understanding how letters and groups of letters link to sounds to form letter. Relating sounds and spelling patterns.
- Fluency—The ability to read words, phrases, sentences, and stories correctly, with enough speed, and expression.
- Vocabulary—Knowing what words mean and how to say and use them correctly.
- Comprehension—The ability to understand what you are reading.
The new legislation will also pave the way for new dyslexia screening materials and processes.
By Sept. 1, 2025, the MDE will need to develop a level of dyslexia expertise to be able to assist schools and school districts with trainings, screenings, materials and more.
The bill also mandates that the MDE approve a list of screening and progress monitoring reading assessments for use by schools by Jan. 1, 2026.
Whitmer is expected to sign both bipartisan bills into law.
“I am grateful to Senator Jeff Irwin, Senator Dayna Polehanki, all my partners in the Michigan Legislature on both sides of the aisle, and so many stakeholders who prioritized this issue. Together, we will help even more students read at higher levels and move our state forward,” Whitmer said in a statement.
