Reading Language Arts

The Reading Language Arts Curriculum and Instruction team firmly believes that literacy is the foundation of academic success and lifelong learning. Grounded in the Science of Reading, our instructional approach is research-based, systematic, and responsive to the developmental needs of students from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Through intentional and standards-aligned planning based on the Reading Language Arts TEKS, RISD educators deliver explicit, systematic instruction that supports all students in becoming competent and confident readers and writers.

In elementary classrooms, daily instruction focuses on foundational reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, and encoding. Students also develop oral language, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension through meaningful interactions with a wide range of texts. Instruction is structured, cumulative, and informed by ongoing assessment to meet the needs of all learners.

In secondary classrooms, instruction emphasizes advanced vocabulary, reading fluency, academic language, and comprehension of complex, grade-level texts across content areas. Students are supported in building knowledge, thinking critically, and expressing their ideas effectively through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

 In RISD, the Science of Reading guides our commitment to ensuring every student receives high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction that prepares them for academic success and lifelong learning.