COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCHS) — Reading is a vital part of the learning process, and Ohio lawmakers have determined the Science of Reading is the best way to teach it. Science of Reading uses phonics and sounding out words to teach reading.
Trouble is, some of the state’s colleges and universities are not teaching it which is a violation of state law. We found out what happens to college and universities that are not teaching the Science of Reading education to students.
“Chancellor shall revoke approval for programs that are found not to be in compliant,” said Governor Mike DeWine, (R) Ohio.
In 2023 the Ohio legislature passed a law requiring colleges and universities in the state to teach only the Science of Reading to future educators while banning what Governor Mike DeWine called discredited method of teaching reading. He talked about visiting a classroom that taught the Science of Reading,
“These classrooms every single child is engaged in what they are learning. Students use hand signals to sound out words or tap out syllables. They practice building words, breaking them apart and building new words. It’s interactive. It’s fun. It sets students up for success,” said Governor DeWine.
In the spring all 48 of Ohio’s institutions of higher learning were audited and 33 were found to be aligned with the Science of Reading. In Southern Ohio Shawnee State University, University of Rio Grande and Marietta College are part of the 33. Being aligned means fully implementing Science of Reading while having no examples of teaching methods banned by state law. Five schools were in partial alignment while ten schools were found to be not in alignment. The only one not in alignment in Southern Ohio was Ohio University.
“The problem is that all ten of these institutions were found to have at least one instance of using banned training in their materials,” said Governor DeWine,
While the ten colleges and universities were given a year to become aligned with the Science of Reading, Governor DeWine says all ten schools now say they are in alignment. He says officials will now revisit the schools to verify the claim.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/governor-dewine-announces-science-of-reading-audit-results-for-ohio-colleges-and-universities