A Former Teacher’s Story: How Balanced Literacy Failed My Son
Sometimes, the only way to recognize the need for change is to witness it firsthand.
I will never forget sitting in Matthew’s kindergarten parent-teacher conference. I knew my son was struggling with reading, and I wanted to understand why. His teacher, a kind woman, reassured me that he had a summer birthday, that he would catch up, and urged me to keep reading with him.
Her advice sent chills down my spine. I realized I had given the same encouragement to parents of struggling readers during my years as a 5th-grade teacher.
As a teacher in the early 2000s, I encountered many students who could not read, spell, or write at grade level. I remember feeling just as confident as Matthew’s teacher during our conference. Yet, that moment forced me to confront the reality: the same children who entered my classroom unable to read were often still struggling by the end of the year.
Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
Back then, I couldn’t even name the problem, but I knew something was seriously wrong. A fifth grader unable to read fluently or write a simple narrative? It was alarming.
I believed I had the solution, shaped by my college training and district philosophy: if I could just instill a love for reading, writing, and spelling, my students would master these skills.
This belief drove me to create a vibrant reading and writing workshop in my classroom, filled with engaging mini-lessons, guided reading sessions, and independent work. I thought I was implementing the gold standard of best practices. Yet, the hard truth was that my students often left my classroom unchanged. They made progress, but it was never enough to close the widening gaps in their skills.
Despite my best efforts to differentiate and engage each student, I watched as year after year, some kids entered and exited my classroom still unable to read proficiently. It was heartbreaking, especially now that I had my own son facing the same fate.
Good News Gone Bad
First grade brought a new promise: Reading Recovery. But unbeknownst to me, it was simply more of the same balanced literacy instruction in a smaller group setting, supplemented with some analytic phonics. After twenty weeks, Matthew showed no measurable progress.
By then, my sweet boy had become a shell of himself. In just two years, he had learned to hate school, labeled himself as “stupid,” and developed mysterious ailments that led to frequent absences. Despite his struggles, the school began focusing on his behavior, labeling him and creating action plans to manage his outbursts. I was terrified he would be defined by these labels instead of being recognized for the help he truly needed.
By second grade, Matthew qualified for an IEP, suggesting a specific learning disability, possibly dyslexia. I celebrated, thinking this diagnosis would lead to the effective instruction he desperately needed.
Yet, after a year of receiving Leveled Literacy Instruction (LLI) by Fountas & Pinnell, he remained at the same reading level. More alarmingly, he left second grade hating school more than ever and would do anything to avoid reading or writing.
How could such a well-regarded program yield such disheartening results? It felt like no one cared that I was watching a system destroy my child.
The Science of Reading and a Ray of Hope
In my desperation, I turned to research. I devoted countless hours to finding effective methods for struggling readers. To my surprise, I discovered Structured Literacy, grounded in the Science of Reading.
This approach is the antithesis of balanced literacy. I learned that reading is not merely a guessing game; it relies on decoding skills. Reading comprehension emerges from both decoding and listening comprehension. If a child struggles with either, their overall reading ability is compromised.
I found a community of educators on Facebook, all grappling with the same issues I faced. We had been trained to implement flawed methodologies, often without realizing it.
Structured Literacy emphasizes explicit, systematic teaching of phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics, spelling, and syntax. These crucial elements were glaringly absent from Matthew's education. As a former balanced literacy teacher, I recognized the gap but had only recently understood its implications for my son.
The Matthew Effect
I approached the school with my newfound knowledge, eager to help not just Matthew, but all the kids who needed effective reading instruction. But their response shocked me. They kindly acknowledged my resources but insisted on sticking with their current methods, blending Orton-Gillingham for phonics with LLI for comprehension.
Time was critical. I learned about the Matthew Effect: the idea that those who succeed continue to succeed while those who struggle fall further behind. My son, who should have been reading to learn, was still learning to decode. Without change, he risked becoming just like my former students, left behind as the gaps widened.
Unfortunately, I can’t say this story has a happy ending. The school continued with ineffective literacy practices, and Matthew lagged behind, both academically and emotionally.
By fourth grade, Matthew’s greatest dream was to learn to read. My talented little baseball player, who once dreamed of becoming a major leaguer, now only wanted to read.
After five years of balanced literacy, he was still unable to read. This was five years wasted on a flawed system with no scientific backing.
Like my former students, Matthew’s light had dimmed. He felt as broken as the system that failed him.
Hope for Future Change in Reading Instruction
Reflecting on this journey, I wish I could tell my past self that putting a band-aid on a broken system isn’t enough to fix it.
I challenge all balanced literacy teachers to do what I did: read the research, join the conversations, and learn about the Science of Reading.
But most importantly, remember Matthew—a boy whose dreams were stifled because balanced literacy failed to teach him how to read.
When we recognize the real stakes in this debate—our children—we can begin to shift our perspective. Our students are the casualties of adults clinging to outdated methods that science shows fail most kids.
Let’s be willing to loosen our grip on ineffective practices and embrace evidence-based methods that benefit every child. Together, we can create a new Matthew Effect—one where all children can reach their full potential because their teachers use effective, evidenced based reading instruction.