Across state legislatures, school boards, and faculty lounges, there is broad agreement that structured literacy practices should guide how we teach children to read. More than 200 reading-related bills have passed in the last decade. States have assembled curriculum lists, invested in teacher training, and rewritten early literacy standards.
But policy consensus and classroom reality are not the same thing. Educators haven’t always had a seat at the table in these conversations and Reading Horizons set out to change that.
The company today released Literacy in Transition: A 2026 Report from the Frontlines, based on a survey of 2,648 educators across 49 states. The report examines four forces reshaping reading instruction: artificial intelligence, the ongoing challenge of supporting older students who never learned to read proficiently, the widespread adoption of evidence-based reading practices, and concern that continued policy changes could trigger another pendulum swing.
“We are at a pivotal point in literacy instruction. Survey findings suggest educators are hopeful about the focus on evidence-based practices. They are also concerned about sustainability and support,” said Dr. Shantell Blake, VP of Education and Outreach. “They identified three key areas of need—protected time, ongoing coaching, and age-appropriate materials. This report exists to give district leaders, policymakers, and program developers a clear picture of what’s working, what’s missing, and what educators need next.”
Key Findings
The findings are organized using the EPIS framework, an implementation science model that maps four phases: Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment. The structured literacy movement isn’t sitting neatly in one phase. It’s in several, simultaneously.
EXPLORATION: AI has entered the classroom. Training hasn’t.
Educators are eager to bring AI into their work and have a clear vision for how it should function. What they lack is the institutional support to get started.
- 93% believe AI has a role in literacy instruction, but 71% worry most about students becoming too dependent on it for thinking and writing.
PREPARATION: Secondary struggling readers are the movement’s next frontier.
Secondary educators are clear-eyed about the scale of the challenge and confident in their ability to meet it—if they have the right tools.
- 76.7% of secondary educators report that more than a quarter of their students read below grade level, yet 84% believe those students can still catch up with the right instruction and support.
IMPLEMENTATION: Structured literacy is working, and the effect compounds with time.
Structured literacy has taken hold across the field and is not only effective but learnable. Educators are not only implementing it, they are seeing results and asking for more.
- 83% felt comfortable and confident within one school year, and 61% said it took less than three months to find their footing.
SUSTAINMENT: Educators are optimistic, but worried about the pendulum swinging again.
The field has strong momentum behind evidence-based reading instruction. What educators are asking for now is the infrastructure to sustain it.
- 77% of educators are somewhat or very optimistic about the future of literacy instruction, yet their greatest fear is that evidence-based practices will be replaced by the next trend.
Attend the Literacy in Transition Webinar
Join the upcoming edWebinar, Literacy in Transition: Research on What’s Working, What’s Missing, and What’s Next, on May 5, 2026, from 4–5 p.m. EDT. Hear directly from experts and explore key findings and practical implications for instruction. Register now.
Download the Report
Literacy in Transition: A 2026 Report from the Frontlines is based on a survey of 2,648 educators conducted in February 2026, including both current Reading Horizons users and educators familiar with the company’s work. Respondents include classroom teachers (56%), reading specialists (12%), special education teachers (9%), and school and district administrators (12%), representing urban, suburban, and rural settings across 49 states.
The survey was administered online via SurveyMonkey and is a convenience sample. Results are not nationally representative but provide meaningful directional insight given the geographic breadth and demographic diversity of respondents.
The full report, including state-level data, open-ended educator responses, and recommendations for district leaders, policymakers, and program developers, is available today.
About Reading Horizons
For over 40 years, Reading Horizons® has partnered with educators to combat illiteracy through effective, research-based reading instruction. Grounded in structured literacy, Reading Horizons provides Pre-K–12 core literacy, K–5 supplemental foundational and language literacy, and K–12 intervention solutions that help all students become confident readers. A mission-driven company without venture capital or private equity backing, Reading Horizons serves more than 200,000 educators and 2 million students across K–12 classrooms, adult education programs, and correctional facilities nationwide. Learn more at readinghorizons.com and listen to Literacy Talks, a podcast exploring fresh perspectives on literacy, learning, and teaching.
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