We Wrote A Book!

The Literacy 50—A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

Melissa and Lori high-fiving, each holding a copy of The Literacy 50

We’re thrilled that our new book is available.

Why We Wrote This Book

Cover of "The Literacy 50: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night"

We wrote this book for so many reasons, but here are the main 3:  

1: We Have to Get Reading Instruction Right! 

2: Good Questions Deserve Good Answers! 

3: Research Needs to Be Translated in an Accessible Way!

About the Book

This book answers your questions about teaching reading, with a combination of research and practical applications. It’s an easy-to-read, flip-to-what-you-need resource packed with reliable advice informed by reliable research and voices in literacy.  

Keep it on your desk to refer to as needed📚!  

A graphic of National Reading Panel's 5 pillars

Each chapter includes 10 frequently asked questions related to each area of reading instruction as established by the National Reading Panel: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.  

For each question, you will see the following:  

  • Question and Answer: To answer the question, we synthesize reading research and the learning from our podcast in a brief, easy-to-follow answer. 
  • What You Can Do: For each question, we offer ideas for instruction that you can start applying immediately.  
  • Teaching Tool: For most questions, we include an organizer, image, or chart to help you plan instruction and implement it. 

How You Can Use the Book

Melissa-lori-holding-book-frame

While writing this book, we envisioned you—whether you’re a teacher, coach, or school or district leader—using it in so many ways: in professional learning book studies and podcast listening groups, as an instructional planning tool, as a handy desk reference, and more. Because the book is organized according to specific areas of reading and designed to highlight questions, it’s easy to zoom in on what you need. 

This book equips you with the science-based information you need to make decisions about instruction—and the resources you need to put that information into practice.

About Scholastic’s
Science of Reading in Practice Series

The Science of Reading in Practice series bridges the gap between research and practice, offering educators the tools and knowledge needed to cultivate confident and skilled readers in the classroom. The books in the series include deep insights and practical start-today tips from literacy experts with decades of experience applying the science of reading to help students succeed in their literacy journeys.