Teaching literacy

When students at Moline Elementary gather for reading lessons, their teachers now use strategies that go beyond memorization — helping children connect sounds, letters, and meaning.

It’s part of a growing shift in how reading is taught in St. Louis, one that emphasizes proven practices to help more students read fluently by third grade.

That approach will expand this year as Moline Elementary and three other schools join the second cohort of the Emerson Early Literacy Challenge, an initiative focused on improving early reading outcomes and closing literacy gaps across the region.

The goal is to ensure every child can read proficiently by the end of third grade — a critical milestone for lifelong learning. Teachers participating in the program apply the Science of Reading, a research-bas