Science of Reading Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill updates federal education law to define and prioritize the "science of reading" — an evidence-based approach that emphasizes phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing as the core building blocks for teaching kids to read.
• The bill bans federal literacy funding from being used for the "three-cueing model," a teaching method where kids guess words based on pictures, context clues, or sentence structure instead of sounding out letters. This model would be explicitly excluded from the definition of comprehensive literacy instruction.
• States applying for federal comprehensive literacy grants would need to show how their plans align with the science of reading. Priority for both state-level grants and local subgrants would go to programs that follow these evidence-based methods.
• The bill includes protections to ensure it does not override special education rights under IDEA, Section 504, or the ADA, and explicitly says the federal government cannot mandate specific curricula or instructional content for states or local schools.
• The changes apply to any funds awarded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act on or after the date the bill is enacted, meaning existing programs would need to shift their approach when new funding cycles begin.