Even though more and more education leaders are giving the science of reading the attention it deserves, our students still need comprehensive support to develop their reading potential. Rebecca Kockler, founder of Magpie Literacy, is leading the charge to transform how students learn to read through the creation of a comprehensive, research-backed digital literacy platform and a focus on inclusive R&D. In this conversation with 5 Questions, Rebecca discusses the gaps and opportunity in literacy and how Magpie is providing personalized support, particularly for underserved students, to help every student become a reader.
What should people know about Magpie Literacy?
We are a nonprofit organization committed to unlocking the great reader in all students through the creation of our nation’s first comprehensive, research-backed digital literacy platform.
This project stems from a five-year research effort from our sister organization, Reading Reimagined, which is part of AERDF. We are building a solution to precisely assess all subskills of reading and provide personalized instruction tailored to their needs, linguistic background, and school context. This solution will serve students across the country from kindergarten through eighth grade. Magpie Literacy employs an inclusive R&D model, engaging traditionally underserved students and teachers as co-creators to ensure the solution resonates and meets their unique needs.
Why is the work you're doing there important?
While there is increasingly more attention on literacy — as an example, 38 states have passed Science of Reading legislation — there is a big gap between the supports students receive and the supports students need to become great readers. This has enormous consequences for these students, their economic mobility, and our society as a whole. On the heels of a pandemic when many students missed critical instruction, the need for instructionally-precise literacy tools is now even more important.
While there is increasingly more attention on literacy, there is a big gap between the supports students receive and the supports students need to become great readers.
What's been the biggest surprise for you so far in your work?
40% of middle school students do not decode multisyllabic words with proficiency. School leaders are increasingly aware that there is an underlying issue, but tools are not addressing the root causes.
How do you see the landscape shifting over the next five years?
In the next five years, the field must address gaps in responding to student misconceptions, addressing the decoding threshold, leveraging linguistic patterns, and ensuring solutions are developmentally appropriate for older students. While there is much to improve in how we approach literacy in our field, there is also significant opportunity if we can address these critical gaps.
What else should people know?
We love to share our work! You can learn more about literacy in general and our work at Magpie Literacy more specifically on the EdTech Insiders podcast and these publications: Forbes, EdWeek, EdTrust West, and the New York Times.
