Beyond the Waves: Literacy Reform, Policy, and the People Who Make Change Real
Tim Odegard, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, where he leads the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Dyslexia and a consulting editor for the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and he previously served as an editor at large for Perspectives on Language and Literacy. A contributing author to IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, Dr. Odegard is committed to advancing literacy as a human right and supports U.S. and Canadian initiatives through service leadership. His recognitions include the Innovator Award from IMSLEC, the Luke Waits Service Award from ALTA, the Massey-Sexton Dyslexia Advocacy Award from the Tennessee IDA, the AIM Institute Founder's Award, and the Research Excellence Award from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is an honorary lifetime member of IDA in recognition of his sustained service and commitment to IDA and individuals with dyslexia.
When Literacy Change Is Personal
It has been challenging to watch each new wave of literacy reform unfold. My first exposure to reform came long before I was aware of what was happening. As an elementary school student, I struggled profoundly with reading and spelling.
I failed spelling tests week after week and was punished for it, with little meaningful support and a steady stream of messages that I was one of the worst students in the school. What I did not know at the time was my state had just passed its first dyslexia law. What I did know was something felt profoundly unjust. I was working harder than anyone knew I was, studying endlessly, and still being left to figure things out on my own.
That experience left a lasting mark. I made a quiet promise to myself that if I ever had the opportunity, I would work to prevent what I experienced from happening to other children. It is a promise I am still working to fulfill.
Waves of Reform, Familiar Outcomes
Fast forward to today, and I have now witnessed what feels like countless waves of literacy initiatives at both the national and state levels. Each wave has been motivated by different philosophies and evolving research bases. Yet the results, particularly for our most vulnerable learners, often look frustratingly similar.
Despite growing up and eventually finding a voice in the national literacy landscape, I sometimes feel as though we still fail to fully get it. Laws can help set the context for change, but laws alone do not teach children to read and write. People do. And it is at the intersection of policy, science, and the daily realities of classrooms where the real work either takes hold or quietly slips away.
Why Moving the Needle Requires More Than Policy
This tension was at the heart of my recent EDVIEW360 podcast conversation with Dr. Louisa Moats. Our discussion focused not only on where literacy reform has gained momentum, but also on why progress remains uneven despite unprecedented attention to the science of reading and the widespread passage of dyslexia and literacy legislation. We explored what it truly means to treat literacy change not as a slogan, but as a systems-level commitment that anticipates learner variability rather than reacting after failure occurs.
Clarity Matters: Science of Reading and Structured Literacy
One persistent challenge is ongoing confusion about terms like the science of reading and Structured Literacy. These phrases are now widely used, but not always well understood or clearly articulated. In some cases, complex bodies of research have been reduced to narrow instructional interpretations, stripping away the full scope of language, comprehension, word knowledge, and instructional coherence that the science actually demands. When this happens, well-intended reforms risk losing their momentum in translation.
Expanding the Understanding of Literacy
One foundational principle that has long guided Dr. Moats’ work is more important than ever. Literacy is born out of language. Growing research and sustained efforts across the field have deepened our understanding that literacy learning is not separate from language development, but a continuation of it. This means our conception of effective literacy instruction must extend well beyond reading words alone. It requires a broader, more integrated understanding of language and a move away from piecemeal instructional approaches that fragment what learners need to develop as readers and writers.
Empowering the People Who Do the Work
Higher education and teacher preparation also play a crucial role in sustaining momentum and fulfilling a commitment to positive change. If teachers are expected to implement evidence-based practices that have been proven to work, they must be given the knowledge, time, and professional learning necessary to do so effectively. This has always been a defining feature of Dr. Moats’ work. What I have long respected about her leadership is her unwavering focus on empowering teachers, not through mandates or shortcuts, but through deep knowledge-building, thoughtful instructional design, and leadership structures that protect the time and space required for meaningful learning to occur.
What the Research on Dyslexia and Literacy Laws Is Showing Us
Recent research examining the impact of dyslexia and literacy laws suggests, while these policies are well-intended, they have not consistently produced the outcomes many hoped for. This does not mean the laws are misguided. It means they are incomplete. Real change happens when people on the front lines, teachers, school leaders, and allied professionals, are equipped with the understanding and practical know-how to translate policy into daily practice.
Leadership, Alignment, and the Work Ahead
Our conversation also turned toward leadership. Courageous literacy leadership is not about chasing the next wave, but about staying grounded in evidence while making difficult, sustained decisions that prioritize long-term outcomes above short-term feel-good moments tied to legislation passage. It requires transparency, alignment, and a willingness to invest in people, rather than just programs. It takes sustained commitment to the real work of small victories that accumulate throughout time and lead to meaningful, lasting change.
Looking ahead, the question is not whether literacy policy will continue to evolve, because of course it will. The question is whether we will finally align policy, preparation, and practice in a way that fulfills the promises we have made to children. For me, this is not an abstract issue. It is personal. It is tied to a promise I made long ago and to the hope that future students will experience literacy instruction as an opportunity, not an injustice.
Questions Worth Sitting With
So what are the hard questions we should be asking ourselves?
- Have you made a quiet promise to yourself that you are still struggling to keep?
- Are you ready to hold yourself and others grounded in reality when the next splashy piece of policy is passed?
- Are you prepared to step up and hold steady through the long, hard-fought work of small victories?
- Will you hold yourself accountable for using language precisely in this literacy landscape and for being honest about what we know and what we still need to learn?
Learn More on EdView360
I invite you to listen to the EdView360 podcast conversation with Dr. Louisa Moats and I, where you can hear a deeper exploration of these ideas, including where we have been, where we are now, and what it will truly take to move the needle on literacy for all learners.