In 2021, North Carolina’s Excellent Public Schools Act set the wheels in motion for elevating explicit, evidence-based instruction and advancing student literacy gains statewide. For North Carolina’s preK–3 educators in 2026, the landscape has shifted from the initial phase of learning the science of reading to the high-stakes phase of proving its impact on student outcomes. With the 2026 ELA Standard Course of Study now in full effect for elementary school educators, here is the state of the 2026 primary landscape for North Carolina teachers, specialists, and administrators.

Literacy is the foundation for academic achievement, lifelong learning, and opportunity. Yet many students struggle to develop essential reading and writing skills—often due to gaps in phonics, fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension. Literacy intervention provides targeted, research-based instruction to close those gaps and help every learner reach proficiency. In this article, we’ll explore why literacy intervention matters, what effective intervention looks like, and how Voyager Sopris Learning delivers proven solutions for students from early elementary through secondary grades.