While this is a new concept for some schools, other schools have been teaching this model of literacy for some time, allowing us to see it in action and measure that progress.

One of those districts is in Hancock County.

Our Laura Rogers takes us there.

Awesome.

This is Letter M Boys and girls.

It's the fourth day of the new school year at North Hancock Elementary School.

It has just made such a difference with kids and how quickly they learn.

And these kindergarten students are learning their first letters of the alphabet.

It gets kids excited because it involves so many different modalities.

To see their malformation in the mirror has made such a huge difference, especially for your speech kids.

Hancock County Schools began implementing the Science of Reading two years ago with the arrival of a new superintendent who had personally seen its success.

My son was diagnosed with dyslexia whenever he was in elementary school, and once he started receiving Norton Gillingham approach to reading, then he just flourished.

Try me.

Horton Gillingham trains teachers in a reading approach based on scientific research into how the brain processes written language say.

I've taught kindergarten for many, many, many years.

I would work with kids and they would be struggling.

And I knew that that was the missing piece that I'd been looking for for many, many years.

I actually cried during my training.

Brianna Pulliam as an emcee institute for Multi Sensory Education, Certified Educator.

We have seen tremendous growth out of our students.

They catch on very easily because it's hands on.

It's multisensory instruction.

She believes much of the success of the science of reading approach is the methodology.

We can't underestimate the sequential part of it and going in an order that makes sense to students.

You can't haphazardly teach reading.

It's a sequence and you have to follow that sequence.

A mad e. She now provides support to other teachers in the district who have each undergone 90 hours of both online and in-person training.

B. C. C. B.

That they themselves have said this is some of the most impactful work that they have done in their entire careers because they see the difference that it makes with students.

They're seeing, they're feeling, they're hearing.

And I think when you combine all of that together, it just makes it so much easier than just standing in front of them saying this is it says be ready.

It comes as schools are working to close the gap.

After a decade of dismal reading scores across the state and learning loss during the pandemic.

School districts like Hancock County are actively laying a foundation for students to build on year after year.

And with all the teachers getting this training, all the teachers are speaking the common language.

So when students move from grade to grade, they're hearing similar information.

They're hearing the same verbiage.

They're hearing same terminology.

So which one do you think?

I think you're seeing kind of that light bulb where the aha aha go off and kids are able to make connections that maybe we didn't see in the past.

Alina.

Students are leading those discussions and leading these approaches to literacy.

I love seeing the engagement in the classrooms and seeing the students like really pick up on all these skills more than I ever have.

You do it with your finger.

The science of reading includes phonological awareness, which teachers say parents can begin at home before kindergarten.

Teaching children rhyme and alliteration.

This is their chance to really understand those letters and those sounds, because from there we take and start to read those simple consonant vowel consonant words.

They'll be ready to move into syllable work.

It will make their writing so much easier.

And then as they move up through the grade levels, things just come so much more naturally.

If they've got that foundation of letters and sounds that your mouth is closed, your lips are together, do it again.

The school district is also focused on early intervention and small groups for students who may be struggling.

We're giving interventions at the 30% down below, and I think a lot of districts are only doing the 10% down below.

But we're trying to give those other 20% even more help.

Brain Absolutely.

Did you hear that?

Educators say the science of reading with its hands on multi-sensory instruction is an effective way to teach children to read.

And I think it's the best reading program out there for all students.

This type of sentence is what?

And I think that we're going to see the benefits on down the road for many, many years.

SEAL says.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.