The Reading Researcher Behind America's Phonics Boom
Giovanni Gioviano Pontano (1426–1503) — Adriano Fiorentino (Adriano di Giovanni de' Maestri), ca. 1490
What Happened
Louisa Moats, 81, wrote a teacher-training program called LETRS decades ago that has now become the backbone of reading instruction in 23 states. Enrollment jumped from under 25,000 teachers in 2020 to 700,000 in 2025, as 42 states and D.C. passed laws mandating phonics-based reading instruction.
Why It Matters
Nearly 4 in 10 American kids can't read at grade level by fourth grade — the worst result in 20 years. States are betting big, sometimes tens of millions of dollars, on training built around Moats' research. Whether it's actually raising scores is still unproven; a federally funded five-year study won't report until 2029. Everyone's decided this is the fix before anyone can prove it is.
What's Next
A $4 million randomized study of LETRS' effectiveness is underway, with results expected in 2029.