Editor's note: With low reading proficiency scores across the state, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is exploring the causes and consequences of low literacy. This article is part of the By the Book ...

Since last fall, Brittany McGuire and Jackie Benson have written 35 books that teach phonics through comics. “We have a similar work style and work ethic,” McGuire said. “And it's hard to stop us once ...

Test scores at 66 of the state’s lowest-performing schools strongly outpaced similar schools after educators adopted phonics-based instruction, offering some of the most compelling evidence to date ...

Decades of research points to the negative implications of low reading scores in elementary school, which are often associated with negative outcomes later in life. Rocket Phonics, a Sarasota-based ...

4:16 p.m. June 2, 2025: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said teaching phonics was new to Long Beach Unified. Some phonics has been taught in the district for years, but a new focus on ...