Abstract
In this Field Notes, Bob Gallagher—a seasoned educator whose journey spans classroom teaching in Buffalo Public Schools, shaping professional growth at Sweet Home Schools, steering curriculum as Assistant Superintendent at Niagara Wheatfield Schools, and now mentoring future teachers at Buffalo State University—casts a seasoned eye on the Science of Reading (SoR). Likening its hype to a library book or movie trailer that overpromises and underdelivers, he questions the SoR’s claim that phonics-first unlocks reading for all. Teachers, he finds, are split: some cheer progress, others hesitate, untrained or unconvinced. Reviewing *Fact-Checking the Science of Reading* (2024) by Tierney and Pearson, Gallagher highlights their pushback against SoR’s “settled science” badge. From phonics’ limits to the Simple View’s oversimplification, they insist science dances forward, not dictating but dreaming. Gallagher nudges educators to sift SoR’s bold pitch through the rich, tangled reality of teaching kids to read.
Recommended Citation
Gallagher, B. (2025). Field Notes in Professional Development: Science of Reading (SoR). Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, 13 (2). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/jiae/vol13/iss2/2
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