Reading Curriculum

Only about half of adults in America are proficient readers. Is there something wrong with how we teach reading in this country? Kymyona Burk thinks so. She is the former State Literacy Director at the Mississippi Department of Education and current Policy Director for Early Education at ExcelinEd. In fact, she calls America’s reading instruction “malpractice.” Several years ago, Burk led a change in how Mississippi schools teach reading, and students there have dramatically improved their reading test scores. In fact, in 2019, Mississippi was the only state to improve its test scores. (Segment produced by Olivia Young)