WLEN: Walberg Backs Science of Reading Act as U.S. Reading Scores Decline

Congressman Tim Walberg is backing legislation that would steer federal literacy funding toward evidence-based reading instruction, as new international testing shows a decline in U.S. reading performance.

Walberg discussed the Science of Reading Act of 2026 during an interview Wednesday morning on WLEN.

Walberg said the legislation would encourage approaches including phonics. Research supports systematic phonics as one component of effective early reading instruction, alongside fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

The latest PISA results show U.S. reading scores fell 14 points from 2022, while math and science scores were statistically unchanged. American students remained above the OECD average in reading and science.