On September 8, 2026, the National Academy of Education (NAEd) sent a letter to Members of Congress concerning the READ Act. Specifically, the NAEd highlighted research evidence relevant to the READ Act’s treatment of decoding instruction. While agreeing that research supports systematic instruction in phonics, the NAEd expressed concern that the Act’s prohibition of “three-cueing models or related instructional approaches” could result in limiting educators’ instructional practices involving the use of meaning, context, and syntax in the teaching of reading—instructional practices that are supported by research.
