Science of Reading Laws by State: What Teachers Must Know
Dozens of states now require phonics-based reading instruction by law. What the laws demand, which states have them, and what it means for your classroom.
Check your state. Teaching standards and education policies change often and vary by state and district. Always confirm dates, requirements, and details with your state department of education or district office. This site is for general information, not professional or legal advice.
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What the laws require
State science-of-reading laws generally fall into four buckets:
- Curriculum: districts must choose from a state-approved list of phonics-based programs.
- Teacher training: required coursework or endorsements in reading science.
- Screening: universal early-literacy screening, often K-3.
- Intervention: required supports for struggling readers, sometimes including third-grade retention policies.
States to know
- Mississippi (2013): the model law. Literacy-Based Promotion Act with teacher training, literacy coaches in every district, universal screening, and third-grade retention. About $15 millones a year, roughly $32 per student.
- Ohio (2023): banned cueing, required all teachers to take science-of-reading training, limited schools to state-approved materials. 2025-26 was the first year every school had to comply; spring 2026 scores ticked up.
- Indiana (2023): districts must adopt science-of-reading curriculum; teachers licensed after June 2025 for pre-K to fifth-grade literacy must earn a literacy endorsement (about 80 hours of training plus an exam).
- Pennsylvania (2025): Act 47 requires evidence-based structured literacy curriculum in every public school by fall 2027. See our Pennsylvania guide.
- Texas: elementary teachers must complete a reading academy or demonstrate proficiency.
- North Carolina: all elementary teachers completed LETRS training.
- Minnesota: the Read Act requires materials aligned to the five pillars of reading.
- Florida (2002): the original early-literacy reform with retention; NAEP fourth-grade reading scores gained about a grade level and a half over the following decade.
The three-cueing bans
At least 17 states now prohibit teaching beginners to guess words from context clues, sentence structure, or pictures (the three-cueing model). Note the definitions are often vague, which has caused real confusion: banning any use of meaning or context cues would contradict reading comprehension itself, so most states intend the ban to cover word identification strategy, not comprehension.
What to do now
- Check whether your state has an approved curriculum list and whether your district's materials are on it.
- Find out your training deadline; several states tie license renewal to completion.
- Supplement with phonics-aligned printable worksheets while materials transition.
Sources
- State legislation: MS Literacy-Based Promotion Act (2013), OH HB 33 provisions (2023), IN HEA 1558 (2023), PA Act 47 (2025), MN Read Act
- Education Week state legislation tracker; phonics.org state-by-state overview