The research is clear: To decode words, students need explicit and systematic instruction on the relationship between sounds and their corresponding letters. This approach, known as phonics, stands in stark contrast to cueing, which encourages students to use visual and other cues to identify unknown words in a text.

Does this mean that cueing should never be used in the classroom—and that skilled readers never rely on cues?

Watch this webinar for the answers, as two experts explore the controversy around cueing, including an increasing number of statewide bans. Topics include:

• What is the 3-cueing system, and why is it so ineffective for teaching students how to read?
• Integrating phonemic awareness and phonics for explicit decoding instruction
• How and why skilled readers make use of cues—perhaps without even realizing it
• How technology supports Science of Reading-aligned instruction and practice across grade levels

Bryan Drost, PhD, is Executive Director for Educational Services at Rocky River City Schools in Ohio. He formerly served as a curriculum director, principal, and teacher. He is also an adjunct faculty member at several Ohio colleges, where he teaches courses in assessment, instructional design, school law, literacy, and leadership.

Lynne Kulich, PhD, is Senior Director of Solutions Engineering at Renaissance and a specialist in early literacy instruction. She is a former professor, curriculum director, data coach, and elementary reading teacher. She is also co-author of the book The Fluency Development Lesson: Closing the Reading Gap.