Call to Action on Early Literacy

Data Is the Key to Stronger K-1 Literacy Outcomes: A Call to School Leaders

Written by Dr. Cindy Hadicke, Head of Client Success and Partnerships

What if the Most Powerful Literacy Tool Isn’t a Program but It’s Your Data?

Every school leader wants to know: Are our youngest readers on track, and what do we do when they aren’t? The most powerful tool to answer that question may already be in your hands: your K-1 literacy data. Too often, school leaders review screening data and see the same reality: some students are thriving, while others are already at risk. The question becomes not whether we have the data, but whether we are using it collectively to improve outcomes for all children. And we know the window is small. The earliest years of instruction, kindergarten and first grade, are where reading trajectories are most powerfully shaped. But here’s the challenge: We cannot improve what we cannot see clearly.

That’s why AIM is launching the State of Early Literacy Report, calling on schools to contribute de-identified K-1 literacy screening data to help build a national picture of what is working, and where schools need stronger instructional support.

Why Early Literacy Data Matters More Than Ever

Universal screening data gives leaders insight into how many students are meeting benchmark expectations. It also tells us where Tier 1 instruction is strong or needs reinforcement, or whether interventions are happening early enough. Finally, universal screening data show how instructional minutes, coaching, and data practices impact student outcomes. This kind of information isn’t just compliance; it’s true instructional leadership. And research is clear: early foundational skills must be taught systematically and monitored closely.

Linnea Ehri (Ehri, L. C., 2022) explains that automatic word reading develops through mastery of:

• Letter-sound knowledge
• Phonemic awareness
• Decoding and phonics instruction
• A growing vocabulary of sight words

These skills do not develop by chance; they require intentional instruction supported by assessment data. “Mastery of letters, phonemic awareness… and decoding unfamiliar words” is essential (p. 1).”

What the Science of Reading Tells Us: Phonemic Awareness Is Foundational

Phoneme awareness is not an “extra.” It is a cornerstone of learning to read. The International Dyslexia Association (2022, June) states:

“Students who are learning to read must become aware of the smallest segmented parts of spoken words (phonemes)… It is a critical foundational skill for reading.”

Without this awareness, written words appear arbitrary; something students must memorize rather than decode. And importantly, research confirms that phoneme awareness is most effective when it is directly linked to print. Phoneme instruction is most effective when coordinated with grapheme-phoneme correspondences. Handwriting and spelling practice further strengthen these connections. Instruction works best when integrated, not isolated.

Why Schools Need to Share K-1 Literacy Data

AIM’s K-1 Impact Report initiative is designed to answer questions school leaders are already asking:

• Are students making expected growth from fall to spring?
• How much instructional time is devoted to foundational skills?
• Are Tier 2 interventions being delivered consistently?
• How often are data cycles driving instructional decisions?

By contributing de-identified screening data across the year, schools help build the evidence base for stronger early literacy systems nationwide. Ehri’s research emphasizes that word reading becomes automatic through a process called orthographic mapping, in which children connect graphemes in print to phonemes in speech.

“Written words are stored in memory when graphemes in spellings are connected to phonemes in pronunciations… This enables students to read words by sight.”

That means leaders must ensure instruction includes systematic phonics, phoneme segmentation and blending, decodable text practice aligned to the scope and sequence, and ongoing assessment of foundational skills. And that requires strong, consistent data.

Schools participating in AIM’s initiative will receive:

• National benchmarking insights
• A clearer understanding of instructional conditions linked to success
• Access to professional learning incentives
• Entry into literacy grant opportunities

Most importantly, participating leaders will help shape the State of Early Literacy Report, planned for release in Summer 2026. All data shared is fully de-identified and used only in aggregate to protect student and school privacy.

School leaders, your data has power beyond your building.

By sharing de-identified K-1 screening information, you contribute to:

• A national snapshot of early literacy
• Better understanding of what drives growth
• Stronger instructional decision-making for all students

This is how we move from isolated efforts to collective impact.

Incentives for participation: The first 100 schools to submit data will receive complimentary access to an AIM professional learning course (valued at $99) & will be entered into a drawing for $5,000 toward literacy initiatives.

References:

Ehri, L. C. (2022). What teachers need to know and do to teach letter–sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, and phonics. The Reading Teacher. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2095

International Dyslexia Association. (2022, June). Building phoneme awareness: Know what matters.