How To Ensure The Success of NYC Reads

My name is Erica Boyce, and I’m a New York City elementary school teacher currently participating in phase one of NYC Reads—a program designed to ensure that all students become strong readers through research-backed, evidence-based methods. The curriculum I use, HMH’s Into Reading, incorporates the five pillars of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and I’ve been using it for three years now.

I want NYC Reads to succeed because I believe reading is the single most important skill required for my students’ future. However, for NYC Reads to achieve impact, we need to amplify the voices of hardworking educators like myself who are in the classroom every day. This transition should be driven, not from the top down, but from the ground up, led by teachers who directly work with students every day.

Every school and classroom is different, but based on my experiences in the third year of using Into Reading, I’ve encountered both “roses and thorns” with NYC Reads. By sharing both the positives and the areas for improvement, I believe we can double down on what works and address the challenges we’ve faced.

A key bright spot worth mentioning with NYC Reads, particularly when it comes to HMH’s Into Reading, is Amira – an AI tool that helps assess students’ reading fluency. It contains dozens of micro-interventions rooted in the science of reading, helping students build critical foundational skills. Amira also enhances their comprehension by prompting students to put on headphones, converse, and asks them to read certain parts out loud and provide reports for teachers. This tool has been invaluable in my classroom, and I believe it’s been highly engaging for my students.

Another bright spot has been some of the learning opportunities I’ve had during the rollout. I’ve had a coach come in to observe and give suggestions and feedback to help engage the students. I had monthly literacy PDs with the district, and I’ve also had opportunities to connect with my peers and discuss how to supplement the materials or remove certain questions from assessments when appropriate.

The combination of coaching, district PD, and peer collaboration has helped me engage my students more effectively, and it’s also really helped to see everything be so cohesive.

As far as challenges go, one that I’ve experienced involves engagement and motivation around the curriculum – which is attributable to students’ interest in the text. Many of the texts are more informational in nature, and they often require supplementation that’s closer to the topic being taught and their level. For example, there was a moment when my class was on a unit about explorers, but because many of my students either didn’t have an interest or a clear understanding of what explorers were, I had to spend time building that context for them. A solution to this might be to provide more variety of books or texts that meet the interests and needs of different learners. 

Another challenge has been planning time. No curriculum is perfect, and every student has differing needs – making it critical for educators to have adequate time for planning, adapting, and putting their own personal touch on their learning materials as an educator. Moving forward, I believe educators across the board could benefit by receiving more time to plan during school hours, and for curriculum providers like HMH to provide a more user-friendly interface that enhances educators’ capacity by helping them find the tools that they need more quickly. 

However, it’s again worth mentioning that every educator has had their own unique experiences with the curriculum. There are also differences between a school like mine, where we have been using the curriculum for several years, versus a school that’s in Phase 2 and just rolling it out this school year. Even within my own school building, some of my colleagues for example have developed a real affinity for the vocabulary section, while also experiencing challenges with the fast-paced nature of the modules. Furthermore, there have been challenges with the fact that HMH does not take into account the next-generation standards when designing lessons. 

But by elevating teacher stories, both good and bad, I’m confident we can create a culture of collaborative problem-solving and learning across the city. Ultimately, it’s this culture of collaboration, patience, and continuous learning that will determine whether NYC Reads succeeds, ensuring that our students have bright futures and develop the most vital skill—the ability to read and write.

Erica Boyce