How can librarians support the Science of Reading?

On Board Online • April 28, 2025

By Mike Rukavina

School librarians can play a vital role in supporting literacy initiatives, according to Brian Mayer, school library system coordinator for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES (E2CCB).

At a state-funded symposium on reading in Western New York, he noted that school librarians all have master's degrees and are certified as teachers. Teachers and administrators should view them as partners in efforts to improve reading and writing, as well as media literacy, research skills and citizenship education, he said.

"Your school librarian is not just the person who checks out books and says 'shh,'" Mayer said. "There is so much more to the role . They extend the work (of classroom teachers) by providing resources, creating a supportive environment and engaging students in ways that complement classroom learning."

For instance, elementary school librarians can curate collections of decodable books, and librarians in all schools can collect materials that appeal to diverse learners.

Through read-alouds, author studies and other programming, librarians can model key literacy practices and reinforce concepts that are being taught in the classroom. They can strengthen connections with families by organizing literacy nights and collaborating with public libraries and other community organizations.

"Librarians should be part of those Science of Reading conversations," he said. In fact, he said, implementing the Science of Reading should be viewed as a whole-school effort. "It's a whole-building and a whole-community approach."

He also stressed the importance of elementary school librarians, pointing out that while library services are often mandated at the high school level, the lack of librarians in elementary schools leaves a gap in foundational literacy instruction.

Mayer's presentation was preceded by a presentation by Katie Carr, a renowned literacy specialist, researcher and curriculum writer.

The event was part of a Science of Reading Symposium series supported by a $1 million state RECOVS grant to E2CCB. RECOVs stands for Recover from COVID, with funds targeted at addressing learning loss and mental health.

As part of this effort, E2CCB is expanding literacy support by hiring instructional coaches and offering a 10-month Science of Reading Symposium series composed of some of the top literacy experts in the field.

Mike Rukavina is director of communications and development for Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES.