Science of Reading Act of 2026

This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to promote literacy instruction aligned with the "science of reading." It defines this approach as an interdisciplinary, evidence-based body of research that identifies essential components for skilled reading, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing. A key provision is the explicit exclusion of the "three-cueing model" from comprehensive literacy instruction, which the bill defines as an approach relying on context, pictures, or visual memory for word recognition. To encourage adoption of these methods, the legislation requires state applications for Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants to detail their alignment with the science of reading. It also prioritizes the allocation of these federal grants and subgrants to programs, from birth through kindergarten entry and K-12, that are specifically aligned with the science of reading principles. The act includes provisions ensuring it does not limit rights under disability laws or authorize federal control over specific instructional content or curricula.