For a long time, many teachers have quietly felt a tension. On one side, we want learning to feel alive. Playful. Creative. Curious. On the other, we’re being called (rightfully) to teach reading in a way that is explicit, systematic, and grounded in research. Somewhere along the way, a harmful myth crept in: If you teach the Science of Reading well, the joy disappears. As an Ontario-certified teacher with many years of experience — I can tell you honestly: Joyful teaching and Science of Reading–aligned instruction don’t compete. They strengthen each other.

The Science of Reading was just the missing piece.

When we think about the real purpose of the Science of Reading, we begin to understand that, the Science of Reading isn’t a program. It isn’t a worksheet pack, and it certainly isn’t a rigid script. It is a body of research that tells us something very powerful: Children learn to read best when we teach foundational skills explicitly and intentionally.

This includes:

• phonological and phonemic awareness
• sound–symbol relationships
• blending and segmenting
• word reading and spelling
• and language comprehension

But here’s the part about the Science of Reading that often gets lost: the research tells us what children need.

It does not tell us we must teach it in joyless ways. Structure creates safety. Safety creates joy. Young children thrive when learning feels predictable.

When students know:

• how the lesson will flow
• what their role is
• and what success looks like

their cognitive load drops.

That is one of the quiet gifts of Science of Reading–aligned instruction.

A consistent routine for:

• daily phonemic awareness
• short, focused phonics instruction
• and meaningful practice

as it creates emotional safety and emotional safety is where curiosity grows. Joy doesn’t come from chaos. It comes from confidence. Joy shows up when children feel themselves becoming readers. One of the most joyful moments in a classroom is not a craft. It’s a child whispering: “I can read this.” When instruction is aligned to how the brain actually learns to read, progress becomes visible—quickly.

Students start to:

• hear sounds they couldn’t hear before
• decode words that once felt impossible
• notice spelling patterns on their own
• take risks with reading and writing

That feeling of I am capable is deeply joyful. Not performative joy. Not overstimulation. Authentic joy. Explicit does not mean boring. Let’s be clear: Explicit instruction simply means we are not leaving learning to chance.

Explicit Instruction in the Science of Reading does not mean –

• endless drills
• silent worksheets
• or robotic teaching

In my own classroom and in the work I design for teachers and parents, joyful Science of Reading instruction often looks like:

• quick oral games with sounds and words
• partner talk while building words
• movement while blending and segmenting
• playful challenges (“Can you build a word that starts the same way as…?”)
• meaningful decodable reading connected to real classroom topics

Children laugh. They collaborate. They experiment, but the learning target is always intentional. Play and inquiry still belong—when they are built on strong foundations. I deeply value inquiry-based and child-centred learning. In fact, my classroom is built on a blend of structured literacy and rich, hands-on exploration. The mistake is not play. The mistake is assuming play alone will build reading skills.

Children do not naturally discover:

• how phonemes map to graphemes
• how blending works
• or how spelling patterns function

Those must be taught. Once the foundation is strong, something beautiful happens: Children can participate more fully in inquiry, storytelling, writing, and project-based learning—because literacy is no longer a barrier. Strong reading instruction expands what children can do. It doesn’t limit it. Joy is also equity There is another reason I care deeply about joyful, explicit reading instruction. It is one of the most powerful equity tools we have.

When we teach The Science of Reading clearly and systematically:

• struggling readers are not left guessing
• language learners are supported, not overwhelmed
• and children who do not have literacy-rich environments at home are no longer at as large of a disadvantage

There is deep joy in watching a child who once avoided books begin to seek them out. That joy matters. What joyful, Science of Reading–aligned teaching really feels like…

It feels like:

• short, focused lessons that respect attention spans
• children actively responding—not passively watching
• teachers making purposeful decisions about practice
• and classrooms where mistakes are normal and expected

It feels calm and intentional. Joy is not volume. Joy is engagement. A quiet reminder for teachers If you are feeling overwhelmed by new expectations, new language, and new frameworks, I will say: You do not need to abandon who you are as a teacher. The Science of Reading does not erase your creativity. It gives your creativity a powerful foundation. When you understand how reading develops, you gain freedom.

You can design experiences that are:

• playful
• meaningful
• developmentally appropriate

and aligned with what children actually need. Joy and rigour belong together. The most joyful classrooms I have been a part of are not unstructured. They are thoughtfully built. Rooted in strong pedagogy. They honour children’s curiosity and take literacy seriously—because literacy opens doors. In my classroom my mission is simple: to create a learning environment where children feel safe, capable, curious—and deeply supported as readers. As I am sure, yours does too. We got this.

With love, C.