Science of Reading in Dual Language Education Context in Utah

• In Event: The Science of Reading Through a Multilingual Lens: Critical Perspectives from Teacher Education to Policy

Abstract

This presentation critically interrogates the Science of Reading (SOR) movement through the lens of bilingual education in Utah, where a nationally recognized dual language immersion (DLI) program operates amidst increasing SOR-aligned policy mandates. Though Utah has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to multilingualism—with over 160 schools offering dual language education across several languages since 2008 —the growing dominance of monolingual SOR frameworks threatens these programs' biliteracy goals and pedagogical foundations. This tension creates an urgent site for examining how language ideology shapes literacy policy and practice.

Drawing on policy analysis, field data from Utah DLI classrooms, and interviews with bilingual educators, we will examine the epistemic injustice embedded in the English-centric SOR movement. As recent scholarship reveals, SOR approaches often "perpetuate racialized ideologies" by effectively erasing emergent bilinguals and their linguistically-rich knowledge from relevant research studies, curricula, and assessments (Noguerón-Liu, 2020). When applied uncritically in Utah's multilingual contexts, SOR mandates privilege English phonics-based instruction while disregarding robust research on bilingual literacy development.

The presentation addresses three critical tensions:

Policy Contradictions: While Utah boldly expanded its DLI initiative with the goal of students achieving "high levels of target language proficiency and cultural competency" (Utah DLI, 2024), recent state-level SOR policies have created conflicting mandates for schools. These contradictions arise because SOR approaches often lack "population validity"—the ability to generalize findings across diverse student populations, including bilingual learners (Mora, 2024). We will analyze how Utah educators navigate these competing policy frameworks while advocating for biliteracy-centered approaches.

Pedagogical Constraints: Research demonstrates that "translanguaging"—drawing on students' full linguistic repertoires during literacy instruction—can transform biliteracy development in dual-language settings. However, Utah's DLI teachers report significant pressure to adopt SOR-aligned methods that artificially separate languages and emphasize English-based phonological awareness exclusively. This contradicts research showing that emergent bilinguals benefit from approaches that "normalize bilingualism and translanguaging" while allowing students to "see themselves reflected in the materials they are reading" (Moses et al., 2021). We will showcase innovative practices from Utah educators who resist these constraints.

Epistemic Justice: The mainstream SOR movement often fails to recognize how neuroscience research on "the bilingual brain" might inform more effective literacy instruction for multilingual learners (García & Wei, 2014). By adopting what Milner (2020) describes as "implicit and overt racist and White supremacist practices in producing and disseminating knowledge," SOR frameworks marginalize multilingual students' linguistic resources and cultural knowledge. We will examine how this epistemic exclusion manifests in Utah classrooms and propose alternative frameworks that center bilingual learners' experiences.

In response, we propose a multilingual reimagining of reading science that builds upon Utah's established DLI infrastructure while incorporating critical sociolinguistic perspectives. Evidence from longitudinal studies shows that properly implemented dual-language programs yield significant academic benefits—including higher reading achievement scores—without compromising content knowledge acquisition. By placing these findings in conversation with emerging critical perspectives on SOR, our presentation will invite educators, researchers, and policymakers to envision literacy policies that honor linguistic diversity as a resource rather than a problem to be solved.

Authors

• Tuba Yilmaz, University of Utah

• Ellie T. Akerley, University of Utah