In rural Missouri classrooms, a new approach to reading is taking hold

By: William Hehemann

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: March 20, 2026

Words: 1,243

Last Updated: 1 day ago

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In early 2026, a small group of first-grade students at Lucy Wortham James Elementary School in St. James, Missouri, sat together sounding out words.

Kim Williams, the school’s principal, watched as they worked through the lesson. One young boy caught her attention.

“This student had struggled significantly the year before and often avoided reading tasks,” she said. “This time, I watched him carefully tap out each phoneme, blend the sounds and read a multi-syllable word …

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