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

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

Ashley Wood, a second-year kindergarten teacher in Newburg, speaking to her students (photo submitted). 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 re…