Missouri Revised Statutes § 170.014 - Reading instruction act — reading programs established, essential components
Public schools and charter schools must establish and offer K-5 reading programs based on scientific research, and certain reading instruction rules apply.
170.014. Reading instruction act — reading programs established, essential components. — 1. This section shall be known as the "Reading Instruction Act" and is enacted to ensure that all public schools including charter schools establish reading programs in kindergarten through grade five based in scientific research. "Evidence-based reading instruction" includes practices that have been proven effective through evaluation of the outcomes for large numbers of students and are highly likely to be effective in improving reading if implemented with fidelity. Such programs shall include the essential components of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and all new teachers who teach reading in kindergarten through grade three shall receive adequate training in these areas. 2. (1) For purposes of this subsection, "three-cueing system" means any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, which may also be known as "MSV". (2) A public school district or charter school shall provide reading instruction in accordance with the following requirements: (a) Phonics instruction for decoding and encoding shall be the primary instructional strategy for teaching word reading; (b) Instruction in word reading shall not rely primarily on strategies based on the three-cueing system model of reading or visual memory; and (c) Reading instruction may include visual information and strategies that improve background and experiential knowledge, add context, and increase oral language and vocabulary to support comprehension, but such visual information and strategies shall not be used to teach word reading. 3. Every public school in the state shall offer a reading program as described in subsection 1 of this section for kindergarten through grade five. (L. 2002 H.B. 1711, A.L. 2022 S.B. 681 & 662, A.L. 2025 S.B. 68) Severability clause, see § 82.293.