The Science of Reading in Two Languages

If you are a parent, you may have noticed that the Science of Reading keeps appearing in school newsletters, state education updates, and even in the news. But have you actually had the Science of Reading explained to you in a way that highlights why its strategies are so important and effective? At the same time, many families with children in dual language immersion programs — also called two-way bilingual programs — are wondering how this research applies when students are learning to read in two languages.

Bilingual students bring a unique advantage to literacy instruction: they learn to apply the same Science of Reading principles across two languages. The principles don’t change, but the way they show up in practice requires teachers to address cross-linguistic connections directly. For example, while phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension all follow the same structured instructional approaches between two languages, students must also learn to compare and contrast how they appear in each language. When educators intentionally make these connections, families can feel confident that their children are developing strong literacy skills in both languages. At the same time, teaching literacy in bilingual contexts reinforces why research-based instructional strategies remain essential in supporting multilingual students.

Recent national assessments show why this matters. For example, only 40% of fourth graders in the U.S. read proficiently (NAEP Reading Assessment, 2025). Even more concerning, multilingual learners often score lower because they don’t receive instruction that leverages their native languages, which is offered in dual language immersion programs.

What Is the Science of Reading?

At its core, the Science of Reading is not a program, but a body of research. Specifically, it draws on decades of studies in education, psychology, and neuroscience about how children learn to read (Reading League, 2025). Researchers consistently find that children need explicit, systematic instruction in five key areas. These include:

• Phonemic awareness (hearing and manipulating sounds in words)
• Phonics (connecting sounds to letters and patterns)
• Fluency (reading smoothly, with accuracy and expression)
• Vocabulary (knowing and using a wide range of words)
• Comprehension (understanding and analyzing what they read)

This approach is also often referred to as structured literacy, because it builds skills step by step. In other words, for parents, it means teachers are using research-based instructional strategies that are proven to teach your children how to read.

How the Science of Reading Supports Bilingual Students

For bilingual students, the Science of Reading has an added layer: cross-linguistic transfer. In simple terms, reading skills in one language support the development of reading skills in another. For example, when children learn to decode syllables in Spanish, they transfer that skill to English because both languages use the Roman alphabetic as their writing systems. 

Research shows that the development of language and literacy skills in two languages strengthens students’ overall reading abilities. In fact, children learning in bilingual settings often outperform monolingual peers in tasks that require cognitive flexibility and problem-solving (August & Shanahan, 2006).

Here’s how this plays out:

• Phonemic Awareness: Identifying initial sounds like /m/ in mano (Spanish) and moon (English) helps students transfer skills across languages.
• Phonics: A child learns that /ch/ makes one sound in English, and another in Spanish. These sounds would be taught explicitly so students understand how to sound them out when reading.
• Fluency: Reading smoothly in Spanish helps with pronunciation and rhythm, which in turn transfers to English.
• Vocabulary: Cognates such as animal in both Spanish and English build word knowledge, while false cognates are clarified to avoid confusion.
• Comprehension: Students who can discuss a story in both languages show deeper understanding and vocabulary flexibility.

The principles of the Science of Reading do not change when delivering instruction bilingually, but how they are applied must equally honor both languages.

What Parents See at Home: Phonics, Fluency, and Comprehension in Two Languages

Parents often wonder, how will I know if my child is benefiting from this approach? Fortunately, there are a few clear signs you might see at home:

• Phonemic Awareness is developed when children can hear, isolate, and manipulate sounds across both languages. For example, a teacher may help students recognize the /m/ sound at the beginning of “mano” in Spanish, and then identify the same initial sound in “moon” in English. The objective is to strengthen the ability to transfer sound knowledge across both languages, while noting where phonemes overlap or differ.
• Phonics instruction makes these contrasts explicit. A child learns that /ch/ in English represents the /tʃ/ sound as in “chair,” while in Spanish it represents /ʧ/ as in “chico”. By teaching students to compare these pronunciations, the teacher equips them to decode accurately in both languages. The objective is to ensure students understand that letter-sound relationships may look similar, but operate differently, depending on the language.
• Fluency grows as students apply literacy skills from one language to another. Reading smoothly in Spanish, with attention to phrasing and rhythm, can support English fluency in the same way. A teacher might model how a sentence flows in Spanish, then guide students to practice phrasing it in English. The objective is to transfer prosody and automaticity so decoding does not overburden comprehension.
• Vocabulary benefits from cross-linguistic connections as well. Students can be shown that “animal” in Spanish and “animal” in English are cognates (they share meaning and form), while words like “embarazada and “embarrassed” are false cognates (they look similar, but have different meanings). By explicitly teaching cognates and clarifying differences, the objective becomes expanding word knowledge in both languages while sharpening attention to meaning.
• Comprehension deepens when students learn to process and discuss texts in two languages. For instance, retelling a story first in Spanish and then in English allows students to draw on background knowledge, transfer academic vocabulary, and build critical thinking skills. The objective is to leverage both languages as tools for understanding, making meaning more robust and culturally relevant.

How Bilingual Bridges Brings the Science of Reading to Life

At Bilingual Bridges, we combine the Science of Reading with the power of dual language immersion. In practice, our tutors are certified bilingual educators trained in the Science of Reading and biliteracy instruction. That means every tutoring session is grounded in literacy instruction research, while also being responsive to each student’s language background. 

Here’s how we bring the Science of Reading to life in online tutoring:

• Explicit, systematic instruction in the five pillars of the Science of Reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension;
• Integration of two languages so students build literacy in English and their native language;
• Alignment with classroom instruction so reading progress is reinforced and accelerated;
• Implementation of a high-impact tutoring model that follows Stanford University’s HIT Model to the T delivering consistent tutors, frequent sessions (3-5 times per week), and data-driven instruction and assessments;
• Promote high student attendance to accelerate learning by months in a single year.

Building Confident Readers in Two Languages

For parents, the takeaway is clear: the Science of Reading is not just a trend. Rather, t is the most reliable roadmap we have for teaching children how to read in the 21st century. And when paired with dual language immersion, it gives bilingual students the best of both worlds — literacy proficiency in two languages, and the confidence that comes with it.

At Bilingual Bridges, we see it every day: children who once hesitated to pick up a book are now reading with joy — in English and their native language. Ultimately, with research-based instructional strategies for reading, two-way bilingual programs, and high-impact tutoring, we are helping families and schools grow readers with bright futures.