When Science of Reading Meets Equity: Understanding and Applying Equity‐Oriented Models to Enhance a Phonics Intervention

ABSTRACT This practitioner inquiry study examines how equity‐oriented literacy frameworks can enrich a Science of Reading (SoR)–aligned phonics intervention, Road to Reading (RTR). Guided by an Asset‐Based Integrated View of Reading and Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, 39 pre‐ and in‐service teachers adapted RTR lessons for K‐2 students in a graduate literacy methods course. We qualitatively analyzed 468 lesson plans and 312 reflective memos to document equity‐oriented adaptations to the RTR phonics routine. Teachers embedded student‐authored decodable texts, multilingual supports, inquiry‐based learning, and assessment practices that attended to students' interests and identities. The findings illustrate patterns in teachers' equity‐oriented adaptations that blend SoR‐aligned instruction with culturally and historically sustaining pedagogy.