The writers introduce a handful of instructional shifts offered from an invitational stance to help readers consider research beyond a one size fits all mentality and confront their own biases and misunderstandings as they explore ways Balanced Literacy practitioners can reimagine early literacy instruction by incorporating some powerful tenants from the Science of Reading.

Introduction : Embracing Science and Balance -- Shift 1 Rethinking How Reading Comprehension Begins -- Shift 2 Recommitting to Phonemic Awareness Instruction -- Shift 3 Reimagining the Way We Teach Phonics -- Shift 4 Revising High-Frequency Word Instruction -- Shift 5 Reinventing the Ways We Use MSV (3 Cueing Systems) -- Shift 6 A Reconsidering Texts for Beginning Readers --Clearing Up Some Confusion -- Misunderstanding 1 Decodable texts are loaded with problems -- Misunderstanding 2 Predictable texts make learning to read easier -- Misunderstanding 3 Using meaning as the go-to source of information will teach children to comprehend -- Misunderstanding 4 As long as kids are spending time with books every day they will become better readers -- A Short Summary of the Science -- Recommendations for Making the Shift.