Ohio elementary schools are moving to the Science of Reading, an approach that emphasizes phonics along with vocabulary- and knowledge-rich content. Keen on learning what this transition looks like inside classrooms, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute asked Ellen Belcher, a former journalist with the Dayton Daily News, to visit Margaretta Local Schools to shine light on their literacy practices. Kurt found that using the Science of Reading in the early grades gives students essential foundational reading skills, but it also supports districts' bottom lines. They can't afford to do the ongoing intervention that is needed when students aren't taught from the beginning to read according to research-based instructional practices.