This qualitative study explored the perspectives of literacy teachers in grades 3-6 regarding how the Science of Reading (SoR) has influenced teacher beliefs and instructional practices in relation to fostering students' critical literacy skills. The research was framed around the following three questions: What are literacy teachers' current views on the SoR and its influence on the development of higher-level comprehension in students? How have SoR initiatives impacted teachers' instructional practices concerning thoughtful literacy? How do literacy teachers perceive the support available to promote and deliver instruction that advances students' thoughtful literacy skill development? This study, conducted during the height of the SoR movement, aimed to leverage literacy reform initiatives to explore the translation of policy to practice. In this study, I utilized a qualitative approach to interpret literacy teachers' perspectives on the impact of SoR initiatives on their beliefs, practices, and perceived supports. Data collection involved distributing 30 self-administered open-ended questionnaires to nominated literacy teachers from Pennsylvania public schools who currently teach in grades 3-6. Subsequently, I selected a subset of participants and conducted in-depth interviews with 12 expert literacy teachers, including five from suburban schools, five from urban schools, and two from rural schools. Each interview lasted 45-60 minutes and was conducted using a semi-structured format. Through in-vivo and pattern coding, I identified four emergent themes in response to teachers' perspectives on SoR initiatives: literacy knowledge and varied experiences shape literacy perspectives, the literacy teaching paradigm as both a science and an art, the benefits and constraints of SoR initiatives on teaching practices, and literacy teachers' interpretation of multifaceted instructional supports. The research identified a misinterpretation in how teachers perceive foundational skill and advanced literacy instruction to be competing entities. This dichotomy is perpetuated by district-endorsed SoR initiatives presenting reading models that do not fully align with teacher beliefs. District directives perpetuate the misinterpretation of the research, resulting in less experienced teachers' tendency to embrace new initiatives with less critical inquiry. Additionally, literacy specialists emerged as a significant source of support for teachers and their students, aiding in data interpretation, advising classroom instruction, and supporting student programming. Literacy plans were found to be powerful communication tools, guiding all stakeholders and particularly supporting teachers with instructional continuity and efficacy. The study concludes with implications for both practice and theory. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]