A Review of the Three-Cueing System: Correcting a Misunderstanding About the Reading Process

This paper addresses the ongoing debate about the role of the three-cueing system in reading education by analyzing the body of evidence from 53 studies spanning 1964–2022. A key outcome of this study was to determine that the three-cueing system is not a method for teaching students how to decode, but rather a framework for teaching students how to monitor their reading accuracy and comprehension, enabling them to take control of their own learning. A mapping and examination of the studies’ historical trajectory and main foci overwhelmingly showed that all readers, no matter their level of proficiency, make errors when reading aloud that align with the three cueing systems. There are also key behaviors that distinguish proficient readers from the less proficient, made evident via analyses of those reading errors, the impact on their comprehension of text and of instruction practices that may impact a student’s reading behaviors and proficiency. We also identify the associated issue with purporting that reading should involve a degree of guesswork and make suggestions regarding the language used to describe and discuss the process of reading. Ultimately, these findings highlight the need to move past unproductive debates and to instead empower teachers to make considered, evidence-informed choices in how they foster and communicate their understanding of the reading process with learners, colleagues and the wider community.