(Rapid City, SD) — Six-million dollars has been approved to improve literacy rates across South Dakota. Governor Noem signed a bill into law on March 5th that will expand phonics-based reading curriculum and teaching training. South Dakota Education Secretary Joseph Graves says switching to phonics-based learning is working for other states so it essential to teach it to students. The funding will be used over four years and will allow elementary students to learn how to read with an approach that relies on using sounds within words rather than letters.