Randomized control trials are considered the gold standard for conducting research and estimating causal effects; however, educational research rarely lends itself to experimental design and true randomization. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in finding new approaches to estimate causal effects in nonrandomized studies in education. Propensity score matching allows researchers to estimate causal effects when randomized studies are not possible. In this paper, I present a primer on propensity score matching through a practical example of literacy research. In addition, I provide a broad theoretical framework and a step-by-step outline for using propensity scores in observational literacy research in the context of my own research.