✦ STRUCTURED LITERACY ✦

Unlocking Potential with Proven Techniques

Structured literacy is a deliberate and explicit approach to teaching reading that is grounded in the understanding of language structure. This educational strategy is particularly significant for effectively teaching students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties, as it addresses the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. Structured literacy is comprehensive, incorporating all elements of language, from the smallest units of sounds to the meaning of text and sentence structure. Its systematic and cumulative instruction helps students build a solid foundation in reading, writing, and spelling.

Utilize the Ideal

Approach to Dyslexia

Systematic
Multisensory
Explicit
Diagnostic
Cumulative
Phonics-focused

How Structured Literacy can help

Structured literacy is particularly helpful because it addresses the core difficulties dyslexics face with language processing. For dyslexics, who often struggle with decoding words, the phonics component of structured literacy teaches them the relationship between letters and sounds in a detailed, step-by-step manner. The multi-sensory methods used in structured literacy engage different learning pathways, enhancing memory and learning retention. The explicit teaching of grammar and sentence structure in the syntax component helps improve writing skills.

The Core Components of

Structured Literacy

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds—phonemes—in spoken words. This foundational skill is crucial for learning to read and spell in an alphabetic language. In structured literacy programs, students practice segmenting words into phonemes, blending phonemes to form words, and manipulating phonemes within words. This training helps students understand how sounds form words and is directly linked to their ability to decode text when reading.

Phonics

Phonics is the system of relationships between letters and sounds in a language. Structured literacy provides systematic and explicit instruction in phonics, ensuring that students learn how letters and letter combinations are used to represent speech sounds. This includes teaching students the rules for decoding words, which is essential for reading. Students learn to apply these rules to read and spell new words, building a solid foundation for fluency.

Fluency

Fluency refers to the ability to read text smoothly, accurately, and with appropriate expression and speed. In structured literacy, fluency is developed through guided practice with text at the appropriate level of difficulty. Techniques include repeated readings and monitored oral reading to improve speed, accuracy, and prosody. As fluency improves, students are better able to focus on the meaning of the text, rather than on decoding individual words, leading to better comprehension.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary instruction in structured literacy programs focuses on teaching both the meanings of words and how to infer the meaning of new words from context. Expansion of vocabulary is crucial as it directly impacts reading comprehension. Structured literacy approaches often include explicit teaching of synonyms, antonyms, and multiple-meaning words, as well as morphological strategies, such as understanding prefixes, suffixes, and root words, which helps students understand complex vocabulary.

Syntax

Syntax involves the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences. Mastery of syntax in structured literacy includes understanding sentence structure, recognizing grammatical features, and using this knowledge to form sentences correctly. Instruction may cover parts of speech, sentence types, and punctuation rules. Strong syntactical skills enable students to write and speak more effectively and to better understand complex texts.

Comprehension

Comprehension strategies in structured literacy involve techniques that aid in understanding, remembering, and communicating about what is read. These strategies might include predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarizing, and visualizing. Instruction focuses on helping students actively engage with text, use prior knowledge, and think critically about the content. These strategies are taught explicitly and practiced regularly to ensure that students can apply them across different types of texts and disciplines.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Assessing Student Needs

To effectively tailor structured literacy interventions, it's crucial to accurately assess each student's specific literacy needs. Guidelines for this process include conducting comprehensive evaluations that measure various aspects of literacy, from decoding and fluency to comprehension and writing skills. Recommended tools and assessments might include standardized reading tests, diagnostic assessments like the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), or informal reading inventories. These tools help educators identify areas where students require the most support, ensuring that the literacy approach is customized to improve their specific skills.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Curriculum Integration

Integrating structured literacy principles into an existing curriculum requires thoughtful planning and adaptation. Educators should focus on embedding systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and syntax across all subject areas. This might involve adjusting daily lesson plans to include dedicated time for structured literacy activities, or reorganizing reading materials to better align with these principles. For example, teachers might incorporate phonics-based reading materials into early learning settings or use sentence diagramming techniques in older grades to enhance syntax skills.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Multisensory Techniques

Multisensory teaching methods are a cornerstone of effective structured literacy instruction. These methods engage more than one sense at a time, such as sight, sound, touch, and movement, to enhance learning and memory. Practical examples include using letter tiles or sand trays for students to feel the shape of letters and words while they spell, or integrating visual aids and auditory feedback during reading exercises. Implementing these methods daily helps reinforce the connections between different sensory experiences and literacy skills, making learning more dynamic and accessible for all students.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Classroom Strategies

Key structured literacy techniques focus on developing core areas such as phonemic awareness, where students learn to manipulate sounds in words; phonics, which involves understanding the relationship between letters and sounds; and syntax instruction, which teaches the rules for sentence structure. To maintain engagement and effectiveness, educators should use repetitive, incremental learning sequences and provide frequent, specific feedback. Incorporating interactive activities, such as group reading sessions or phonics games, also helps keep students engaged and reinforces their learning in a fun, supportive environment.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Classroom Resources and Materials

Key structured literacy techniques focus on developing core areas such as phonemic awareness, where students learn to manipulate sounds in words; phonics, which involves understanding the relationship between letters and sounds; and syntax instruction, which teaches the rules for sentence structure. To maintain engagement and effectiveness, educators should use repetitive, incremental learning sequences and provide frequent, specific feedback. Incorporating interactive activities, such as group reading sessions or phonics games, also helps keep students engaged and reinforces their learning in a fun, supportive environment.

Implementing Structured Literacy

Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Instruction

Effective monitoring of student progress in structured literacy programs involves regular assessments and the use of data to inform instructional decisions. Methods include ongoing informal assessments, periodic standardized tests, and analysis of student work samples. Strategies for adjusting instruction based on this data might involve increasing the intensity or frequency of interventions, differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning needs, or pivoting approaches if certain methodologies are not meeting the expected outcomes. This continuous cycle of assessment and adjustment helps ensure that each student's learning trajectory is moving towards greater proficiency and confidence in literacy.

Benefits of Structured Literacy

Enhances Decoding Skills:

Teaches explicit and systematic decoding strategies that improve accuracy and speed in reading.

Boosts Comprehension:

Focuses on syntax, semantics, and vocabulary to deepen understanding of text

Enhances Writing Skills:

Provides instruction in grammar, sentence structure, and composition to improve writing abilities.

Supports All Readers:

Research shows structured literacy's effectiveness for all readers of all ages and skill levels.

Structured Literacy FAQs

How does structured literacy differ from traditional literacy instruction?

Structured literacy differs markedly from traditional literacy instruction in its systematic, explicit approach that meticulously builds from basic to complex concepts, ideal for learners who struggle to intuit language rules, like those with dyslexia. Unlike traditional methods that often rely on exposure to text and holistic learning, structured literacy emphasizes the explicit teaching of phonology, orthography, syntax, semantics, and morphology using multisensory techniques. This method ensures all students, particularly those with reading difficulties, early readers, and English Language Learners, understand the foundational structures of language through continuous, targeted assessments and adapted instruction. This focused approach contrasts with traditional strategies, which prioritize meaning and literature appreciation, potentially overlooking the needs of students who require more direct instruction in reading skills.

What materials are needed for structured literacy?

Here’s a list of essential materials often used in structured literacy programs:


Phoneme Manipulation Tools: Tools such as Elkonin boxes, sound chips, or colored tiles help students visualize and manipulate sounds in words, essential for developing phonemic awareness.


Letter Tiles: Magnetic or cardstock letter tiles are used to build words, which helps with phonics and spelling instruction. These tiles allow students to physically manipulate the parts of words, reinforcing the connection between sounds and letters.


Grapheme Cards: Cards that display graphemes (letters or groups of letters that represent sounds) which can be used in instruction to help students link sounds to their corresponding letters and letter combinations.


Decodable Texts: Books or texts that contain a controlled vocabulary that students have been explicitly taught. Decodable texts are crucial for allowing students to apply their phonics knowledge in context and build fluency.


Multisensory Writing Materials: Sand trays, shaving cream, or textured surfaces provide tactile feedback during writing exercises, engaging students’ sense of touch to reinforce learning.


Word Lists: Lists that are categorized by spelling patterns, phonetic concepts, or word families. These are used for reading and spelling practice, helping students to consolidate their understanding of specific phonics rules.


Phonics Games and Software: Interactive games and educational software that reinforce phonics, spelling, and reading skills through engaging, multisensory activities.


Syllable Division Tools: Materials or markers for visually breaking down words into syllables, which aids in both reading and spelling multi-syllabic words.


Visual Aids: Charts or posters that display phonetic rules, spelling patterns, and other key literacy concepts. These visual aids provide constant, accessible references for students.


Structured Literacy Curriculum Guides: Comprehensive guides and lesson plans that outline the scope and sequence of instruction, ensuring that teaching is systematic and cumulative.


Assessment Tools: Instruments designed to track progress and identify areas needing further reinforcement, crucial for tailoring instruction to meet the individual needs of students.


Using these materials, educators can effectively implement structured literacy strategies that are explicit, systematic, and engaging, providing strong support for students, particularly those with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

How does structured literacy support students with dyslexia?

Structured literacy is particularly effective for students with dyslexia because it addresses their core language processing challenges through explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction. It focuses on phonemic awareness and phonics, teaching the relationship between sounds and letters in a direct manner, which is crucial for students who struggle with decoding words. Multisensory techniques are employed to engage multiple senses, enhancing retention and comprehension for dyslexic learners. The approach also systematically builds vocabulary and teaches the structure of language, including syntax, semantics, and morphology, which bolsters understanding and expression. Regular assessments enable tailored instruction that meets individual needs, ensuring that each student progresses steadily and gaps in knowledge are addressed promptly. This structured approach provides a clear, effective pathway for dyslexic students to develop fluency and reading proficiency, ultimately supporting their overall academic success.

How can parents support their children's learning in a structured literacy program?

Parents can effectively support their children in structured literacy programs by first educating themselves about its principles and methods. Reinforcing learning at home through activities that align with the program's focus, such as phonemic awareness games and phonics practice, is crucial. Regular communication with educators helps ensure consistency between home and school efforts, while using recommended materials and creating a supportive learning environment at home further enhances learning. Encouraging reading for pleasure, reading to your children at night before bed, attending relevant workshops, celebrating all successes, and providing emotional support are also vital.

Improve Your Knowledge

FURTHER RESOURCES

Below you will find some of our favorite external resources for learning about dyslexia and

Structured Literacy.

IDA RESOURCES

ONLINE RESOURCES


NM RESOURCES

NM PED Literacy & Humanities

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Phone

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