Are you seeking effective ways to enhance your students’ reading skills? Do you wish to close the achievement gap in your classrooms and inspire a love for reading among your pupils? If yes, then this blog post is just for you! Welcome to the fascinating world of Structured Literacy – an approach that holds the key to unlocking students’ reading potentials. Grab your favorite cup of tea (or coffee, no judgment here!), and let’s dive in!

What is Structured Literacy?

Structured Literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading that is explicit, systematic, and comprehensive. It emphasizes the essential components of reading instruction – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling. Unlike traditional literacy teaching methods that often rely on incidental learning, Structured Literacy teaches reading in a deliberate, systematic, and explicit manner.

Why Structured Literacy?

The beauty of Structured Literacy is that it understands that reading doesn’t come naturally; it’s a learned skill. Many of our students struggle with reading because they lack an understanding of the language’s structure. And that’s where Structured Literacy swoops in like a superhero! It instructs students about the building blocks of the English language, from the smallest unit (sounds or phonemes) to the larger units (morphemes, syllables, sentences, and so on).

Moreover, Structured Literacy doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. It tailors the instruction to the individual needs of the students, considering their strengths, weaknesses, and pace of learning. This approach has been found especially beneficial for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties.

Structured Literacy Instructional Strategies

Ready to explore some strategies for implementing Structured Literacy in your classroom? Here are a few techniques you can start using today:

• Explicit and Systematic Phonics Instruction: Phonics is the foundation of reading. Teach students letter-sound relationships and guide them to blend these sounds into words. This should not be a random process but rather a systematic one, beginning with simple patterns and gradually moving to more complex ones.

• Build Phonemic Awareness: Start with simple exercises that help students distinguish individual sounds in words. For example, ask them to identify the first sound in a word, or find rhyming words.

• Vocabulary Expansion: Teach new words in context and provide multiple exposures to each word. Use vocabulary games and activities to make learning engaging.

• Improve Reading Comprehension: Encourage students to actively interact with the text. Teach them strategies like questioning, summarizing, and predicting to improve understanding.

• Promote Spelling and Writing: Spelling and writing activities help reinforce phonics and vocabulary knowledge. Plus, they’re great ways to express creativity!

Structured Literacy Resources for Teachers

Now let’s talk resources! Here are a few to start with:

• The Reading League: A non-profit organization that provides a wealth of resources, including webinars, workshops, and coaching.

• International Dyslexia Association: They offer comprehensive fact sheets, webinars, and conference information related to Structured Literacy.

• The Florida Center for Reading Research: This center has tons of student activities and instructional resources grouped by grade and reading component.

• Understood.org: A valuable resource for strategies and techniques, especially for students with learning and thinking differences.

• Really Great Reading: They provide lessons, games, and assessments that can be used to supplement your instruction.

• Letterland: This is a unique, phonics-based approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling to 3-8-year-olds. It turns plain, abstract letters into child-friendly pictograms and stories.

Remember, teaching reading is not a sprint but a marathon. But with patience, perseverance, and the power of Structured Literacy, every student can cross the finish line with confidence. The journey may be challenging, but the rewards of seeing your students turn into proficient readers and lifelong learners will be worth every step.