What is Structured Literacy?
A structured literacy approach is a highly explicit and systematic way of teaching the important components of literacy.
These components include both foundational skills (e.g., decoding, spelling, handwriting and letter formation) and higher-level literacy skills (e.g., reading comprehension, written expression). Structured Literacy explicitly teaches strategies which benefit most students, but are essential for neurodiverse and dyslexic children.
A Structured Literacy approach will typically follow these principles and methods1.
Explicit: In structured literacy instruction, the teacher explains each concept directly and clearly, providing guided practice. Lessons embody instructional routines, for example, quick practice drills to build fluency, or the use of fingers to tap out sounds before spelling words. The student applies each new concept to reading and writing words and text, under direct supervision of the teacher who gives immediate feedback and guidance. Students are not expected to discover or intuit language concepts simply from exposure to language or reading.
Systematic and cumulative: In a structured literacy approach, the teacher teaches language concepts systematically, explaining how each element fits into the whole. Instruction follows a planned scope and sequence of skills that progresses from easier to more difficult. One concept builds on another. The goal of systematic teaching is automatic and fluent application of language knowledge to reading for meaning.
Hands-on, engaging, and multimodal: Methods often include hands-on learning such as moving tiles into sound boxes as words are analysed, using hand gestures to support memory for associations, building words with letter tiles, assembling sentences with words on cards, color-coding sentences in paragraphs, and so forth. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are often paired with one another to foster multimodal language learning.
Diagnostic and responsive: The teacher uses student response patterns to adjust pacing, presentation, and amount of practice given within the lesson framework. The teacher monitors progress through observation and brief quizzes that measure retention of what has been taught.
A structured literacy approach is one that is informed by a large body of research called The Science of Reading which has been defined as follows:2
“The Science of Reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing.
This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and it is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages.
The Science of Reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop; why some have difficulty; and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.”
The Science of Reading is not a programme of instruction nor is it a single component of instruction such as phonics. It is not an ideology, philosophy or one person’s idea of how we learn to read. It is also not a fad, trend or new idea or a political agenda.
The Science of Reading has been around for a long time. The issue is that it has not found its way into classrooms around the world, including New Zealand. The reasons for this are complicated and involved – we suggest you listen to the podcasts from Emily Hanford3 as a starting point and view the resources on this website. Instead, what you will find in most New Zealand classrooms is Balanced Literacy. This is also referred to as the three cueing system or MSV approach (meaning, structure and visual). This is currently recommended by New Zealand’s Ministry of Education and is what teachers are trained in at teachers college.
40% of children will learn to read using Balanced Literacy, but this leaves 60% of children for whom a Structured Literacy approach is likely to be essential, including our dyslexic and neurodiverse learners (see Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading and Writing. Image used with Nancy Young’s permission – www.nancyyoung.ca)
Encouragingly, more New Zealand schools are implementing Structured Literacy and the Ministry of Education is increasingly engaging with Structured Literacy experts to learn more. Literacy Connections is supporting this paradigm shift through in-school professional development and educator workshops.
For one-on-one Structured Literacy tuition please visit our For Parents page for a list of recommended tutors in Christchurch.
Please reach out – we warmly welcome any queries or questions.
- International Dyslexia Association: Structured Literacy: Effective Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Related Reading Difficulties.
- Defining Movement. (2021, February 21). The science of reading: A defining guide. Science of Reading Guide
- What’s wrong with how schools teach reading?
Acknowledgement
Literacy Connections would like to sincerely thank the staff and students of Te Raekura Redcliffs School in Christchurch for so generously allowing us to shoot the images for our website at the school, and for being such delightful participants.