Structured Literacy is a term that has been used in the discussion of best practices for teaching reading for the past decade. The term has seemed a bit vague, although one can surmise by the contexts in which it is mentioned that Structured Literacy seems to be aligned with Orton-Gillingham and similar approaches to teaching language. As with many aspects of reading instruction, the same terms can mean different things, depending on the source. International Dyslexia Association, who coined the term back in 2024, released its working definition of Structured Literacy clarifying precisely what is meant by the term.
“Structured Literacy is a comprehensive, integrated approach to reading and writing instruction that directly and systematically builds on and develops oral language while explicitly teaching the structure of written language. Using this evidence-based approach, educators integrate the teaching of the foundational and higher-order skills and knowledge needed to develop proficient reading comprehension and written expression.” ~International Dyslexia Association
In a recent IDA Training Brief, Structured Literacy is examined carefully. Below are some key excerpts from that publication.
Structured Literacy is characterized by the provision of systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse.
The following instructional principles are hallmark features of a Structured Literacy approach to reading:
1. Instructional tasks are modeled and clearly explained, especially when first introduced or when a child is having difficulty.
2. Highly explicit instruction is provided, not only in important foundational skills such as decoding and spelling, but also in higher-level aspects of literacy such as syntax, reading comprehension, and text composition.
3. Important prerequisite skills are taught before students are expected to learn more advanced skills.
4. Meaningful interactions with language occur during the lesson.
5. Multiple opportunities are provided to practice instructional tasks.
6. Well targeted corrective feedback is provided after initial student responses.
7. Student effort is encouraged.
8. Lesson engagement during teacher-led instruction is monitored and scaffolded.
9. Lesson engagement during independent work is monitored and facilitated.
10. Students successfully complete activities at a high criterion level of performance before moving on to more advanced skills.
Structured Literacy does not involve just one particular program or method. In fact, many well-known intervention programs, methods, and approaches fall under the umbrella of Structured Literacy, such as the Wilson Reading System (Wilson, 1988), the Orton-Gillingham method (Gillingham & Stillman, 2014), the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS; Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998), and Direct Instruction (e.g., Carnine, Silbert, Kame’enui, & Tarver, 2009), as well as several other approaches (e.g., Birsh & Carreker, 2019).
To read the entire Structured Literacy Brief, visit the IDA website at https:// dyslexialibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/file-manager/public/2564/structured-literacy brief-9-16-21.pdf
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