An Overview of Structured Literacy

Summary

Structured literacy is a systematic and research-based approach to teaching reading and writing, focusing on explicit and direct instruction. It encompasses teaching sound structure, letter knowledge, syllable types, and morphemes to support reading, spelling, and word meanings. This method also includes comprehension strategies and is cumulative, building on previously learned skills. Structured literacy is effective for all students, including those at risk or with dyslexia, requiring more intensive instruction for some.

Takeaways

• 📚 Structured literacy is identified as the most effective approach to reading instruction, providing a systematic method based on extensive research.
• 🔤 It begins with teaching students about sounds and progresses to letter-sound correspondence, syllable types, and morphemes to build a strong foundation in reading and writing.
• 👂 The approach emphasizes the importance of phoneme-grapheme correspondence, which is crucial for both reading and spelling words.
• 📈 Structured literacy includes teaching syllable types to help children understand how vowels in words will sound, focusing on common patterns like closed syllables.
• 🌐 Morphemes, as meaning units, are integrated into the curriculum to enhance students' understanding of word meanings and to improve reading comprehension.
• 📝 Spelling is directly taught alongside reading to reinforce the connection between sound-symbol correspondence and written language.
• 💡 Structured literacy is not just about word structure but also encompasses text structure, ensuring students learn to comprehend both oral and written language.
• 👨‍🏫 Instruction within structured literacy is explicit and teacher-directed, with a focus on demonstration, explanation, guided practice, and feedback.
• 🔁 The approach is systematic and cumulative, building on previously learned skills and concepts, and reinforcing them over time.
• 🔍 Structured literacy is diagnostic, with teachers continuously monitoring student progress to provide appropriate interventions and support.
• 🏫 It is suitable for a wide range of educational settings and students, including those at risk and students with dyslexia, with adjustments for more intensive instruction as needed.

Q & A

What is structured literacy?

Structured literacy is a systematic approach to teaching reading and writing, based on years of research, which directly and explicitly teaches students how to work with written language.

What are the components of structured literacy?

The components include teaching about sounds and their combinations within words, sound-symbol correspondence, syllable types, morphemes, vocabulary, sentence structure, and understanding the meanings of paragraphs and texts.

Why is it important to teach sound-symbol correspondence?

Teaching sound-symbol correspondence is crucial because it helps students understand how letters or combinations of letters map onto sounds, which is essential for both reading and spelling words.

How does structured literacy approach the teaching of syllables?

Structured literacy teaches syllable types, starting with common types like closed syllables, to help students learn how vowels in words will sound and to recognize patterns in the English language.

What role do morphemes play in structured literacy?

Morphemes, which are meaning units within words, are taught to help students unlock the meaning of words. This includes teaching base words and adding inflections like 'ed', 's', 'ing', and more advanced morphemes.

How does structured literacy support comprehension?

Structured literacy ensures that children are provided with instruction to aid them in comprehending both oral and written language by teaching them about text structure and how to understand the meanings of texts.

What are the characteristics of effective instruction in structured literacy?

Effective instruction in structured literacy is explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic. It involves teacher-directed teaching, guided and independent practice, logical sequencing of skills, reinforcement of previously taught concepts, and constant monitoring of student progress.

Why is explicit instruction important in structured literacy?

Explicit instruction is important because it involves the teacher directly demonstrating or explaining skills and concepts, ensuring that students clearly understand what is being taught and can practice these skills with guidance and feedback.

How does structured literacy cater to students with dyslexia?

Structured literacy is effective for students with dyslexia by providing more intensive instruction that follows a logical sequence, building on previously learned skills, and offering plenty of practice to achieve mastery.

In what educational settings can structured literacy be used?

Structured literacy can be used as a core reading program in educational settings and is also appropriate for students at risk or those with dyslexia, requiring more intensive and sustained instruction.

What is the ultimate recommendation for teachers to help students achieve reading proficiency?

The ultimate recommendation is for teachers to implement structured literacy in their classrooms, as it provides a comprehensive and systematic approach to teaching reading and writing that addresses the needs of all students.