Structured Literacy is the Most Effective Reading Intervention
I have sat with MANY children who are struggling to read. It never gets easier to tolerate the discomfort that I feel from listening to the child. It’s so unfair that some children don’t pick up reading naturally. As they fumble and strain over the words, I’m carefully taking notes so I can detect their errors and get them the help they need. Luckily, we know A LOT about what works for struggling readers.
Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching reading and writing skills that is systematic, explicit, and mastery based. It can help all learners, including those with mild learning difficulties, but it is especially important for those with dyslexia. Structured literacy builds foundational skills in phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, spelling, and word recognition, which ultimately help improve reading comprehension, vocabulary development, and writing. Some elementary schools are using structured literacy already. Other schools only use it for readers who are at-risk.
Key principles of structured literacy include:
Language Structure and Meaning: Instruction emphasizes the connection between language structure (such as phonology, morphology, and syntax) and meaning. Students first learn how words are formed, then how sentences are structured, and then how meaning is conveyed through text. Early emphasis is placed on building phonological awareness, or the ability to segment words into phonemes. The child needs to understand how symbols (i.e., letters and letter groups) are linked with sounds. The student also learns about different syllable types and can use these to figure out how to decode unfamiliar words. By practicing and understanding the structure and patterns rooted in language, the child can recognize them and know how to apply strategies during reading and spelling.
Multisensory: Multisensory instructional techniques are used to engage multiple senses (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile) to enhance learning and memory. For example, students use tangible manipulatives, gestures, and visual aids to reinforce phonemic awareness and decoding skills. They also learn playful ways to remember rules, such as with creative rhymes and mnemonics. This helps activate multiple areas of the brain to improve retention.
Systematic and Sequential: Instruction is provided in a carefully planned sequence, starting with the most basic skills before progressing to more complex. Each skill builds upon previously learned concepts in a logical and systematic manner. In other words, the sequence or order in which the child learns about the structure of language is important.
Explicit and Master-Based Instruction: Teachers or tutors explicitly teach phonological awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling rules, and other language skills using direct and explicit instruction techniques. Concepts are taught clearly and directly, with opportunities for practice and reinforcement. The teacher does not move on until the child masters necessary foundational skills.
Cumulative Learning: Instruction builds upon previously learned skills and concepts, with frequent review and reinforcement to ensure mastery. Skills are practiced in a variety of contexts and gradually integrated into more complex reading and writing tasks. This helps strengthen memory by repeatedly retrieving and practicing skills as they are built upon.
Assessment and Progress Monitoring: Effective literacy interventions must use ongoing assessment and progress monitoring to track students’ changing skills and identify areas where additional support is needed. A data-driven approach helps teachers and tutors make informed instructional decisions and adjust their teaching to meet the needs of each student.
Neuroimaging studies have provided valuable insights into the effects of structured literacy interventions on the brain.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown changes in brain activation patterns following structured literacy intervention. This means there that after effective structured literacy instruction, there is greater activation in areas of the brain associated with phonological processing (e.g., superior temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe of the left side of the brain). This includes a shift towards activation patterns like those in typically developing readers, suggesting that structured literacy interventions can help reorganize the brain’s neural networks for reading.
Longitudinal neuroimaging studies show lasting improvements in brain activation patterns and reading skills following structured literacy intervention, which means these changes are not just temporary but longer lasting connectivity patterns were created.
One of the earliest and most well-known structured literacy approaches is called: Orton-Gillingham (OG). The Wilson Reading System is a structured literacy program based on Orton-Gillingham principles, and this one seems to be commonly used in public schools. There are other structured literacy programs available.
Getting the effective reading instruction is essential to the struggling reader. But equally important is that the teacher must be trained to effectively deliver instruction and monitor student progress.
If you have concerns about your child’s reading progress. DON’T WAIT. Ask for help from your teacher and school team. Reach out to us for a free consult to see if we can find ways to support you and your child: [email protected]
Learn more about dyslexia and structured literacy by visiting the Georgia chapter of the International Dyslexia Association: https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/
