What Is Structured Literacy?

Structured Literacy is an approach to reading and spelling instruction that is explicit, systematic, and evidence-based. It teaches students how the English language works, helping them become confident readers and writers.

Unlike traditional reading programs that expect children to “pick up” patterns naturally, Structured Literacy gives students the tools and practice they need to understand how words are built, read, and spelled.

 How It Works

Structured Literacy lessons include direct teaching of:

• Phonology – learning the sounds of spoken language
  
  

• Sound-Symbol Correspondence – connecting letters and sounds
  
  

• Syllable Instruction – breaking words into parts to read and spell longer words
  
  

• Morphology – learning roots, prefixes, and suffixes (like un- and -ful)
  
  

• Syntax and Grammar – understanding how words fit together in sentences
  
  

• Semantics – focusing on meaning and comprehension
  
  

Each skill is taught step by step and practiced repeatedly to help students store it in long-term memory.

Why It Matters

Structured Literacy benefits all learners, but it is especially effective for students with dyslexia or other reading challenges. By teaching the “why” behind reading and spelling, it builds:

• Strong decoding and spelling skills
  
  

• Reading fluency
  
  

• Confidence and independence
  
  

Students learn that reading isn’t about guessing it’s about recognizing and applying patterns they understand.

Classroom Approach

In our sessions, we use multisensory, hands-on activities and follow a systematic sequence designed to meet each student where they are. Lessons often include:

• Tapping sounds
  
  

• Reading and spelling decodable words
  
  

• Practicing fluency with controlled texts
  
  

• Reviewing Heart Words (words with irregular patterns)
  
  

This approach supports every student’s growth as a reader, writer, and thinker.

The Research Behind Our Instruction

Our instructional approach is grounded in research on effective reading intervention. Research supports explicit, systematic instruction that is targeted to student needs and adjusted based on ongoing assessment and progress. In our program, instruction is also:

• Targeted: We use assessment to identify skill gaps and teach what students need next.

• Responsive: Students do not all have to begin at the same lesson or move at the same pace.

• Effective in small groups: Small-group intervention can be highly effective when students are grouped by instructional need and receive targeted, intensive instruction.

• Effective online: Live virtual reading intervention can be effective when instruction is explicit, interactive, targeted, and delivered by a trained teacher.

• Teacher-driven: Teacher knowledge, feedback, progress monitoring, and instructional decision-making are key parts of effective intervention.

Systematic does not mean rigid. We follow a logical progression of reading skills while adjusting instruction based on student needs and progress.