What is Structured Literacy?
Structured Literacy is an umbrella term (from The International Dyslexia Association) for the systematic, structured teaching of literacy. It comes from the Science of Reading body of research which focuses on teaching children to decode and understand the words on the page - no more guessing using ineffective strategies, no more using the pictures, initial sounds or just the context.
​
My lessons are based on the Structured Literacy principles: explicit (clear), systematic (logical), cumulative (builds on prior knowledge) and diagnostic (constant assessment to guide teaching and learning).
A typical Structured Literacy lesson will include the following components:
These will depend on a student's needs and skills. Lessons are in line with the new NZ 2025 curriculum.
1. Rapid Review of previously taught skills.
2. Phonemic Awareness skills (manipulating sounds in words).
3. Teaching of word patterns/decodable skill, followed by reading of decodable words and text.
4. Work based on the text (with an emphasis on fluency).
5. Comprehension & vocabulary.
6. Writing - encoding, syntax and structure, grammar. Planning and writing with an audience in mind is also taught.
7. Spelling/The Code.
8. Handwriting.
The Writing Rope (Joan Sedita)
How these elements are taught:
All of the above areas are taught systematically and cumulatively - each step follows another. They are taught explicitly. Nothing is left to chance.
​
​
Further information on Structured Literacy Principles from the International Dyslexia Association and from the NZ based Deb (Dyslexia Evidence based) website:
​