What Experts Say About Structured Literacy Interventions

Structured literacy interventions are changing the game for K-6 education, particularly for students struggling with reading difficulties. Here's a quick overview of why these interventions matter:

• Explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction custom for struggling readers.
• Focuses on decoding skills, which are crucial for students with dyslexia.
• Proven to be effective for all readers, not just those at risk.

Structured literacy interventions provide a research-backed, effective approach to teaching reading. This method emphasizes phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Each lesson builds methodically and ensures every student masters one concept before moving to the next.

I'm Jen Jones, founder of Hello Literacy, Inc., with over 30 years of experience in literacy education. My journey includes roles as a classroom teacher, literacy leader, and curriculum developer focused on structured literacy interventions. This approach is essential for creating meaningful, successful reading experiences for early elementary children.

Structured literacy interventions glossary: - what is structured literacy - how to implement structured literacy - structured literacy instructional methods

Understanding Structured Literacy Interventions

Explicit Instruction

Explicit instruction is the cornerstone of structured literacy interventions. This method involves clear, direct teaching of reading skills. Teachers model the skill, practice it with students, and then allow students to try it independently.

For example, a teacher might demonstrate how to decode a vowel-consonant-e syllable, practice it with the class, and then have students decode similar words on their own. This "I do, we do, you do" approach ensures that students understand each concept thoroughly before moving on.

Systematic Approach

A systematic approach means that instruction follows a logical sequence. Lessons start with the easiest and most basic concepts and build up to more complex skills. This ensures that students have a strong foundation before tackling more difficult material.

For instance, students first learn to recognize and produce individual phonemes (like /k/, /ă/, /p/), then move on to blending these sounds into words, and finally, they learn to decode multisyllabic words. This step-by-step method is crucial for students with learning disabilities, as it reduces cognitive overload and builds confidence.

Sequential Learning

Sequential learning means that each lesson builds on the previous one. This cumulative method ensures that students retain what they have learned and can apply it to new material.

For example, after mastering basic phonemes and simple words, students gradually learn more complex syllable types and morphological structures. This progression helps students understand how different elements of language fit together, making it easier for them to decode and comprehend new words.

Structured literacy interventions are particularly effective for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties because they provide a clear, logical path to reading proficiency. By focusing on explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction, teachers can ensure that all students, especially those at risk, have the tools they need to succeed.

Key Components of Structured Literacy Interventions

Structured literacy interventions are built around several key components:

• Phonological Awareness: Understanding the sound structure of words.
• Word Decoding: Learning to read both basic and multisyllabic words.
• Spelling and Reading Fluency: Developing accurate and fluent reading skills.
• Vocabulary and Comprehension: Expanding word knowledge and understanding text.

Each component is essential for building strong reading skills, and structured literacy ensures that students master each one before moving on to the next.

Next, we’ll dive deeper into each of these key components to understand how they contribute to effective reading instruction.

Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is the foundation of structured literacy. It involves recognizing and working with sounds in spoken language. This includes skills like rhyming, counting words in sentences, and clapping out syllables. A crucial part of phonological awareness is phoneme mastery—the ability to segment words into their smallest sound units, called phonemes.

For example, the word cat has three phonemes: /k/, /ă/, and /t/. Phonological awareness activities often use controlled passages to help students practice these skills in a structured way.

Word Decoding

Word decoding is the next step. It involves teaching students to read both basic and multisyllabic words. Decoding starts with simple, one-syllable words and gradually moves to more complex, multisyllabic words.

• Basic Decoding: Students first learn to decode simple words like cat and dog. They practice blending individual sounds into words.
• Multisyllabic Decoding: As students progress, they learn to break down longer words into syllables. For instance, the word fantastic can be broken into fan-tas-tic.

This structured approach ensures that students build on their decoding skills step-by-step.

Spelling and Reading Fluency

Spelling and reading fluency are closely linked. In structured literacy, students learn to spell words by understanding the sound-symbol relationships. They practice spelling in both directions: visual to auditory (reading) and auditory to visual (spelling).

• Cumulative Instruction: Each new spelling rule or pattern builds on what was previously learned, ensuring a solid grasp of each concept.
• Diagnostic Assessments: Teachers use continuous assessments to tailor instruction to each student’s needs, ensuring mastery before moving on.

Fluency involves reading smoothly and accurately. It’s developed through repeated practice with decodable texts—stories or passages that use words students have already learned to decode.

Vocabulary and Comprehension

Vocabulary and comprehension are the ultimate goals of reading instruction. They involve understanding and making meaning from text.

• Vocabulary Expansion: Students learn new words through direct instruction and context. They explore word meanings, roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Reading Comprehension: Comprehension strategies are explicitly taught. Students practice summarizing, questioning, and predicting to improve their understanding of texts.
• Oral Comprehension: Discussions and oral activities help reinforce understanding and retention of new vocabulary and concepts.

By focusing on these components, structured literacy interventions provide a comprehensive approach to reading instruction, ensuring that all students, especially those at risk, develop strong, lifelong reading skills.

Next, we’ll explore how to implement these components in the classroom with practical lesson plans and intervention activities.

Implementing Structured Literacy in the Classroom

Lesson Plans and Intervention Activities

Creating effective lesson plans and intervention activities is essential for implementing structured literacy interventions in the classroom. These plans should be systematic, explicit, and sequential to ensure students master each component before moving on.

Sample Lesson Plans

• Phoneme Segmentation Activity: Begin with simple words like cat. Have students segment the word into its phonemes: /k/, /ă/, /t/. This activity helps build phonological awareness.

• Sound-Symbol Association Exercise: Introduce a new letter-sound relationship, such as the letter b and its sound /b/. Use visual aids and have students practice writing the letter while saying the sound.

• Syllable Division Practice: Teach students to break down multisyllabic words using a systematic approach. For example, the word basketball can be divided into bas-ket-ball. This helps with decoding longer words.

Intervention Activities

• Controlled Passages: Use passages that contain words students have learned to decode. This reinforces their skills and builds reading fluency. For instance, a passage might include words like cat, bat, and hat for beginners.

• Spelling Drills: Conduct spelling drills that focus on sound-symbol associations. Have students spell words aloud and write them down, reinforcing both reading and spelling skills.

• Vocabulary Expansion: Introduce new vocabulary through direct instruction and context. Use root words, prefixes, and suffixes to help students understand and remember new words.

Case Studies

At-Risk Readers

Structured literacy interventions have proven particularly effective for at-risk readers. For example, a case study involving a third-grade student struggling with reading showed significant improvement after 12 weeks of structured literacy intervention. The student moved from recognizing only single-syllable words to decoding multisyllabic words with ease.

Students with Disabilities

Students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities benefit immensely from structured literacy. One notable case involved a fifth-grade student with dyslexia who had difficulty with basic decoding. After six months of structured literacy instruction, the student not only improved in decoding but also gained confidence in reading aloud.

Real-World Example

Quote:

"Structured literacy changed everything for my students. They went from dreading reading to looking forward to it." - Jen, Educator

By using explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction, teachers can help all students, especially those at risk or with disabilities, achieve reading success.

Next, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about structured literacy interventions, including its definition and benefits for dyslexic students.

Frequently Asked Questions about Structured Literacy Interventions

What is Structured Literacy Orton-Gillingham?

Structured Literacy is an evidence-based approach to reading instruction that is explicit, systematic, and sequential. It emphasizes the direct teaching of phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics.

Orton-Gillingham (OG) is a specific approach within structured literacy. It focuses on teaching reading and spelling in a way that is multisensory, sequential, incremental, and cumulative. OG is particularly effective for students with dyslexia because it breaks down the learning process into manageable steps that build on each other.

Explicit Instruction: Teachers clearly and directly teach each concept. Sequential Learning: Concepts are taught in a specific order, from simple to complex. Systematic Approach: Each lesson builds on the previous one, ensuring mastery before moving on.

Can Structured Literacy Interventions Be Implemented in a Push-In Setting?

Yes, structured literacy interventions can be effectively implemented in a push-in setting. This means that rather than pulling students out of the classroom for special instruction, the structured literacy approach is integrated into the regular classroom environment.

Classroom Integration: Teachers can incorporate structured literacy principles into their daily lessons. For instance, a general education teacher might use phoneme segmentation activities during reading time.

Inclusive Education: This approach ensures that all students, including those with learning disabilities, receive high-quality reading instruction without being segregated from their peers. It promotes an inclusive classroom environment where every student can benefit from structured literacy techniques.

What Are the Benefits of Structured Literacy for Students with Dyslexia?

Structured literacy interventions offer significant benefits for students with dyslexia:

Systematic Phoneme Mastery: Students with dyslexia often struggle with phonological awareness. Structured literacy helps them master phonemes through explicit and repetitive practice.

Improved Decoding Skills: Dyslexic students benefit from learning to decode words systematically. For example, they practice breaking down multisyllabic words and understanding sound-symbol relationships.

Case Study Example: A fifth-grade student with dyslexia showed remarkable improvement after six months of structured literacy instruction. Initially struggling with basic decoding, the student progressed to confidently reading multisyllabic words and gained significant reading fluency.

Quote:

"Structured literacy changed everything for my students. They went from dreading reading to looking forward to it." - Jen, Educator

By focusing on explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction, structured literacy interventions provide a solid foundation for all students, especially those with dyslexia, to achieve reading success.

Conclusion

Structured literacy interventions are not just a trend; they are grounded in extensive research and proven methodologies. These interventions emphasize explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction, making them particularly effective for students with reading difficulties, including dyslexia.

Evidence-Based Approaches: The success of structured literacy lies in its evidence-based nature. Research consistently shows that explicit and systematic instruction in phonological awareness, decoding, and spelling is crucial for reading success. Studies highlight that structured literacy not only benefits students with dyslexia but also improves reading skills for all students.

Hello Decodables: At Hello Decodables, we specialize in educational publishing that aligns with the principles of structured literacy. Our phonics-based decodable books provide a systematic approach to reading instruction, making it easier for children to grasp and master phonics skills. Our books are designed to build on newly learned phonics skills while reinforcing previously taught ones, ensuring a comprehensive and cumulative learning experience.

Explore our guide to decodable books to see how our structured, systematic approach can improve phonics success for your students.

By incorporating structured literacy into your teaching, you are not only adhering to best practices backed by the Science of Reading but also providing your students with the tools they need for lifelong reading success.