An Overview of Structured Literacy

Summary

Structured literacy is a research-backed, systematic approach to teaching reading and writing. It involves direct and explicit instruction on the sound structure of language, including phonemes, graphemes, syllable types, morphemes, and text structures. The instruction is both comprehensive and diagnostic, adapting to the needs of all learners, including those with dyslexia. The aim is to ensure students not only read and spell words but also understand their meanings and structures. This approach guides students through a logically ordered learning path, balancing guided practice with independent skill application, ensuring a cumulative and reinforced understanding over time.

Highlights

• Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to reading that works for all students, especially those with dyslexia. 📖
• It involves teaching the sound structure of language explicitly, including phonemes, graphemes, and syllables. 🎵
• Students learn the letters, their sounds, and the spelling rules in a structured manner. ✍️
• Morphemes and text comprehension are integral parts of the learning process, enhancing vocabulary and understanding. 📘
• Instruction is adaptive and diagnostic to meet student needs and promote reading proficiency. 🚀

Key Takeaways

• Structured literacy is a systematic, explicit, and diagnostic approach to teaching reading and writing. 📚
• It is effective for all students, including those with dyslexia, and adapts to the needs of each learner. 🧠
• Incorporates sound-symbol correspondence, syllables, morphemes, and comprehension in an integrated manner. 🎯
• Builds reading proficiency by teaching language structure and meaning directly and explicitly. ✔️
• Instruction progresses from simple to complex and regular to irregular concepts, ensuring a thorough understanding. 🔍

Overview

Structured literacy is a powerhouse when it comes to reading instruction! Designed to be systematic and research-backed, this approach teaches students about the intricate sound structure of language – from phonemes to graphemes and beyond! 🌟 It's perfect for all students, including those who find reading challenging, like kids with dyslexia. Direct and explicit instruction takes center stage, helping students navigate through sounds, letters, and meanings efficiently.

In this approach, students dive deep into understanding how sounds correlate with letters (hello, sound-symbol correspondence!), explore various syllable patterns, and get hands-on with morphemes for those vocabulary boosts! 🤓 Plus, it's not just about decoding words; text comprehension is a big deal too! Instruction doesn’t leave any stone unturned as it builds from simple to complex concepts, ensuring comprehensive mastery. And yes, the instruction is repetitive – but in the best way possible, reinforcing what’s already been learned over time.

Diagnostic in nature, structured literacy means teachers are on the ball, continually monitoring student progress to tailor their teaching strategies effectively. 🧐 With a firm goal to make students proficient readers who not only read words but also connect them with meaning, structured literacy is the gold standard for reading instruction. Whether in a general class or for specialized instruction, it paves a clear path for students to achieve reading success. 🎓

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Structured Literacy The chapter titled 'Introduction to Structured Literacy' begins by posing the question of what is the most effective approach to reading instruction. The chapter answers this question by introducing 'structured literacy' as the solution. This concept is explained as a systematic approach to teaching reading and writing, aiming to ensure that all children develop into independent, proficient readers.
• 00:30 - 05:00: Components of Structured Literacy The chapter focuses on the essential components of structured literacy, which is grounded in years of educational research. It highlights the fact that structured literacy involves directly and explicitly teaching students the mechanics of written language. The chapter emphasizes that the foundational aspect of structured literacy is instructing students on the sounds within words, how these sounds interact, and how they collectively convey meaning.
• 05:00 - 10:00: Instructional Methods in Structured Literacy The chapter discusses instructional methods in structured literacy, beginning with the transition from sounds, or phonemes, to the teaching of letter or letters that correspond to those sounds, known as sound-symbol correspondence. An example provided is the sound /k/ which can be represented by the letters C, K, and CK. The chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding sound-symbol patterns within the English language and transitions to the teaching of syllable types.
• 10:00 - 15:00: Application and Effectiveness of Structured Literacy The chapter focuses on the significance of teaching short vowels to children, highlighting their presence in the most common syllable type: closed syllables. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the pattern where a consonant follows the vowel, which provides a clue to the vowel sound. It also underscores the value of teaching sound-symbol correspondence and phoneme-grapheme correspondence in structured literacy.

An Overview of Structured Literacy Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [MUSIC] As we strive to ensure that all children develop into independent, proficient readers, people ask a very straightforward question: What is the most effective approach to reading instruction? The answer is structured literacy. But what is structured literacy? >> Structured literacy is a systematic approach to the teaching of reading and writing.
• 00:30 - 01:00 It is based in years of research, and it directly and explicitly teaches students how to work with written language. >> Well, that makes sense and raises another question: What do we teach when we adopt a structured literacy approach? The components of structured literacy are many. We begin by teaching students about sounds — how the sounds work within words to combine — [rather] to convey — meaning.
• 01:00 - 01:30 We move from sounds, phonemes, to the teaching of the letter or letters that can be mapped onto those sounds, sound-symbol correspondence. For example, think about the sound /k/. What letter or letters can be used? C, K, but also CK. So we have to be thinking about the patterns that are represented within our English language. We can move from sound-symbol correspondence then to the teaching of syllable types.
• 01:30 - 02:00 Think a bit about why we teach our children short vowels. Wow! We find those in the most common syllable type a closed syllable. That pattern the consonant following the vowel is a clue to the vowel sound. I think that it's important to remember that when we teach sound-symbol correspondence phoneme-grapheme correspondence, and syllable types,
• 02:00 - 02:30 we're teaching that not only for the reading of words, but also for the spelling of words. We also have to be cognizant of the morphemes that we find within words morphemes, of course, are meaning units. We immediately ask our students to read base words, and then we add endings, inflectional endings like ED, S, ING, and then we move to more advanced morphemes. We do this not only for the reading of words, but also to unlock the meaning of words.
• 02:30 - 03:00 >> As we just heard, when adopting a structured literacy approach, we explicitly teach children the sound structure of language. We also teach the children letter knowledge, the names of the letters, their formations and the sounds that correspond to each of the letters. Children are taught the different types of syllables to help them learn what sounds the vowels in a word will make. We directly teach spelling, and we teach children about the meaning units within words - morphemes. We also must ensure that children are provided with instruction
• 03:00 - 03:30 to aid them in comprehending both oral and written language. It is not enough just to teach children the word structure of a language. We also directly teach them about text structure and how to understand the meanings of a text. >> It's important for our students to not only be able to read words, but to make meaning. And so as a part of structured literacy, we address the meaning of words. Vocabulary. We talk with our students about sentences and how sentences are constructed both for reading and for writing.
• 03:30 - 04:00 We also think about the overall meaning of paragraphs. The text itself. So structured literacy really encompasses all of the elements that are necessary for a student to become a proficient reader. >> When we adopt a structured literacy approach, we teach children language. We teach word structure to support reading, spelling, and the meanings of words. We also teach the structure of text and how to understand both oral and written language.
• 04:00 - 04:30 This, of course, raises the question as to what instructional methods do we use to teach these aspects of language. We teach children the structure of language in an explicit and direct manner. So let's consider effective methods for teaching that are used in a structured literacy approach. Structured literacy includes all of the principles of effective instruction. Instruction is explicit. That is, it is teacher-directed.
• 04:30 - 05:00 The teacher demonstrates or explains skills and concepts and then provides opportunity for students to practice both guided practice with feedback, corrective feedback, as well as independent practice. That practice is often accomplished for word identification with materials that provide the additional repetition that's necessary for the mastery of the skill or concept that's just been taught. Decodable texts are a good example of this.
• 05:00 - 05:30 An important aspect of structured literacy is that it is in fact systematic. When we teach our students how to read words, we introduce skills and concepts in a logical order, beginning with what easiest to move into, what's more complex, what's most regular to move into? What is irregular? In other words, laying down the prerequisites that are necessary for word identification. Comprehension instruction is also systematic and strategic.
• 05:30 - 06:00 It is scaffolded sufficiently so that students can master the concepts and skills necessary to make meaning of the text. A third characteristic of structured literacy instruction is that it is cumulative in nature. That is, those skills and concepts that have been previously taught are consistently reinforced and practiced over time. We build on what has come before as we introduce new concepts and skills.
• 06:00 - 06:30 Structured literacy is diagnostic in nature. That means that the teacher, in working with his or her students, whether in small or large groups, is consistently and constantly monitoring the progress of their students so that they can intervene appropriately, so that their students can achieve automaticity and mastery of skill and concept >> Structured literacy requires specific approach to instruction
• 06:30 - 07:00 a teacher must provide explicit and direct instruction. There must be opportunities for guided practice. And once a student is ready, students should have opportunities for independent practice. When adopting a structured literacy approach. Instruction is systematic and follows a logical sequence. The instruction builds in a cumulative fashion and opportunities to practice previously taught concepts are provided over time. The instruction is also provided in a diagnostic manner. Information about a student's understanding
• 07:00 - 07:30 and mastery of concepts and skills is used to inform how a teacher plans instruction in a thoughtful manner. To help a child to secure their understanding and skills. So in which educational settings can structure literacy be used? And for which students is it appropriate? >> Structured literacy is effective as a core reading program. It's also extremely effective for students who are at risk for multiple reasons, as well as the student with dyslexia.
• 07:30 - 08:00 The principle difference would be in the delivery of instruction. Those students who are at risk or the student with dyslexia would require more intensive instruction. >> Structured literacy addresses the needs of all students and can be delivered in an intensive and sustained manner to meet the needs of those children who struggle with reading, including those with dyslexia. So as we consider how we move forward, we are left with the ultimate question: what do we do?
• 08:00 - 08:30 >> So often in classrooms, teachers are asking themselves what else can they do so that their students can achieve reading proficiency? We have the answer: implement structured literacy. [MUSIC]