Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching literacy that supports all learners, including those with dyslexia. Structured literacy emphasizes diagnostic, explicit, systematic, and cumulative, teaching of the components of literacy including phonology, sound-symbol, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Structured literacy is a systematic, explicit, and multisensory approach to teaching reading and writing. It focuses on breaking down language into its component parts and teaching these parts in a deliberate and systematic sequence. This method is designed to help students understand the structure of the English language and develop strong literacy skills.
The 6 Components of Structured Literacy
- Phonology: Phonology is the study of the phonemes, or sounds, in language. In structured literacy, students learn to identify and manipulate the individual phonemes (speech sounds). Phonemes are the individual sound units that make up words. In English, there are 44 phonemes, although the exact number can vary depending on accents and dialects. Examples of phonemes include the /b/ sound in “bat,” the /k/ sound in “cat,” and the /sh/ sound in “shop.” This component includes activities such as phonemic awareness, where students practice recognizing and manipulating individual sounds within words.
Read more about phonemic awareness here.
2. Sound-symbol: Phonics involves the relationship between sounds and the written symbols that represent them, known as graphemes. Students learn how to decode words by associating the sounds with the letters or letter combinations that represent them. This is essential for understanding the alphabetic principle.
Read more about phonics here and here.
3. Syllables: Students need to know that every syllable has a vowel and learn the 6 types of syllables. Knowing the types of syllables makes decoding and encoding easier and more efficient.
There are 6 syllable types. They are closed syllables, open syllables, vowel-consonant-e syllables, r-controlled, vowel teams/diphthong syllables, and consonant -le syllables.
4. Morphology: A morpheme is the smallest part of a word that has meaning. Morphology includes the study of base words, roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
5. Syntax: Understanding the structure of sentences and the rules of grammar is essential for writing and comprehending text. Syntax is a set of rules and principles that govern the structure of sentences in a language. It defines how words and phrases should be arranged to create well-formed sentences. Syntax is an essential aspect of grammar and is crucial for conveying meaning in a coherent and understandable way. It helps us understand how words relate to each other within a sentence, which in turn affects the overall meaning of the sentence.
6. Semantics: Semantics refers to the meaning of words and text. A strong vocabulary is crucial for effective reading and writing. In structured literacy, students are exposed to a rich and diverse range of words, and they learn to understand and use context clues to determine word meaning. Building vocabulary is an ongoing process that enhances reading comprehension.
When teaching these literacy skills, it’s important to use Anita Archer and Charles A. Hughes “I do, We do, You do” model. First, the teacher teaches a skill and models it. Next, the teacher provides guided practice of a skill with corrective feedback and further instruction. Finally, students are able to practice the skill independently.
I DO – Demonstrate the skill and describe what is being done. When you are modeling, keep students actively engaged by repeating words and/or phrases.
WE DO – Archer and Charles explain We do this way: “The purpose of initial practice activities in an explicit lesson is to provide students with opportunities to become successful and confident users of the skill.” Guided practice is provided using prompts and active engagement strategies such as choral responses, partner talk, songs, movements, etc.
YOU DO – Finally, it’s time to determine whether students can perform the task independently. Have students complete similar tasks to the ones modeled.
Structured literacy began as a model to help students with dyslexia and reading problems. It was how I was taught to teach in my Special Education graduate program. Now we know that there is overwhelming research that supports a structured literacy approach for all students. I have found it extremely beneficial for my students who speak a language other than English and are learning English. It provides students with the tools they need to succeed as readers (and writers). Through continuous progress monitoring, teachers build on prior knowledge in a systematic fashion that accelerates learning and benefits all students.
