A teaching approach informed by knowledge of oral and written language
Structured Literacy is in the news and on educators’ minds these days. If you are not familiar with the term, Structured Literacy represents a shift to evidence-based instructional practices based on years of research on how the brain learns to process text and comprehend content. Check out OSPI’s helpful and recently published Structured Literacy Overview with links to resources for the essential components.
All students benefit from this approach and some student require it to become successful readers.
What does Structured Literacy look like in classrooms?
In an elementary classroom, this looks like a focus on sounds (phonemic awareness) and oral/aural play with rhyming words, specific scope and sequence of sound-letter mastery, and the deliberate introduction of word patterns for fast accurate decoding. All students benefit from this approach and some students require it to become successful readers. These strategies include an emphasis on oral language development and vocabulary. Therefore, classrooms also include a variety of rich texts and language experiences. Unlike the “old drill and skill phonics program” stereotypes we might hear about, elementary Structured Literacy classrooms are rich and vibrant learning environments supported with a continuous assessment to guide instruction and to inform interventions.
At the secondary level, Structured Literacy in the General Classroom looks like deliberate word study of root words and word parts, as a support for decoding and comprehension.
While much of this information may not be new for many teachers, an added and critical component to support Structured Literacy is the support of an aligned system through an MTSS structure which includes high-quality instructional materials, aligned assessments, and data reviews at the student and classroom level, schedules, and Professional Learning for school staff.
To support this shift, OSPI is providing a free webinar series developed in partnership with Glean Education for the 2022-2023 school year. The Glean On-Demand courses, and the Expert Webinar Series include a variety of topics for a variety of school roles. Check out the offerings and register for the modules that interest you. This is an exciting time to be a literacy leader and learner in Washington state as we support one another to increase the effectiveness of our systems for all students!
More resources
Dyslexia Guide (OSPI)
ESSB 6162 Every child has the right to learn to read. “Ensuring educational equity required that educational leaders examine current literacy policies and practices and make decisions based on the needs of their students and communities.” page 7.
RCW 28A.320.260 – school districts must use a Muti-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to screen students in grades K-2 for indications of difficulty in literacy, and intervene with evidence-based, multi-sensory structured literacy interventions. A strong MTSS system begins with instruction in Tier 1 for all students, which is based on what we know from reading research. Structured Literacy is based on this research.
