What is Structured Literacy?

Okay, so the term "Structured Literacy" is being used a lot lately. You may be wondering what this is and what it means.

Before we dig into that. Let’s start quickly with the science of reading. Our brains were not designed to read. It was a human invention.

Because of this, there isn’t one area of the brain specifically responsible for “reading” it requires a neural connection between different neural processors. Those neural processors include the phonological processor (responsible for understanding and interpreting the sounds of our language), the orthographic processor (responsible for understanding and interpreting the visual structure of our language), and finally the semantics processor (responsible for understanding and interpreting the meaning of our language).

Why is structured literacy important?

Our brains need explicit, structured instruction to make the neural connections between sound, symbol (visual), and meaning. That’s where structured literacy comes in. Structured literacy gives all students access to the building blocks of language in a way that is explicit, systematic, and effective. It’s the research-based approach that aligns with what we know about how the brain learns to read.

And it provides a roadmap for educators so that instead of guessing what to teach next, we have a path to teach the right skills in the right order with the right kind of support.

And even more importantly,

Structured literacy is equity in action. When we use structured literacy, we give every student (no matter their background or learning profile) access to the code of written language. It’s how we level the playing field and make sure no student is left behind because of instructional gaps.

So what is structured literacy?

At the most basic level, it is literacy instruction across the five core components of literacy (phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) that is systematic, sequential, and targeted.

Let’s break it down -

1. Systematic

Systematic instruction is strategically planned and intentionally organized. This means specific concepts are introduced at the right time and in a clear progression. It ensures that key skills are targeted appropriately, leaving no gaps in learning. A systematic approach makes it easier for both educators and students to stay on track and reach learning goals.

Systematic instruction is where your “scope” comes in. So again, what are the specific skills you are teaching? What types of skills are you teaching? What level of depth are you getting into?

2. Sequential

Learning is most effective when it builds on itself in a logical order. Sequential instruction ensures that foundational skills are mastered before moving on to more advanced concepts. For example, in phonological awareness, students start with sentence segmenting, then progress to syllable segmenting, and finally word segmenting. This progressive approach strengthens the foundation, making it easier for students to acquire and retain more complex skills over time.

Think of a Jenga Tower. If the foundation is solid, with tightly placed blocks on the bottom, the tower can stand tall and steady. If the foundation is weak or incomplete, the entire structure becomes unstable. Similarly, a solid educational foundation supports students as they build more advanced skills.

When you consider your sequence, you want to be thinking about how long you have with your students both over the course of your instruction and within each lesson. Are you working with students for a year? 8-weeks? How long is your literacy block or lesson?

3. Targeted

Effective instruction recognizes that not all learners progress at the same pace. A targeted approach involves diagnosing areas of difficulty and prescribing tailored interventions to address specific needs. Through assessments, feedback, and observations, you can identify learning gaps and provide the support necessary for growth. This individualized strategy ensures that every student has the opportunity to succeed, whether they are struggling with basic concepts or ready to tackle more advanced material.

We want to make sure we are targeting a full progression of skills working from the sound level through the passage level. Different students will have different strengths and areas of need throughout the progression, we want to be aware of where each student may have specific areas of need within this progression.

Building a Structured Literacy Program

A structured literacy program integrates these principles across the five core components of literacy:

Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension

To create an effective structured literacy program, skills must be progressively developed in a way that moves from simple to complex, with intentional planning behind how each skill builds upon the previous one.

For example, in phonics instruction, you might organize lessons around syllable types, starting with closed syllables before progressing to more complex patterns. Similarly, vocabulary and comprehension lessons work on a building progression of skills and include graphic organizers to create visual connections. To build fluency you want to work from the sound level and progress to the syllable level, word level, sentence level, and then finish at the passage level.

Each lesson should also follow a structured format that ensures all components are covered. This prevents important elements from being skipped or rushed, especially those that typically come at the end of a lesson when time is running out. By moving from isolated practice to sentence-level practice to connected text, students can see how skills integrate into real-world reading and writing tasks.

And if you’re ready to go deeper with structured literacy…

Join us for one of our FREE on-demand PD trainings to learn more about our exact process for supporting students who need extra support.

If you work in the elementary setting - Stay tuned for our training, “Delivering Effective Elementary Literacy Intervention: The 5-Step Framework for Grades K-6” coming soon!

If you work in the secondary setting - Check out “Delivering Effective Secondary Literacy Intervention: The 5-Step Framework for Grades 6–12” to learn more and get free resources you can use to support your instruction! ➡️ Click here to sign up!