The article 'Structured Literacy: A Introductory Guide' shared that 'structured literacy' has fixed characteristics BUT it is the teachers knowledge of new scientific and their learners (the successes and their gaps) that is required to adjust this approach on an ongoing basis to best meet the needs of their learners.
The Characteristics of Structured Literacy
I found the way that this article defined 'Structured Literacy' really helpful especially the way that is describes the "instructional principles" so have included this definition as part of this blog post as a reminder to myself as I begin to generate ideas for my intervention.
Structured Literacy is characterized by the provision of systematic, explicit instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing and emphasizes the structure of language across the speech sound system (phonology), the writing system (orthography), the structure of sentences (syntax), the meaningful parts of words (morphology), the relationships among words (semantics), and the organization of spoken and written discourse.
The following instructional principles are hallmark features of a Structured Literacy approach to reading:
The following instructional principles are hallmark features of a Structured Literacy approach to reading:
1. Instructional tasks are modeled and clearly explained, especially when first introduced or when a child is having difficulty.
2. Highly explicit instruction is provided, not only in important foundational skills such as decoding and spelling, but also in higher-level aspects of literacy such as syntax, reading comprehension, and text composition.
3. Important prerequisite skills are taught before students are expected to learn more advanced skills.
4. Meaningful interactions with language occur during the lesson.
5. Multiple opportunities are provided to practice instructional tasks.
6. Well targeted corrective feedback is provided after initial student responses.
7. Student effort is encouraged.
8. Lesson engagement during teacher-led instruction is
monitored and scaffolded.
9. Lesson engagement during independent work is monitored and facilitated.
10. Students successfully complete activities at a high criterion level of performance before moving on to more advanced skills.
Monitoring progress and making adjustments
The following is a direct quote from the article that I found interesting as it placed a different perspective on 'structured literacy' and how it can be implemented effectively.
"After implementing a Structured Literacy approach that is most appropriate for them, schools should use progress monitoring assessments to track student progress and gauge the overall success of instruction and intervention programs. They should make necessary adjustments in instruction and intervention on an ongoing basis. And they should follow emerging scientific evidence on literacy for new findings that may impact educational decision-making.
In addition to paying close attention to scientific research on reading and evidence-based practices, educators sometimes need to exercise judgement in making educational decisions, especially where evidence is lacking. For instance, an intervention with a relatively greater emphasis on phonemic awareness, or multisyllabic word decoding, or fluency, may be more effective for a student with greater needs in one of those respective areas. However, these kinds of judgments will differ across students and even for the same student over time, as a student’s needs shift with progress in intervention."
I think that this is point worth holding onto as I head into the intervention stage of my teacher inquiry as it really places an emphasis on firstly the profiling stage of teacher inquiry, but also the ongoing formative assessments and observations that we make as teachers. It also highlights the importance of teachers being equipped with the knowledge need to make these judgements. I know that for myself, this is a constant journey, especially with literacy as I dive deeper into the literature and learn more about the science of reading.
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