Structured literacy

Structured literacy (SL), according to the International Dyslexia Association (which coined the term), is the systematic teaching of reading that focuses on the following elements: ^[7]

• Phonology: the sound structure of spoken words and Phonemic awareness (the ability to recognize, segment, blend, and manipulate sounds)
• Sound-symbol association (also Phonics): using the Alphabetic principle to connect sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes)
• Syllables: part of a word with one vowel sound, with or without a consonant (e.g., The word reading has two syllables, "read" and "ing".)
• Morphology: the smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., The word unbreakable has three morphemes, "un", "break", and "able".)
• Syntax: grammar, sentence structure, etc.
• Semantics: meaning.

SL is taught using the following principles:^[1]

• Systematic: begin with the basic and easiest concepts and elements, and progress to the more difficult and complex
• Cumulative: each step builds on a previous step
• Explicit: direct teaching and continuous teacher-student interaction
• Multisensory: using different senses (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile) to enhance attention and memory
• Diagnostic: using informal and formal assessments to individualize instruction

The International Dyslexia Association provides a detailed outline of its Key Performance Standards of its Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.^[8]

There is general agreement that SL is beneficial for all early literacy learners, especially those with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.^[14] However, according to professor Mark Seidenberg, while SL is necessary for students with special needs (e.g., to overcome dyslexia), it may not be required for the general student population beyond the early literacy years. He suggests that teachers strike a balance between implicit instruction and explicit instruction, with explicit instruction for all students at the start, followed by implicit instruction for all students except dyslexics (who continue to receive explicit instruction as required).^[15]

Structured literacy vs. Balanced literacy

SL has many of the elements of systematic phonics and few of the elements of balanced literacy. The following is an explanation of how Structured literacy is different from Balanced literacy:^[1]

Feature	Structured literacy	Balanced literacy
Basis	Science of reading[16]	Whole language[16]
Areas covered	Phonology, phonemic awareness, sound-symbol association (phonics), syllables, morphology, syntax, and semantics[17]	Learn from exposure, reading, instruction, and support in multiple environments[17]
Teaching method	Direct, explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory[17] Mostly teacher-led (e.g., The teacher leads the students through decoding activities.)[18] Lessons involve phonics and word reading, from easier to more difficult[18] Corrective feedback: students are asked to "sound-out" the word[18]	Implicit, constructivist, and less structured[19] Often student-directed (e.g., independent learning, students choose reading material, etc.)[18] Lessons relate to comprehension of books or literature themes.[18] Corrective feedback: students are asked "does that make sense", and are told to check the cues (e.g., pictures, first letter, etc.)[18]
Phonics	Taught via the alphabetic principle, systematically, including the most frequent phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters), beginning with the easiest and progressing to the more complex[17]	Taught as needed via mini-lessons, or not at all[17]
Text for reading instruction	Decodable text until grade 2[18]	Leveled text, but not corresponding to phonics taught[18]
Reading	decoding and sounding out words[17]	read the whole word using cues (context, word analogies, and pictures) to guess the word[17]
Effectiveness	a mean unweighted effect size of .47, and a fixed weighted mean effect size of .44. Structured literacy approaches "tend to yield larger positive effects on student learning compared to balanced literacy approaches". (meta-analysis 2024)[20]	a mean unweighted effect size of .21, and a weighted mean effect size of .33.[20]

See also

• Education portal
• Linguistics portal
• Psychology portal

• Evidence-based education
• Phonics
• Primary education
• Reading
• Reading comprehension
• Reading for special needs
• Right to Read inquiry report
• Simple view of reading