So What is Structured Literacy Anyway, and How Can it Help My Child?
The International Dyslexia Association defines Structured Literacy as the most effective approach for students who have difficulties with reading or spelling. This approach is often paired with the term Orton-Gillingham, and both are instructional models that stand in direct contrast with many of the popular methods that are used in schools today.
Most reading disorders and dyslexia originate with language processing weaknesses in the content of instruction to focus on the analysis and production of language at all levels: sounds, spelling for sounds and syllables, patterns and conventions of the writing system, meaningful parts of words, sentences, paragraphs, and discourse within longer texts.
PA:understanding that a phoneme is the smallest unit of speech and, if changed can create a different words mist, mast, must, and most.
Sound/Letter-connecting speech sound to print: Pattern of print, short vowel markers.
Morphology: sounds have meaning in English jogged, passed /t/ and /d/ have meaning.
Syntax: ordering words in a sentence to communicate meaning.
Semantics: is the aspect of language concerned with meaning.Single words convey meaning, phrases, and sentences.
Evidence is strong that most students learn to read better with structured teaching of basic language skills and that the components and methods of Structured Literacy are critical for students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia.
Explicit - Directly teaching and practicing skills with our students, creating opportunities for engagement through Socratic reasoning methods so students own their learning
Systematic and Cumulative - Skills are taught in a sequence with specific processes from the basic to the most complex
Multisensory or multi-modal - Instruction engages visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile methods to increase engagement and learning retention
Diagnostic and Prescriptive - should not be a cookie-cutter curriculum your child pushes through.
Lessons should be based on your child’s specific learning profile and based on progress monitoring data.
Introducing Our Team!
Meet Cristin Fischer! She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with endorsements in Early Childhood Education, Library Media and German. She completed an MA program in K-12 Reading and is currently a Reading Specialist in a public-school setting. Cristin has also completed Structured Literacy coursework and a practicum to gain Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist designation. With more than 21 years of teaching experience in public education, as well as 3 years of providing structured literacy therapy, Cristin has worked with students of all ages, abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Cristin loves the work she does, because she is able to design and deliver lessons to meet the unique needs of each student, which has a lasting, positive impact on every aspect of a child’s life.