Structured Literacy for Secondary Teachers Professional Learning: A Comprehensive Guide

Structured Literacy for secondary teachers is a game-changer for improving student outcomes. It's a research-based approach that focuses on explicit and systematic instruction in phonics, decoding, and comprehension.

Structured Literacy is not a new concept, but it's gaining momentum in the education sector. In fact, studies have shown that students who receive structured literacy instruction in the early years of secondary school show significant improvements in reading accuracy and fluency.

This approach is not just about teaching reading skills, but also about developing a growth mindset in students. By explicitly teaching phonics and decoding, teachers can help students build confidence and develop a love for reading.

As a secondary teacher, you may be thinking, "But I'm not a reading specialist - how can I implement Structured Literacy in my classroom?" The good news is that Structured Literacy is a flexible and adaptable approach that can be integrated into any subject area, making it accessible to teachers of all subjects.

If you're looking to upskill as a secondary teacher, you'll want to know about the various course options available for structured literacy.

Arcadia University offers a 12-month online course with 9 sections, 4 live virtual community of practice sessions, and 30 hours of CEUs. The content is Orton-Gillingham based and aligned with the International Dyslexia Association's (IDA) Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

The course includes a pacing guide, schedule, and access to the AIM Pathways platform for 12 months. You'll also receive graded post-knowledge assessments and have the opportunity to earn three graduate credits with an additional cost.

To further your professional learning, you can also explore other courses like the PaTTAN Science of Reading Knowledge Course, which meets the 4 criteria requirements of Act 55 and Chapter 49. This course covers the 5 pillars of reading, word recognition, and language comprehension.

Here are some key details about the courses mentioned:

As secondary teachers, you play a crucial role in helping students develop proficient reading skills. Understanding the importance of phonology to reading and spelling is key to this process.

Phonology is the study of the sound system of language, and it's essential for reading and spelling. In fact, phonology is a critical component of reading development, as it helps students recognize and manipulate sounds in words.

To develop phonological sensitivity, students need to understand how to identify, pronounce, classify, and compare consonant and vowel phonemes. This includes recognizing word boundaries, compound words, syllables, and onset-rime patterns.

Here are some key considerations for developing phonological sensitivity:

By explicitly teaching phonological and phonemic awareness, you can help students develop a strong foundation for reading and spelling. This includes understanding the relationship between phonemes and graphemes, as well as the 5 Principles of English Orthography.

Understanding comprehension as the product of multiple cognitive processes and skills is crucial for secondary teachers. Comprehension is the product of decoding (or word recognition) and linguistic comprehension, which are the two critical components of reading.

The Simple View of Reading proposes that reading comprehension is the result of decoding and linguistic comprehension. This framework serves as a foundation for understanding and identifying Structured Literacy instruction.

To develop linguistic comprehension, students need vocabulary, knowledge, understanding of sentence structures, and the ability to infer what the author is implying. Explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction is essential for the development of linguistic comprehension.

The underpinning components of language comprehension include semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and discourse. These components blend together to make up a student's reading comprehension skills.

Here's a breakdown of the key components of linguistic comprehension:

By understanding and teaching these components, secondary teachers can support their students' comprehension development beginning at the sentence level.

Morphology is the study of morphemes, which are the meaningful units of words.

Knowledge of morphemes is key to decoding and vocabulary development. By understanding prefixes, roots, suffixes, and combining forms, readers can make sense of complex texts.

The more a reader knows about morphemes, the easier it is to instantly recognize and comprehend long words.

Linguistic Comprehension is a critical component of reading comprehension, and it's essential to understand what it entails. It's the ability to derive meaning from words, sentences, and texts at a listening level.

To derive meaning from words, the reader needs vocabulary, knowledge, understanding of sentence structures, and the ability to infer what the author is implying. Explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction is crucial for the development of language comprehension.

The underpinning components of language comprehension include semantics, pragmatics, syntax, and discourse. These components are critical to skilled reading over time, with an emphasis on background knowledge and vocabulary.

Semantics refers to the meaning of words and phrases, pragmatics involves understanding the context and purpose of communication, syntax is the structure of language, and discourse is the organization of spoken and written communication.

Developing students' discourse skills is essential for reading comprehension and writing proficiency. Strategies to develop discourse include comprehension monitoring, graphic organizers, question-answering and generation, cooperative learning, story structures, and summarization tasks.

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To support comprehension development, it's essential to start at the sentence level. By breaking down language comprehension into its constituent skills, we can better understand how to teach vocabulary and background knowledge using a structured literacy approach.

Here are the underpinning components of language comprehension:

By understanding and teaching these components, we can help students develop the skills they need to become proficient readers and writers.

Writing instruction is a complex process that requires a deep understanding of its critical components. To effectively support students, teachers need to grasp the developmental phases and stages of writing skill development.

Understanding the complex nature of writing is crucial for effective instruction. This involves recognizing that writing is not just a mechanical skill, but also a cognitive and creative process.

To better support all learners, teachers can examine strategies such as understanding the complex nature of writing, understanding the developmental phases and stages of writing skill development, and providing informed writing instruction that addresses the needs of diverse learners.

Here are some key considerations for informed writing instruction:

Informed writing instruction is crucial for helping students develop into skilled writers. Understanding the complex nature of writing is essential for effective instruction.

To grasp this complexity, it's helpful to recognize the critical components of writing instruction. These components include understanding the developmental phases and stages of writing skill development.

For example, students go through different stages of writing skill development, from simple writing to more complex forms. This process can be supported by examining strategies to better support ALL learners.

One such strategy is to understand the unique needs of each learner. This involves recognizing that every student develops at their own pace and in their own way.

Here are some key considerations for informed writing instruction:

Structured Literacy Instruction goes beyond phonics, encompassing a comprehensive approach to teaching reading. It's not just about what skills educators should teach, but specifically how to teach those skills.

Phonics is a large component of reading, but it's one of many elements teachers must consider. Structured Literacy Instruction is designed to help educators teach these skills effectively.

This approach considers the whole picture of reading, including the way students process and retain information. By focusing on how to teach skills, educators can create a more supportive learning environment.

In a Structured Literacy Instruction framework, phonics is just one piece of the puzzle. Educators must also consider other essential elements, such as comprehension and vocabulary development.

Structured Literacy is a must-know for secondary teachers, and it's essential to understand the standards and implementation process. Structured Literacy Standards are designed to meet the reading literacy skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The standards are used to effectively teach students with advanced reading skills and those with dyslexia or other language-based learning disabilities. This includes identifying and teaching students with dyslexia using scientific research and multisensory intervention methods.

IU13 is here to help school districts implement these standards effectively. They provide resources and support to ensure that educators meet the requirements.

School leaders play a critical role in implementing Structured Literacy in schools. They need to educate themselves on the subject and stay up-to-date on the national conversation about literacy education.

To build consensus around Structured Literacy, school leaders can:

Professional development programs for secondary teachers should be based on the science of reading, which offers a deeper understanding of how students learn to read. This foundation is crucial for effective literacy instruction and student outcomes.

Programs should align with state and/or IDA standards, such as the Common Core State Standards and the IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. These standards highlight the importance of Structured Literacy in teaching literacy.

Strong professional development programs should be personalized, continuous, and flexible to accommodate teachers of all backgrounds, abilities, and experience levels. This includes differentiated and scaffolded instruction, as well as flexible courses that fit easily into busy schedules.

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Lexia emphasizes the importance of professional development courses, citing 10 reasons why they are essential for student success and teacher retention. Professional development can help teachers deepen their understanding of literacy instruction and improve student outcomes.

Structured Literacy differs from balanced literacy, with the former being a more effective approach to teaching reading. By taking an evidence-based approach, teachers can improve reading instruction and student outcomes.

To become proficient in Structured Literacy, educators can enroll in courses like Pathways to Structured Literacy Practicum or Pathways to Literacy Leadership. These courses are IDA-accredited and align with the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.

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