How to Effectively Explain Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction

Fortunately, more and more information is coming out about research-based reading instruction. However, as a specialist, it can still be really important that we can effectively explain what evidence-based literacy instruction is, what it looks like, and how it’s different from other approaches.

We find that it is CRITICAL to share a few key pieces of information with our stakeholders. Our stakeholders are all of the people who have a vested interest in our students’ success (parents, other educators, administrators, coworkers, etc).

So here it is!

Must Share Information About Research-Based Reading Instruction

Research is clear on the necessary components of effective literacy intervention.

1 - The program must follow a sequential and systematic order of concept instruction.

2 - The program must explicitly teach concepts related to the literacy processing network in the brain known as the literacy processing triangle

3 - The program must be targeted based on data-analysis of student performance

It is important to recognize the process of this intervention to support student growth throughout their learning.

#1 - Share Your Scope & Sequence (Progression of Concepts)

Effective literacy intervention uses what's known as a scope and sequence (order of skill progression). In order for students to gain the necessary foundational skills, we must work from the bottom up as many students have holes and gaps in their foundational knowledge. To repair any skill gaps, it's important to provide explicit instruction in all foundational areas.

Students are placed into levels based on their performance across a number of domains. However, all levels are always adapted to meet the individual needs of the students. This means that the material can easily be adapted to target higher-level skills in each of the areas as needed for optimal student growth!

#2 - Share the Structure of Your Lessons

You can share that each lesson is designed to build networks in the brain that will allow accurate and automatic word-level recognition that allows fluency to develop. The three areas of the brain that need to be targeted create the literacy processing triangle (how we see words, how we hear words, and how we process the meaning of words). Each of these connections creates the 5 Core Components of Literacy that were identified by the National Reading Panel's meta-analysis of all reading research to produce meaningful growth in reading skills including Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Reading Fluency, and Reading Comprehension. Show what a typical lesson might look like!

#3 - Share How This Differs From Classroom Instruction (or previous classroom instruction)

You might want to say something like this type of instruction delivers lessons in a systematic, explicit, multi-sensory approach. This allows instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners with the ability to scaffold instruction appropriately to meet the needs of ALL readers and writers and not just ‘on-grade level’ learners.

This means that the material does not always align directly with grade-level standards as many students are actually missing the foundations needed to access grade-level standards. The goal is to work toward building the necessary skills so that students can access grade-level materials. It is important to know that this is a process.

If you want to take a look at the information we provide to families to help explain our intervention, you can check that out by >>>clicking here<<<

Then, for more information about structured literacy intervention and what the research actually supports, grab our Science of Reading Blueprint. This blueprint will help you understand the 3 key scientific models that drive effective literacy instruction, learn how to integrate the research into practice, and provide simple checklists that will help you weave the science of reading into your instruction.