STRUCTURED LITERACY CHECKLIST

The term Structured Literacy (SL) is new to many, but the practices it references are not. SL is both WHAT to teach (the content) and HOW to teach it (the methods or principles of instruction). IDA coined the term in the 1990s to provide a brief, descriptive, name for approaches rooted in Orton-Gillingham-based programs and Multi-Sensory Structured Language Education (MSLE).

Science of Reading (SOR) is another relatively new term, but it describes work that IDA and others have championed for a long time—research on reading (both the WHAT and the HOW). Sometimes SL and SOR are used interchangeably, but they are not the same. SL is informed by the SOR, which is all the research on reading to date. That’s why IDA’s new infomap is called “Structured Literacy: Grounded in the Science of Reading.”

IDA developed this infomap and its accompanying infographic to clarify the distinction between SL and SOR, add more layers (for example, writing) to earlier IDA infographics, and emphasize the importance of integrating all these elements during instruction, as illustrated by the wheel. We’re calling this new, detailed version an infomap because it will link to other resources to more fully support new and experienced educators in delivering instruction to struggling readers, including those with dyslexia.

Download the infomap and infographic and share them with your colleagues. You’ll find find it at DyslexiaLibrary.org, ShopIDA.org, and DyslexiaIDA.org