Connecticut State Department of Education

Teacher of the Year Ceremony
Due to inclement weather, the Teacher of the Year Ceremony has been postponed to December 16, 2025 from 5-7pm. Doors will open at 4pm. The Ceremony will take place at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, and the order of events will remain the same.

Instructional Practices Aligned to the Science of Reading

Research has shown that the most effective way to teach students to read is through an approach called Structured Literacy. While this approach benefits all students, it is especially critical for students who struggle with reading, including students with dyslexia and English learners/multilingual learners (EL/MLs). Structured literacy instruction is explicit, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and responsive. Additionally, this instruction should be differentiated to meet the varied needs of all students in Tier One.

Explicit

When instruction is explicit, it provides clarity and a rationale about what is being learned. It includes teaching skills in small steps with explanations, demonstrations, and independent and supportive practice with actionable feedback. Explicit instruction is clear and makes no assumptions about what students may know or not know (Vanderbilt University, n.d.).

Some explicit teaching practices include:

  • Breaking down complex skills into smaller, more manageable parts
  • Modeling and thinking aloud about content
  • Using scaffolds that are slowly dismantled and pulled away to increase engagement
  • Providing timely feedback to students
  • Giving students opportunities for purposeful practice (Vaughn & Fletcher, 2021)

Explicit instruction makes tasks more accessible to students by breaking them down into smaller parts. Students learn to read efficiently and use higher order thinking skills, like making inferences (Vaughn & Fletcher, 2021).

For more information about explicit instruction, read Anita Archer and Charles Hughes’ suggestions on Reading Rockets.

Systematic

When instruction is systematic, it is highly structured and carefully sequenced. It takes a building block approach, meaning that skills instruction moves from simple to more complex. Instruction is chunked (see Explicit Instruction above) and tasks are designed from easy to more difficult. Temporary supports slowly disappear as students become more adept are executed. Complex tasks and skills are broken down into multiple steps so that each chunk of the learning can be taught to mastery (Vaughn, Wanzek, Murray, & Roberts, 2012).

For instruction to be systematic, it should progress over time. Mesmer and Griffith (2005) call this “scope and sequence.”

  • Scope: Refers to the content. For phonics instruction, it would include the content and the range of letter-sound correspondences to be taught.
  • Sequence: Refers to the order of teaching, such as letter-sound correspondences in phonics instruction. Students begin with one sound or group of sounds and continue on to another.

Mesmer and Griffith’s (2005) definition of explicit, systematic instruction includes the use of word sorts and word making along with manipulatives to make learning more concrete. In their study, they found that these types of activities were more strongly connected to learning to read than the use of worksheets. They also acknowledge that while explicit and systematic are frequently used together, they are not the same thing.

Cumulative

Instruction that is cumulative builds on concepts that students have already mastered (International Dyslexia Association, n.d.). If instruction is cumulative and effective, students will be able to automatically apply their prior knowledge to what they are learning. For example, in the case of phonics instruction, students can use their knowledge about sound correspondences and syllable types to decode more complex words. Students apply what they know about decoding to focus on their comprehension of a text.

Learning is not casual or incidental in a structured literacy approach. It is deliberate and intentional, planned in such a way so that students have time to practice and master concepts before they are introduced to new ones. Students are reviewing previous material while they are incorporating new understandings into their learning.

An important feature of structured literacy – and cumulative instruction – is that teacher-student interaction is plentiful. As their prior knowledge is activated, students are integrating it with the new knowledge they are learning. It is therefore important that students provide frequent responses to the instruction so that educators can provide corrective feedback immediately (Spear-Swerling, 2018).

Diagnostic and Responsive

When instruction includes both informal and formal diagnostic measures, educators can assess students to better understand their strengths and areas for improvement with a specific skill or concept. This can happen informally through observation or more formally through standardized testing. For example, universal screeners are used to identify students who may have difficulties with reading. A diagnostic instrument helps to reveal the specific nature of the difficulties. Continuous progress monitoring (e.g., measures included within universal assessments and high-quality instructional materials, teacher observations, and analysis of student work) assists educators in understanding how students are progressing in their skills following targeted instruction. All of these measures allow the teacher to respond accordingly to students’ needs. As more information and data are revealed about a student, instruction can be adjusted or adapted.

Differentiated

When instruction is differentiated, it is tailored to meet the different needs and interests of students through curated course content, activities, and assessments. Understanding students’ prior experiences with learning can also assist educators in developing a plan to effectively target instruction for students with diverse needs (Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning, n.d.). Differentiation is proactive, affording educators the ability to use inclusive strategies that help them design varied learning experiences that are accessible and meet students where they are (Langelaan, Gaikhorst, Smets & Oostdam, 2024). It isn’t just for students who are struggling; differentiated instruction has been shown to keep higher ability students challenged as well (Tieso, 2005).

Tomlinson and Strickland (2005) note that educators can differentiate:

  • Content: Students may come to a lesson knowing very little about the content or knowing a great deal. Strategies include using Bloom’s Taxonomy or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge. Using these models, educators can begin instruction at the level that matches students’ understanding.
  • Process: Different instructional approaches make content more accessible. Educators design lessons and activities that help learners master concepts through the use of visuals, audio, and other mulitmodal supports. For example, when students are learning syllable types, they benefit from seeing the words, hearing the sounds, and using gestures like tapping or clapping.
  • Product: Students have different strengths and interests. Offering students a variety of choices for demonstrating mastery (e.g., writing, art, music, dramatic skit, etc.) encourages them to engage in the learning and monitor their understanding.

References