Glossary
Structured literacy
Structured literacy is an approach to teaching reading that is explicit, systematic and cumulative: skills are taught directly, in a planned order, with each one building on the last.
The term covers the sound structure of language, the letter patterns that represent it, syllables, word parts, and how sentences and texts work. Programs built this way have a scope and sequence and teach from it rather than waiting for skills to emerge from exposure.
Example
A structured literacy lesson introduces the digraph sh, has the student read and spell words with it, and revisits it in later lessons.
Why it matters for the record
Because the skills come in an order, the record can be a position in that order plus a rating per skill. That is what makes progress visible.
Related terms
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.