By Heather Thompson | Structured Literacy Specialist, UFLI & IMSE Trained | Thompson Literacy & Learning
“If you have ever wondered why your child is being taught to read differently than you were — or why some children struggle even when they seem to be trying hard — structured literacy is where the answers begin.”
A Term You Are Hearing More and More
If you have spent any time researching early reading instruction, you have probably come across the terms structured literacy and the Science of Reading. These are not buzzwords or trends. They represent a fundamental shift in how we understand reading — and how we teach it — backed by decades of research in cognitive science, linguistics, and education. And for children who are struggling to learn to read, this approach is not just helpful. For many of them, it is the difference between a child who learns to read and a child who does not.
What Is Structured Literacy?
Structured literacy is an approach to reading instruction that is explicit, systematic, sequential, cumulative, and multisensory. Those words matter, so let’s break them down.
Explicit — Skills are directly and clearly taught. Nothing is left to be discovered or guessed.
Systematic — Instruction follows a carefully planned scope and sequence, not random or topic-based.
Sequential — Each new skill builds on the skills that came before it, so there are no gaps and no skipped steps.
Cumulative — Previous learning is always reviewed and reinforced.
Multisensory — Children learn by seeing, hearing, saying, and writing at the same time — engaging multiple pathways in the brain simultaneously to make learning stick.
How Is This Different from How Reading Used to Be Taught?
Many of us learned to read using an approach called whole language or balanced literacy. In these approaches, children were often encouraged to use context clues, pictures, and memorization to recognize words — rather than decoding them sound by sound. The idea was that children would naturally absorb reading through exposure to rich texts and a love of books.
And for some children, it works. But for a significant percentage of students — research estimates somewhere between 30 and 40 percent — it does not work at all. These are not children who lack intelligence or effort. They are children whose brains need explicit, structured instruction in how written language works. And when they do not get it early enough, they fall further and further behind through no fault of their own.
What Does the Science Say?
The Science of Reading is not a single study or a single person’s theory. It is the accumulated body of research from thousands of scientists over several decades studying how the brain learns to read. And the conclusion is remarkably consistent: reading does not come naturally the way spoken language does.
The human brain was not wired for reading. It has to be taught — explicitly and systematically — and the most effective way to do that is through structured literacy. This is why states across the country are now passing reading legislation requiring structured literacy instruction in public schools. The science is clear, and the education world is catching up.
What Structured Literacy Looks Like at Thompson Literacy & Learning?
At Thompson Literacy & Learning, every session is rooted in structured literacy principles. I am trained in both UFLI (the University of Florida Literacy Institute) and IMSE (the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) — two of the most rigorous and respected structured literacy training programs available.
That means every child I work with receives instruction that is explicit, systematic, and completely individualized to their specific needs and skill level. We begin with a careful assessment of where each child is — their phonemic awareness, their phonics knowledge, their fluency, their spelling — and we build from that exact starting point. Nothing is assumed, nothing is skipped, and nothing is rushed. Every child moves at the pace that is right for them, with consistent encouragement and celebration along the way.
To learn more about what a session looks like, visit my Services page.
Is Structured Literacy Only for Children Who Are Struggling?
Absolutely not. Structured literacy is simply the most effective way to teach reading, period.
Children who are on track benefit from it because it builds a strong, explicit foundation that prevents future gaps from forming.
Children who are struggling benefit from it because it addresses the root causes of their difficulty rather than applying surface-level fixes.
Children with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences benefit from it most of all — because structured literacy is the only approach that research has consistently shown to be effective for these learners.
No matter where your child is starting, structured literacy gives them the best possible chance to become a confident, capable, joyful reader.
For more context on how reading foundations develop, read What Is Phonemic Awareness and Why Does It Matter?