Structured literacy
Structured literacy (SL), according to the International Dyslexia Association (which coined the term), is the systematic teaching of reading that focuses on the following elements: Phonology: the study of sounds in a particular language, and Phonemic awareness (the ability to recognize, segment, blend, and manipulate sounds) Sound-symbol association (also Phonics): using the Alphabetic principle to connect sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes) Syllables: a single unit of speech, in English usually containing a vowel (e.g., The word reading has two syllables, "read" and "ing".) Morphology: the study of the form of words and phrases, including morphemes, the smallest unit of meaning in a language (e.g., The word unbreakable has three morphemes, "un", "break", and "able".) Syntax: the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence Semantics: the study of meaning in language SL is taught using the following principles: Systematic: begin with the basic and easiest concepts and elements, and progress to the more difficult and complex Cumulative: each step builds on a previous step Explicit: direct teaching and continuous teacher-student interaction Multisensory: using different senses (e.g., visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile) to enhance attention and memory Diagnostic: using informal and formal assessments to individualize instruction The International Dyslexia Association provides a detailed outline of its Key Performance Standards of its Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading. There is general agreement that SL is beneficial for all early literacy learners, especially those with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.