Georgia officials have begun to change the way educators teach students how to read.
Last year, Georgia passed a bill requiring schools to emphasize “structured literacy” when training instructors and testing students.
It’s a method that teaches reading in a systemic and explicit manner characterized by word identification and decoding strategies. The method stems from the science of reading, which refers to a body of research examining the best way for children to learn how to read.
Coined by the International Dyslexia Association, structured literacy incorporates six elements: phonology, the sounds of words; sound-symbol association, linking sounds and letters; syllables, or syllable division rules; morphology, the meanings of affixes and particles of words; syntax, the sequence of words and structures of sentences; and semantics, the meanings of words.
Sarah Richards, Georgia’s top literacy coach with the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, discussed what the shift to structured literacy means for young readers and how their families can help.
“When we’re talking about structured literacy, we’re really talking about going back to the science of reading and thinking about, ‘What do students need in terms of all the pieces that make a strong reader?’ so, you know, phonics, phonemic awareness. That hasn’t been as strong in some schools,” she said.
Richards said she is working to ensure that teachers understand the elements of structured literacy and the importance of evidence-based, “systematic and explicit” instruction in order to help every student read.
“I think that the important thing is that we’re really going back to the research when it comes to what strategies and interventions we’re putting into place for students,” she said.
Only 38.4% of third-grade students scored “proficient” or higher in English Language Arts in the Georgia Milestones end-of-grade assessment in spring 2024.
“This is very significant in the fact that by third-grade students should be ready to read-to-learn and should be able to demonstrate that they have proficiency of reading knowledge at that time,” Richards said.
She added that the Georgia Council on Literacy and the Georgia Reads campaign aim to ensure “that every child in Georgia is able to build the foundational skills they need to learn to read by third grade.”
Richards said the state offers two avenues for coaching: Georgia Department of Education coaches and regional coaches through Regional Education Services Agencies.
“The thing that I am most excited about is the fact that we are really bringing all partners together across the state and our legislators are prioritizing literacy, all different groups across the state,” she said.
One bright spot for Richards is a recent uptick in interest promoting literacy among not only educators, but also legislators and advocacy groups.
“It is one issue that everybody seems to be able to agree on,” Richards said.
For parents looking to help their children learn how to read, she said “it is much simpler than you might imagine.”
“You can start by talking,” said Richards. “Just having a dialogue with your child is tremendously important in predicting their success as a reader. So that rich dialogue, putting those devices aside and really engaging in conversation with your child, asking them about their day, what are they doing, bringing up vocabulary about what is around you — those pieces create the foundation for future reading.”
In addition, Richards recommends reading aloud to children based on research showing that it helps them increase their vocabulary.
“Reading aloud to your child every night at bedtime is a great routine,” she said. “One tip I would have is also sometimes it’s OK to read aloud a book even a little bit above their level, because that’s exposing them to new words that they may not have and just helping to grow their vocabulary and grow their future skill as a reader.”
