Hosted by IDA Georgia. Registration is free. COAs available for attendees.

Let’s do a deep dive into Structured Literacy and what is meant by integrating the what, how, who, and why of evidence-based instruction.

Presenter: Dr. Mary Stowe, President, IDA Virginia 

In alignment with the International Dyslexia Association’s Sharpened Vision: Structured Literacy in Every Classroom

Description

Join us for a 90-minute interactive webinar exploring Structured Literacy, the comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reading and writing instruction defined by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Grounded in the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy integrates all domains of oral and written language—phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics—through purposeful, systematic, and explicit instruction.

Participants will unpack the Structured Literacy InfoMap and Wheel, which illustrate the interconnected components of:

• The WHAT: The instructional content—word recognition, handwriting, spelling, comprehension, and composition—taught through integration of language domains.
• The HOW: The principles that guide effective instruction—explicit, cumulative, multimodal, scaffolded, data-driven, and mastery-oriented.
• The WHO: How Structured Literacy supports all learners across tiers of instruction within MTSS, with specialized applications for students with dyslexia and multilingual learners.
• The WHY: The scientific and ethical imperative for ensuring literacy as a civil right and preventing reading failure.

Educators, specialists, and administrators will leave with a clear framework for aligning classroom practice to the Science of Reading and actionable strategies for implementing Structured Literacy with fidelity.

Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to—

1. Explain the core components and guiding principles of Structured Literacy.
2. Describe how to integrate reading, writing, and oral language instruction for diverse learners.
3. Identify next steps to align instruction, assessment, and intervention to the IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards.

Audience: Classroom teachers, reading specialists, literacy coaches, special educators, and administrators.

What is Structured Literacy?

Structured Literacy Defined 2025 (Fact Sheet Updated June 2025)
Working Definition: “Structured Literacy is a comprehensive, integrated approach to reading and writing instruction that directly and systematically builds on and develops oral language while explicitly teaching the structure of written language. Using this research-based approach, educators integrate the teaching of the foundational and higher-order skills and knowledge needed to develop proficient reading comprehension and written expression.”

Structured Literacy Defined 2025: An Explanation & Rationale (June 2025)
“As the International Dyslexia Association, we never lose sight of the needs of students with dyslexia. We know that SL teaching benefits all students and is essential for those who need extra support. The goal of Structured Literacy teaching is for all students to become successful readers and writers.”

Structured Literacy Infomap (Revised May 2025)
and https://ga.dyslexiaida.org/structured-literacy-info-map/