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7 Key Instructional Components in a Science of Reading Program

Really Great Reading is turning reading research into classroom practice, ensuring teachers have cutting-edge strategies and tools in classrooms across the country. Our Science of Reading curriculum incorporates 7 key instructional components needed for optimal student literacy outcomes.

Teacher using smartboard to teach students, sitting in front of her.

1. Next Generation of Phonics through Orthographic Mapping

A Science of Reading program should be highly efficient, highly effective, and highly impactful. Most phonics programs teach phonics incorrectly. We specialize in activating a child’s orthographic mapping engine, a critical component for reading success. It’s both rigorous and easy.

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2. Layers of Student Practice to Boost Student Outcomes

We provide a multitude of opportunities for student practice within our lessons. Our guided student practice includes teacher-led routines and classroom activities.

Each practice element is essential to providing the repetitions necessary to ensure that students acquire the foundational reading skills needed to be successful across K-12 curriculum. For primary and elementary school students, we offer independent student practice portals that reinforce what students learn in the classroom. These practice portals provide individualized reporting and progress monitoring, allowing teachers and school administrators the ability to group and differentiate instruction, monitor growth, and provide the best opportunity for student outcomes.

Foundational Literacy Curriculum

Designed for PK-3 classrooms, our Science of Reading-based solutions provide systematic instruction to ignite orthographic mapping and build strong foundational literacy skills.

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3. Mastery-Based Practice with Ongoing Assessment

In our approach, students engage in independent practice activities in our Reading Playground. These games are ingeniously designed to provide the essential practice needed for mastering skills and developing automaticity, lightening the teacher's load by eliminating the need for creating separate independent practice activities.

This game play effortlessly delivers precise student data and allows students to master concepts through independent practice and regular formative assessments. Progress monitoring tools enable precise, data-driven instructional decisions.

As students play, their performance is meticulously tracked, gathering valuable data on each student's strengths and weaknesses. This data is expertly analyzed and relayed back to the teacher in easy-to-read reports, offering detailed insights into students' proficiency and informing personalized instruction.

See the Impact We've Had on Carroll Community School District!

4. Innovative Vocabulary Instruction

Really Great Vocabulary uses a revolutionary digital visual vocabulary interface to teach Tier 2 vocabulary efficiently, mimicking wide reading experiences through rich, visual and oral language settings. This helps students in Grades 3-12 deeply understand the nuanced meanings of Tier 2 vocabulary.

5. Tailored Support for English Learners

Our programs offer specialized support for multilingual learners, recognizing their unique challenges and facilitating their English language development while valuing their native languages.

6. Effective Intervention Strategies

Any Science of Reading curriculum should have highly proven intervention methods, including support for Dyslexic Learners.

Our Grouping Matrix and Diagnostic Decoding Surveys help educators utilize skill-based reporting to group, progress monitor, and plan the type of instruction that will yield the greatest results. This leads to personalized and effective intervention instruction for struggling readers.

In terms of support for students with dyslexia, our approach is in strict alignment with the guidelines set forth by the International Dyslexia Association. This encompasses structured literacy instruction covering areas such as phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax, and semantics. The programs are characterized by their systematic, explicit, multisensory, and developmentally appropriate nature. Specific programs like Boost and HD Word Plus cater to students who require more detailed instruction or additional practice to achieve mastery.

7. Role of Handwriting in Science of Reading Programs

Research shows that the act of handwriting is an important part of imprinting what you learn. Our student workbooks and K-1 handwriting instruction use this complex neurological task to solidify learning.

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