What if all teachers were skilled in using technology to support Structured Literacy?

At Hartwell The Educators University, all graduates complete courses in education technology that include applying technological tools to complement and support literacy instruction.

Technology can be leveraged to complement and support structured literacy instruction in several ways:

  1. Interactive Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Activities: Educational apps, websites, and digital tools can provide engaging, multisensory activities for teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, and sound-symbol relationships. These interactive resources reinforce concepts through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities.[2]
  2. Decodable Text Practice: Digital libraries of decodable texts aligned with the scope and sequence of phonics instruction can provide students with ample practice in applying their decoding skills. These texts can be presented with audio support and tracking features to enhance fluency development.[3]
  3. Morphology and Vocabulary Instruction: Digital word study activities, morpheme matrices, and vocabulary games can reinforce the teaching of meaningful word parts, prefixes, suffixes, and etymology, supporting morphological awareness and vocabulary development.[2]
  4. Adaptive Learning and Progress Monitoring: Adaptive learning platforms can adjust the pace and level of instruction based on individual student performance data, enabling differentiated instruction and targeted skill reinforcement. These platforms also provide detailed progress monitoring data to inform instructional decisions.[2]
  5. Multisensory Reinforcement: Digital tools like interactive whiteboards, tablets, and styluses can be used to incorporate multisensory techniques, such as air writing, letter formation practice, and kinesthetic reinforcement of language concepts.[2]
  6. Assistive Technology: Text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and other assistive technologies can support students with reading and writing difficulties, allowing them to access grade-level content while developing foundational literacy skills through structured literacy instruction.[1]

Effective integration of technology requires comprehensive teacher training, ongoing support, and a balanced approach that complements explicit, systematic instruction with digital resources and activities aligned with structured literacy principles.[2][5]

 

About Hartwell – The Educators University

Hartwell is dedicated to empowering K-12 education leaders by fostering the growth of their people into competent and compassionate educators and leaders. Our mission is to ensure every child is taught by educators trained from a biblical worldview, emphasizing both excellence and empathy. Through our affordable online pathways to education degrees, we make careers in K-12 education accessible to everyone, enabling a new generation of teachers and leaders to inspire and educate future generations.

Discover more about our programs and scholarship opportunities at Hartwell.

 

 

Citations:

[1] https://www.cde.state.co.us/node/45821

[2] https://journal.imse.com/structured-literacy-implementation-best-practices/

[3] https://ride.ri.gov/instruction-assessment/literacy/structured-literacy

[4] https://www.edutopia.org/article/facilitating-the-implementation-structured-literacy/

[5] https://journal.imse.com/using-technology-to-complement-literacy-instruction/