March 6, 2024: This week, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), the leading advocacy organization for individuals impacted by dyslexia and other related learning differences, released their newest issue of Perspectives on Language and Literacy titled The Structured Literacy Brief.
I am so proud to have been a part of the development of this publication alongside so many champions of Structured Literacy, including my co-editor Jessica Hamman and world-renowned authors such as Dr. Reid Lyon, Margaret Goldberg, Kareem Weaver, Dr. Linnea Ehri, Dr. Steve Graham, Dr. Kate Cain, Dr. Louise Spear-Swerling, Dr. Tim Odegard, and Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan.
As Structured Literacy and the Science of Reading continue to become part of a growing national conversation on literacy instruction best practices, IDA set out to develop a definitive guide to promote the understanding of evidence-based Structured Literacy instruction grounded in science. This guide follows IDA’s Structured Literacy InfoMap, explaining the why, who, what, and how of a Structured Literacy approach.
I have witnessed confusion in the field from educators, parents, and administrators who are trying to understand the importance of Structured Literacy. I have listened to many individuals express a great interest in having a clear overview of the core components of Structured Literacy, written by reputable voices in the field. IDA is the leading organization to promote reading research throughout the years and has met this challenge with this Perspectives.
I am thrilled to see the academic and advocacy world of literacy move in the right direction.
Barbara Wilson
Having co-founded Wilson Language Training, which has been dedicated to helping teachers understand research and teach reading to all students for almost 40 years, I am thrilled to see the academic and advocacy world of literacy move in the right direction. I sincerely hope that this issue will help stakeholders and educators better understand and explain why implementing high-quality Structured Literacy instruction is so important. I want to extend a special thank you to IDA for its commitment to literacy for over 75 years. I also thank the experts who dedicated their time to creating these articles with the mission of building a common language and framework around Structured Literacy, which will pave the way for effective literacy instruction across the country.
Barbara Wilson, Co-Founder, Wilson Language Training
Learn more about the International Dyslexia Association.