How Structured Literacy Makes English Make Sense
Structured literacy is based on the idea that reading and spelling can be taught in a clear, organized, and cumulative way. Students learn how sounds connect to letters, how words break into syllables, how spelling patterns work, and how meaningful word parts fit together.
Orton-Gillingham is one approach built around these principles, and it’s the foundation of much of how I learned to teach.
Many structured literacy and Science of Reading approaches are built upon the same foundation. Different programs may use different terminology or materials, but much of the thinking traces back to the same larger understanding: English can be taught in a clear, organized way.
Why This Way of Teaching Makes Sense
One of the things I love most about Orton-Gillingham is that it helps English make sense as a whole.
When I first learned the Orton-Gillingham approach, I remember thinking: “Wait… English has rules?”
Instead of seeing words as random pieces to memorize, I was taught:
- sounds connected to spelling
- words broken down into syllables
- prefixes and suffixes changing the meaning of words
- spelling rules that make sense of groups of words
The more I learned, the more fascinated I became with how the English language is built by starting with the smallest unit of sound and grows into a full, understandable language. I was hooked! The trickiest part for me as an OG tutor was finding materials that matched the way I wanted to teach. That’s really the foundation of this website, and I hope I can help you find what you need too.
Whether you’re here looking for information, lesson ideas, or materials to use with students, I hope this site helps you better understand structured literacy and find resources that support the way you want to teach.
How the Resources Fit Together
The resources can work together as a complete teaching system, or you can choose individual materials to support the scope and sequence you already use.
New to structured literacy?
Start with the Fast Track Course to learn the foundations of the approach and how the pieces fit together. The course introduces the core ideas behind structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham instruction and includes $56 of teaching materials.
Need a teaching sequence?
The Scope & Sequence Workbooks 1–4 provide an organized teaching progression. Supporting packets, drill cards, decodable passages, spelling resources, morphology resources, and more give you additional materials as you move through the sequence.
Already have a scope & sequence?
Use the resources wherever they fit in your instruction. Shop by skill to find materials for the concept you’re teaching now.
Continue Exploring Structured Literacy
Structured Literacy Notes
Sign up to receive short notes about syllables, spelling patterns, morphology, and the surprisingly logical ways the English language fits together.
A Little About Me
Hi, I’m Jennifer, a curriculum creator, OG-trained educator, and tutor.
I began tutoring in 2012 and quickly realized that many reading materials were either too complicated, too time-consuming, or too difficult for families and educators to use consistently. So I started creating my own.
Today, I design step-by-step, multisensory resources that make structured literacy easier to teach and easier to understand. My goal is to take complex reading concepts and turn them into practical tools that save time, reduce overwhelm, and help students make meaningful progress.
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, interventionist, tutor, or homeschool parent, you’ll find resources designed to support Science of Reading-aligned instruction with clear explanations, organized scope and sequence, and ready-to-use lessons.
Whether you’re just getting started or deepening your practice, I’m glad you’re here.
