Structured Literacy Interventions

Louise Spear-Swerling, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the Department of Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Her research interests focus on children’s reading development and literacy difficulties, as well as teacher knowledge for reading instruction; she has presented and published widely on these topics. Dr. Spear-Swerling is the author of two previous books on reading difficulties and is an editorial board member for several journals, including Annals of Dyslexia, Teaching Exceptional Children, and Reading Psychology. A former special educator at the elementary level, Dr. Spear-Swerling prepared both general and special education teacher candidates to teach reading using structured literacy approaches for many years. Currently she consults often for K-12 schools, primarily on cases involving students with severe or persistent literacy difficulties and ways to improve their achievement.

“Finally! A book for K-6 teachers, school administrators, and teacher educators that tackles SL in a format that guarantees engagement and learning. Each chapter’s summary of research cuts to the chase, and, most important, is brought to life by compelling case studies and sample lessons. The application questions and activities in each chapter allow readers to test and develop their understanding. I can see educators in myriad settings welcoming this work--from novices in university methods classes to veterans in master’s programs and district professional learning communities. Educators will reach for this book time and again to expand their knowledge of best practices for helping struggling readers become successful.”--Kathleen J. Brown, PhD, Director, University of Utah Reading Clinic"We know more about the science of reading than the science of reading instruction. Stuctured Literacy Interventions directly addresses this gap. Chapters present a 'family' of explicit approaches to reading instruction, providing the research base, practical guidelines, and excellent exercises that will promote transfer and learning. Coherent and accessible, the book shows the full breadth of what is meant by SL, including applications for specific reader profiles. A significant contribution, this book will be a useful tool for reading interventionists in schools and clinical practice, as well as for courses on reading instruction."--Jack M. Fletcher, PhD, ABPP-CN, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Houston"This is an exceptional book that bridges the research-to-practice divide. Practitioners who teach struggling readers will find themselves returning to this book frequently. The contributors are a 'who's who' of literacy experts who focus on key elements of SL and systems of language. The chapters are replete with evidence-based practices, application exercises, case studies, and lesson formats. This is the seminal book every educator of struggling readers deserves."--Pamela M. Kastner, EdD, Literacy Statewide Lead, Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network"Spear-Swerling has produced a long-needed work on effective instructional practices that support students with reading difficulties to develop into proficient readers and writers. What sets this text apart from others is how accessible it is while being firmly grounded in literacy research. The book is organized around critical areas of reading and writing, providing an easy-to-follow blueprint for designing literacy courses for graduate students and thoughtful professional development for inservice teachers. Each chapter covers a specific topic addressed by contributors who have conducted research and taught in the area. The book highlights what to teach and how to teach it by providing concrete examples and recommended instructional practices."--Timothy N. Odegard, PhD, Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies and Professor of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University"This text will help reading interventionist candidates in our Graduate Reading Program to gain a deeper understanding of SL interventions as well as practical applications for their work with struggling readers. I will recommend it as an essential addition to each candidate’s professional library."--Louise J. Shaw, EdD, Graduate Reading Program, Southern Connecticut State University-

• 1. An Introduction to Structured Literacy and Poor Reader Profiles, Louise Spear-Swerling2. Structured Literacy Interventions for Phonemic Awareness and Basic Word Recognition Skills, Stephanie Al Otaiba, Jill H. Allor, & Jennifer Stewart3. Structured Literacy Interventions for Reading Long Words, Devin M. Kearns, Cheryl P. Lyon, & Shannon L. Kelley4. Structured Language Interventions for Spelling, Louisa C. Moats5. Structured Literacy Interventions for Reading Fluency, Roxanne F. Hudson, Erin Munce Anderson, Melissa McGraw, Rebecca Ray, & Alison Wilhelm6. Structured Literacy Interventions for Vocabulary, Michael D. Coyne & Susan M. Loftus-Rattan7. Structured Literacy Interventions for Oral Language Comprehension, Richard P. Zipoli & Donna D. Merritt8. Structured Reading Comprehension Intervention for Students with Reading Difficulties, Elizabeth A. Stevens & Christy R. Austin9. Structured Language Interventions for Written Expression, Susan Lambrecht Smith & Charles Winthrop Haynes10. Multicomponent Structured Literacy Interventions for Mixed Reading Difficulties, Louise Spear-Swerling