The domains of structured literacy are based on the five systems of language: phonology, morphology, orthography, syntax, and semantics (including pragmatics & discourse).
Structured literacy is a comprehensive approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling that is explicit, systematic, and sequential. It focuses on the structure of language to help learners understand how it works. Based on the provided reference, it includes five key systems of language:
The Core Domains of Structured Literacy
These domains are taught explicitly and systematically, moving from simple to complex.
Phonology
Phonology is the sound system of language. According to the PaTTAN Glossary referenced, it includes the speech sounds, speech patterns, and rules that apply to those sounds. This domain is fundamental to understanding the relationship between sounds and letters.
- Practical Insights:
- Teaching phonological awareness involves activities like rhyming, segmenting words into sounds (e.g., c-a-t), and blending sounds together.
- This helps students hear and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words, a crucial pre-reading skill.
Orthography
Orthography refers to the writing system of a language. This includes understanding the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters or groups of letters (graphemes), as well as spelling patterns and rules.
- Practical Insights:
- Students learn letter-sound correspondences (e.g., 'c' makes the /k/ sound).
- They study common spelling patterns (e.g., '-igh' spellings for the long 'i' sound) and spelling rules (e.g., doubling the consonant rule).
Morphology
Morphology is the study of words and their parts. It focuses on morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language (e.g., root words, prefixes, suffixes).
- Practical Insights:
- Teaching morphology helps students break down multisyllabic words and understand their meaning.
- For example, analyzing the word "unbelievable" involves identifying the prefix 'un-', the root 'believe', and the suffix '-able', helping students understand its meaning ("not able to be believed").
Syntax
Syntax is the system for arranging words into sentences. It involves understanding sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation.
- Practical Insights:
- Students learn how word order affects meaning.
- They practice constructing different types of sentences and understanding how punctuation guides reading fluency and comprehension.
Semantics (Pragmatics & Discourse)
Semantics is the study of the meaning of language, including words, phrases, and sentences. This domain also encompasses pragmatics (how context affects meaning) and discourse (how language is used in connected text).
- Practical Insights:
- Students learn vocabulary and how word meanings can change depending on context.
- They develop skills in understanding the overall meaning of texts, inferring information, and recognizing how sentences connect within paragraphs and larger texts.
Summary Table of Domains
| Domain | Focus Area | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phonology | Sound system of language | Identifying initial sounds in words |
| Orthography | Writing system (letters, spelling patterns) | Matching letters to sounds |
| Morphology | Word parts (roots, prefixes, suffixes) | Analyzing words like "re-read" |
| Syntax | Sentence structure and grammar | Arranging words to form a grammatically correct sentence |
| Semantics (incl. Pragmatics & Discourse) | Meaning of language, context, and connected text | Understanding vocabulary and text comprehension |
Understanding and explicitly teaching these domains is crucial for educators implementing a structured literacy approach, particularly for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities.
