How do I know if resources are evidence aligned?

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Once you have embraced the idea of prepared programs and resources, the next big question you face is, 'How do I know that this tool is evidence aligned?'  This week's episode explores some key criteria to look out for when making important, and often expensive, decisions. 

Here are the highlights from this episode: 


I have 12 criteria for you to consider when selecting literacy tools and resources. They are as much about how students are taught as they are about what.  These criteria apply to both lower and upper primary and can you gain clarity and certainty when selecting the tools you and your team will use to teach literacy.  

1) Instruction focuses student attention on the internal structure of words. It doesn’t ask them to learn those words as global shapes or by memorisation. 

2) You are only asking novice readers to read things that they have learned the phoneme/grapheme correspondence and irregular high frequency words for.

3) You are working from simple to complex concepts and skills.

4) Students learn ‘pure sounds’, not blends (spl, tr, nt) or word families (at, in, ip) as units.

5) Instruction provides the most direct path to learning.

6) Your instruction meets students at their point of need, providing sufficient practice and review to enable learning to mastery.

7) Decisions made about content and method of instruction respond to assessment data, rather than the timing of a program.

8) Learning is delivered via fully guided instruction, rather than providing activities for students to do on their own.

9) Instruction takes the form of explicit, gradual release of responsibility and includes I do, we do, you do.

10) Every student will be actively engaged in learning, with their attention focused on the skill or knowledge being developed.

11) Introduce graphemes and blending and segmenting from the start of the Foundation year.

Not an evidence aligned consideration, but a practical one...

12) The program is easy to use and comes with sustainably priced training and resourcing. 

Would you like to download the PDF checklist to share with your team?  Complete your details below. 






Looking for simple, easy to use tools to teach structured literacy well? Read more and join The Resource Room here.

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