How Structured Literacy Supports IEP Goals

For students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) is designed to provide targeted support that helps them make meaningful progress in school.

However, writing strong IEP goals is only part of the process. Students also need instruction that directly addresses the skills those goals target.

Too often, students receive accommodations or general reading support that does not address the underlying reading difficulty. When this happens, progress can be slow or inconsistent.

Structured Literacy provides an instructional framework that directly supports the types of foundational skills commonly addressed in reading-related IEP goals.

When instruction aligns with how the brain learns to read, students have a greater opportunity to make measurable progress.

Understanding the Role of the IEP

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that meets their unique learning needs (IDEA, 2004).

The IEP is the legal document that outlines how schools will provide that support. It includes:

• present levels of academic performance

• measurable annual goals

• specialized instruction and services

• accommodations and modifications

• progress monitoring procedures

For students identified with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in reading, the IEP typically focuses on improving foundational literacy skills such as decoding, spelling, reading fluency, and comprehension.

However, the effectiveness of an IEP depends heavily on the type of instruction students receive.

If the instructional approach does not match the skill being targeted, progress toward IEP goals may be limited.

What Is Structured Literacy?

Structured Literacy is an explicit, systematic approach to reading instruction that teaches the structure of written language directly.

This approach is grounded in decades of research in cognitive science, linguistics, and reading development.

Structured Literacy instruction focuses on several key components of reading:

• Phonology – understanding the sound structure of language

• Phonics – connecting sounds to letters and spelling patterns

• Spelling and Encoding – applying sound-symbol relationships in writing

• Morphology – understanding prefixes, suffixes, and word roots

• Syntax and Language Structure – understanding how language works

• Vocabulary and Meaning – supporting comprehension and language development

Instruction is explicit, sequential, cumulative, and diagnostic, meaning skills are taught directly, practiced repeatedly, and reviewed over time.

This structure makes it particularly effective for students with dyslexia and other reading-related learning disabilities (International Dyslexia Association, 2019).

Aligning Structured Literacy With IEP Goals

Many reading-related IEP goals focus on foundational literacy skills. Structured Literacy instruction directly supports these goals because it targets the same underlying reading processes.

For example, an IEP goal might state:

IEP Goal Example:The student will decode multisyllabic words with common vowel patterns with 80% accuracy across three consecutive assessments.

Structured Literacy instruction supports this goal through explicit teaching of:

• syllable types

• syllable division strategies

• vowel patterns and spelling rules

• decoding and encoding practice

Students receive repeated opportunities to read and spell words using the patterns they are learning.

Because instruction is cumulative, each new skill builds on previously learned knowledge.

This systematic structure helps students strengthen the reading pathways needed for fluent word recognition.

Diagnostic Teaching and Data-Based Instruction

Another key feature of Structured Literacy is diagnostic teaching.

Teachers continuously observe student responses and adjust instruction accordingly. This aligns closely with the data-driven decision-making processes required in special education.

IDEA requires schools to monitor student progress and report whether students are making adequate progress toward their IEP goals (IDEA, 2004).

Structured Literacy programs typically include regular progress monitoring such as:

• decoding accuracy checks

• spelling assessments

• oral reading fluency measures

• curriculum-based measurements

These data points allow educators to determine whether students are improving and whether instruction needs to be adjusted.

When instruction is responsive to student data, intervention becomes more targeted and effective.

Structured Literacy and the Special Education Process

Structured Literacy can support students at several stages of the special education process.

Early Intervention and MTSS

Before special education identification, many schools use Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to provide increasingly intensive reading instruction.

Structured Literacy approaches are often used at Tier 2 or Tier 3 to provide targeted support for struggling readers.

Early intervention is important because research shows that reading difficulties are easier to address when identified early (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998).

Eligibility and Identification

If a student does not respond adequately to intervention, the school may conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine eligibility for special education under IDEA.

Students who qualify for Specific Learning Disability in reading often demonstrate weaknesses in skills such as:

• phonological processing

• decoding accuracy

• word recognition

• spelling

These are precisely the areas targeted by Structured Literacy instruction.

Specialized Instruction

Once a student qualifies for special education, the IEP outlines the specialized instruction the student will receive.

For students with reading disabilities, research-based reading instruction is critical.

The International Dyslexia Association identifies Structured Literacy as the most effective approach for students with dyslexia because it teaches the language structure directly rather than relying on implicit learning.

Why Instruction Matters More Than Accommodations

IEPs often include accommodations such as:

• extended time

• audiobooks or text-to-speech

• reduced reading load

• alternative formats

While these supports can help students access grade-level content, they do not replace reading instruction.

Students with reading disabilities still need explicit teaching that builds the skills required to read independently.

Structured Literacy addresses this need by providing the type of instruction that builds decoding, spelling, and word recognition skills.

Over time, these improvements can help students rely less heavily on accommodations.

Supporting Students With Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a neurological difference that primarily affects word recognition, decoding, and spelling (Shaywitz, 2020).

Students with dyslexia often struggle with the sound structure of language and the connection between sounds and letters.

Structured Literacy supports these students by:

• breaking language into manageable parts

• explicitly teaching sound-symbol relationships

• providing multisensory learning opportunities

• reinforcing learning through repetition and practice

Because instruction is systematic and cumulative, students gradually develop stronger

reading pathways in the brain.

Supporting Students With Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a neurological difference that primarily affects word recognition, decoding, and spelling (Shaywitz, 2020).

Students with dyslexia often struggle with the sound structure of language and the connection between sounds and letters.

Structured Literacy supports these students by:

• breaking language into manageable parts

• explicitly teaching sound–symbol relationships

• providing multisensory learning opportunities

• reinforcing learning through repetition and practice

Federal guidance also recognizes the importance of appropriate instruction for students with dyslexia. In a Dear Colleague Letter, the U.S. Department of Education clarified that schools may and should use the term dyslexia in evaluations, eligibility discussions, and IEP documents when appropriate, and emphasized the need for evidence-based reading instruction that addresses the underlying reading difficulties (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).

Because Structured Literacy directly targets the language structures that many students with dyslexia find challenging, it aligns closely with the type of specialized instruction recommended in both research and federal guidance.

Free Appropriate Public Education and Specialized Instruction

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) designed to meet their individual learning needs (IDEA, 2004).

A key component of FAPE is specially designed instruction (SDI). SDI refers to adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of a student with a disability.

For students with reading disabilities, this often means providing instruction that directly addresses weaknesses in areas such as:

• phonological awareness

• decoding and word recognition

• spelling and encoding

• reading fluency

Structured Literacy aligns closely with the concept of specially designed instruction because it provides a systematic and explicit method for teaching the structure of written language. Instead of relying on general reading exposure or implicit learning, instruction directly targets the skills that many students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities find difficult.

When schools select instructional approaches that align with the student’s learning needs, IEP goals become more achievable and progress becomes easier to monitor.

Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) and Reading

In some situations, families may have concerns about whether a school evaluation fully captured a student’s reading needs.

IDEA provides parents the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if they disagree with the results of a school’s evaluation (34 C.F.R. §300.502).

An IEE is conducted by a qualified professional who is not employed by the school district. These evaluations often include detailed assessments of areas such as:

• phonological processing

• decoding and word recognition

• spelling and written language

• reading fluency and comprehension

Comprehensive evaluations can help identify whether a student’s reading difficulties are consistent with dyslexia or another reading-related learning disability.

The results can also provide clear instructional recommendations, which may include Structured Literacy approaches when foundational reading skills are affected.

When evaluation data, IEP goals, and instructional methods are aligned, students are more likely to receive the support they need to make meaningful progress.

Collaboration Between Families and Educators

Successful IEP implementation requires collaboration between families, educators, and specialists.

Parents often play an important role by:

• asking questions about the type of reading instruction their child receives

• reviewing progress monitoring data

• participating in IEP meetings and goal development

When families and educators share a common understanding of how reading develops, they can work together to support the student more effectively.

IEP goals identify the skills students need to develop.

Structured Literacy provides the instructional pathway to build those skills.

When reading instruction is explicit, systematic, and aligned with the structure of language, students have a greater opportunity to strengthen decoding, spelling, and word recognition.

For many students with reading disabilities, this type of instruction is not simply beneficial—it is essential.

With the right instruction and support, students who struggle with reading can develop the skills they need to become confident, capable learners.

References

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §1400 (2004).

International Dyslexia Association. (2019). Structured Literacy: Effective Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Related Reading Difficulties.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature.

Shaywitz, S. (2020). Overcoming Dyslexia (2nd ed.). Knopf.

Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. National Academy Press.

Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert. Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. (2015). Dear Colleague Letter: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia. Washington, DC.