Strong phonics instruction can mask deeper challenges when oral language development goes unseen. This first article in a three-part series examines how invisible language gaps impact comprehension and why intentional oral language instruction is essential for lasting literacy success.

Many educators aren’t sure what evidence-based actually means and how it differs from another common term, research-based. We have the answer!

Language comprehension is key to literacy. Building comprehension is essential for students to become confident, capable readers who can deeply engage with what they read.  It’s the foundation for critical thinking, problem-solving, and lifelong learning.

Jeanne Jeup, IMSE cofounder and CEO, reflects on the current literacy landscape: what’s working, what’s not, and where the movement is heading next.

With the IMSE Literacy Summit 2025 right around the corner, literacy expert Dr. Danielle “Nell” Thompson shares insights to whet our appetite.

Understanding the science around how linguistically diverse students learn to read will allow literacy teachers to unearth practical strategies that optimize the student success rate.

As students practice and apply their decoding skills and learn new red words, their recognition of patterns, positions, and rules will boost their sight word reading.

It’s no secret that the US is facing a literacy crisis, nearly 40% of first graders are significantly behind in developing literacy skills.

Literacy leadership is a key to improving student outcomes, closing skill gaps early, and preventing “casualties of the system” such as students who are misdiagnosed with dyslexia or who have undiagnosed dyslexia. But where does the responsibility to lead start…

In recent years, literacy education has undergone significant shifts, driven by a growing recognition of the importance of science-based reading instruction. This transformation is not merely an educational trend but a response to legislative and policy changes that underscore the…

In the ever-evolving landscape of early literacy education, staying ahead requires not only adaptability but a keen understanding of emerging trends and innovative strategies. As we stand on the brink of 2024, we sat down and spoke with four of…

Optimizing teacher prep programs is crucial for creating a cohort of highly effective educators who can make an impact on student learning.

Learning-to-read and reading-to-learn should be a simultaneous and continuous process as students make their way through school.

As students and educators are beginning to shift back into fully in-person classes, it seems that educator professional development should follow.

The amount of reading young children do in digital formats has been trending upwards for two decades, and in particular over the course of the pandemic.

Last week’s second annual IMSE Literacy Summit, Making an Impact, captured the interest of more than 2,700 educators, administrators, and parents seeking to learn more about Structured Literacy.

See what IMSE literacy expert, Janice Kohler-Curtis, IMSE’s Chief Academic Officer, predicts for literacy in 2022.

See what IMSE literacy expert, Amy Gulley, M.Ed Literacy and Curriculum, Certified Academic Language Therapist C.A.L.T and an IDA Certified Dyslexia Specialist, predicts for literacy in 2022.

Our team of OG and Structured Literacy curriculum experts had the opportunity to attend The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) 2021 Annual Reading, Literacy & Learning Conference this past weekend. The theme was, “Envisioning A Future with Structured Literacy – Reading…

“Literacy, in the Information Age, is the essential gateway to society. Students must have consistent access to direct, explicit reading instruction that systematically develops foundational reading skills for the greatest number of learners. The Science of Reading must not be…

Students fell behind in reading this past year, and schools are looking to make up the difference. But, they can also use it as an opportunity to reimagine the way they teach reading—specifically, through structured literacy.

Research shows lower achievement in reading this past year compared to a typical school year. What can schools do to help teachers and students regain lost ground in literacy?

During the summer months, I do something that all effective educators do. 

Studies have reported that nearly 40% of students are able to implicitly learn to read.

What is a Red Word?

The Science of Reading (SoR) is a comprehensive body of research that encompasses years of scientific knowledge and spans across many languages.

Reading Assessments are the tools and methods used by educators to improve student learning.

The idea of students experiencing a learning loss during the summer has been discussed for decades.

Syllabication strategies are the keys to unlocking the orthographic code. Once syllable division patterns (ways to cut words apart) and syllable types (guides to pronunciation) are learned, it’s as if every reader has the map to discover reading longer phonetic…

Syllabication strategies are the keys to unlocking the orthographic code. Once syllable division patterns (ways to cut words apart) and syllable types (guides to pronunciation) are learned, it’s as if every reader has the map to discover reading longer phonetic…

Helping students overcome their apprehensions is key to promoting reading success.

Learn more about what you should be teaching your K-2 students in order to build their foundational literacy skills.

Teachers are life-long learners.

Our Commitment to Evidence-Based Reading Instruction: Aligning Instruction with the Science of Reading Using Structured Literacy

Everyone is buzzing about the Science of Reading as the evidence to support effective reading instruction becomes widespread news and is no longer an area of debate.

Vocabulary strategies are an essential component of mastering comprehension and writing.

As caregivers of young children, we use our imaginations to build forts from bed sheets and bring characters from picture and chapter books to life with our voices.

Structured Literacy is an approach that provides a framework to include both the principles (how we should teach) and the elements (what we should teach).

Science has shown that systematic, explicit phonics instruction is the necessary foundation for successful reading.

While phonological awareness skills are addressed, assessment data should be continuously monitored to effectively inform instruction, track progress, differentiate lessons, and identify students who may be at risk for future reading challenges.

The widespread adoption of Structured Literacy can ensure that students are equally exposed to important foundational literacy skills in a sequential, systematic, and cumulative way.

Learn how to make phonemic awareness activities a fun and exciting lesson plan for your students in our latest blog post.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there existed a debate revolving around the question: What is the best approach to teaching reading?

Phonemes are the smallest units in our spoken language that distinguish one word from another. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes in a spoken word.

Phonemic awareness is the awareness that words are composed of sounds, and those sounds have distinct articulatory features. It is a critical skill and a strong predictor of future reading success in children.

Decodable passages and books with illustrations serve as stepping stones toward chapter books.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our daily norms and prompted school closures across the globe, teachers have been required to augment their instructional techniques and convert to remote learning environments.

Explicit, systematic, cumulative, multi-sensory instruction in encoding and decoding phonetic and irregular words motivates and empowers readers and writers.

Over time, the brain develops automaticity and fluency to decode and comprehend efficiently.

Highlighting how multi-sensory learning looks in the classroom and different options for how to instruct.

Heads or tails, top or bottom, inside or outside… We are surrounded by examples that require an understanding of dualities, like a two-sided coin.

For many students, fluency isn’t only the bridge to better reading comprehension; it is the key.

We have all encountered students who struggle to read a multisyllabic word at one time or another. As educators, we understand that long words can seem intimidating even for students who have had phonics instruction.

Early identification of dyslexia leads to essential prevention strategies and interventions that can give children the resources they need to understand dyslexia and become life-long readers.

Highlighting what reading fluency entails and how important it is to the end goal: reading comprehension.

Teaching children to read is a complex task that requires insight into a child’s needs, personal learning styles, effective reinforcement, attention span, and access to resources and support.

Orthographic Mapping is a term that sounds daunting, but it is fundamental for fluent reading.

Spelling is one of the most forgotten aspects of literacy development. In many classroom settings, it is looked at as an afterthought, and instruction is limited to rote spelling drills and memorization (Birsh, 2005).

“What does the word ______ mean?” asks every child everywhere. “Look it up in the dictionary,” most parents reply!

Over the last few weeks, many parents have found themselves in the role of providing instruction to their children without the resources to feel successful.

There’s something special about fantasy. For generations, readers young and old have been swept up in stories filled with wondrous characters, enchanting lands, and whimsical creatures.

With so many distractions in today’s world, from television to video games to texting, books may not make it on a child’s to-do list. Some children may view reading as a “chore” or something that accompanies a homework assignment. 

While phonemic awareness and phonics are connected in some respects, they are not the same. Nevertheless, both are very important to a child’s literacy development. To put it simply, phonics involves using the eyes and ears while phonemic awareness involves just the…

For the last 25 years, IMSE has been training educators in an explicit, systematic and sequential, multi-sensory teaching approach. Our goal is for every classroom to have proper techniques to help ensure that all students learn how to read.

Dr. Maria Murray is the founder and CEO of The Reading League, a not-for-profit association dedicated to advancing the awareness, acceptance, and use of evidence-based practices in schools and other education agencies.​ Murray is also an associate professor at the…

Dear Educators, As we reach the end of the 2018-2019 school year, I’m inspired by the success I’ve seen in classrooms across the U.S. — and the great movement within our field.

At the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education, we’ve worked with some of the largest school districts in the nation — and some of the smallest charter schools. The goal is always the same: to train teachers in fun, engaging and proven…

Dear Teachers, As educators, each new school year brings a refreshed sense of excitement and a hunger to teach and inspire. A new school year also offers new opportunities to improve upon the many challenges we often face in the…

We know that literacy plays a critical role in a child’s future. From post-secondary education options, to career prospects, overall community prosperity and even the potential for interactions with the criminal justice system — literacy is at the core of…

Beth McGaw is the newest President of the Learning Disabilities Association of America’s Board of Directors — but her journey to empower educators, parents and students to better support students with learning and attention differences began long ago while working…