After 24 years of teaching, primarily in the primary grades, I can confidently say that my journey as an educator has been long and evolving. I went from a firm believer in traditional methods to an advocate for research-based, structured literacy instruction. It wasn’t a simple or linear path; it was a journey that challenged my understanding of reading and transformed how I teach today.
The Early Years: Reading Recovery and the Three-Cueing System
Years ago, I was trained as a Reading Recovery teacher. Reading Recovery is a widely-used intervention program for struggling readers in Grade 1, and it relies heavily on the three-cueing system. This system encourages children to guess unknown words using three cues: meaning, structure, and visual information (mainly the first letter). The idea is to encourage children to mostly use context and syntax to predict words rather than explicitly teaching them phonics and word recognition skills.
As a Reading Recovery teacher, my job was to “discontinue” Grade 1 students from the program once they reached a certain level of proficiency. After a student was “discontinued,” there was no meaningful follow-up to see how they progressed in later grades. The assumption was that these students were now equipped with the strategies they needed to be successful readers.
Motivated by my passion for literacy development, I began tutoring and soon noticed a huge problem. I was working with students who would have been “discontinued” and witnessing firsthand what happened beyond “Level 16.” The same strategies I had used in Reading Recovery were not helping these students become confident and proficient readers. My training had given me confidence, but I realized I wasn’t meeting my students’ needs.
Discovering Effective Literacy Instruction
Growing up, my mum, a high school Latin teacher, would teach me the meanings of various bases and roots. At the time, I loved learning from my mum. Still, I didn’t connect it to reading instruction or the importance of understanding that spelling is rooted in meaning first. I realized there was more to reading instruction than relying on context to guess words or focusing solely on phonics while dismissing non-phonetic words as “crazy exceptions” to be memorized.
During my first year of teaching, I attended a reading conference where the presenters mostly supported the Whole Language approach to reading instruction. Whole Language focuses on exposing children to rich literature and assumes they will naturally pick up reading and writing skills. Yet, in the midst of the enthusiasm for Whole Language, one presenter challenged the prevailing trend. He said, “If all teachers were trained in Orton-Gillingham, fewer children would be struggling.” It took me seventeen years, but now I knew what to do.
A New Path: Orton-Gillingham and Structured Literacy
That single statement sparked a journey of discovery for me. I began to explore Orton-Gillingham, a structured approach to teaching reading that explicitly teaches phonics, orthography, and morphology. My inspiring OG trainer, Liisa Freure of Fundamental Learning, introduced me to Structured Word Inquiry (SWI), which explores word structure and meaning through morphology.
Throughout this learning journey, I discovered the profound impact these methods could have on students’ literacy development. Structured Literacy provides a clear, systematic way to teach the essential skills struggling readers need. It wasn’t about guessing words from context or expecting students to learn to read and write by osmosis; it was about understanding the building blocks of words: phonics, orthographic patterns, and morphological structures.
I began implementing these methods in my Grade 1/2 classroom, and the results were incredible. I saw firsthand how this approach made a difference for all my students, not just those struggling. They were engaged, curious, and actively involved in discovering how words work.
The Birth of Spelliosity
As I continued implementing Structured Literacy in my classroom, my students began asking insightful questions, demonstrating a growing understanding of how language works. They wanted to know, “What does this prefix mean?” or “Is this a bound base?” During math, a student asked, “Why is <ck> not in final position in the word nickel?” These questions demonstrated their deep curiosity, showing that what I was teaching resonated with them.
Seeing my students’ interest and engagement, I created spelling activities to help them explore words more deeply. During this time, a colleague (thanks, Helen Maclean!) suggested I consider formalizing my resources as other educators may want to use them in their classrooms. When I shared my idea with my friend Jennifer Beath, she immediately saw the potential, and we decided to work together. That’s when Spelliosity was born.
Our Mission: Making Research-Based Instruction Accessible
When Jennifer and I started Spelliosity, we had a clear mission. Our goal was to develop a spelling program for students and equip educators with a deeper understanding of orthography, morphology, etymology, and research-based instructional methods. Most of us grew up in an era dominated by whole language and balanced literacy approaches. We weren’t trained in phonics, orthography, and morphology, yet with the growing influence of the science of reading, we are now expected to teach these essential skills to our students. This gap in our own learning experiences is something that I wanted to address.
Through Spelliosity, Jennifer and I have worked to make these concepts accessible to teachers. Many educators are new to these ideas and may feel overwhelmed. That’s why we designed our resources to guide teachers through these research-based methods in a practical, step-by-step way. The easier it is for teachers to access and implement these practices, the more students benefit. Teachers will love seeing their students actively engaging with the material.
Why This Matters
The shift from Whole Language/Balanced Literacy to Structured Literacy wasn’t just a change in methodology for me; it was a fundamental shift in my understanding of how children learn to read and write. Whole Language assumes children will intuitively pick up reading and writing skills through exposure to literature. At the same time, Balanced Literacy relies on a three-cueing system. However, these approaches aren’t enough for most students, especially those who struggle. These students need explicit, systematic reading and writing instruction.
By embracing Structured Literacy, I’ve seen firsthand how all students, not just struggling readers, benefit from this approach. They gain a deeper understanding of words, feel more confident in their reading and writing abilities, and, most importantly, feel empowered to ask questions and explore language.
Moving Forward: Continuing to Learn and Grow
My journey as an educator is far from over. There is always more to learn and new insights to gain. I am constantly seeking opportunities to grow my understanding of effective literacy instruction. At the same time, I am passionate about sharing what I’ve learned with other educators and supporting them as they navigate their journeys.
Reflecting on my 24 years of teaching, I am grateful for the opportunities to challenge my assumptions, embrace new ideas, and grow alongside my students. And with Spelliosity, I hope to inspire and support other educators to do the same.