Use IDA’s description without turning it into a vendor badge
IDA’s fact sheet describes direct explanation, guided practice, immediate feedback, a planned sequence in which concepts build on one another, application to reading and writing, and adjustment based on student responses. It also names language content from speech sounds and print patterns through meaningful word parts, sentences, and text meaning. A product’s use of the term does not show that each feature is present in the actual lesson.
International Dyslexia Association: Structured Literacy fact sheet
Distinguish the IES evidence by grade and recommendation
For K–3 foundational reading, IES rates developing awareness of speech-sound segments and their links to letters as strong evidence, and rates teaching decoding, word parts, writing, and word recognition as strong evidence. For grades 4–9 intervention, IES rates building multisyllabic decoding as strong evidence. These are recommendation-level ratings from education studies, not evidence that every structured-literacy product, tutor, home implementation, or learner will have the same result.
IES/WWC: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd GradeIES/WWC: Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9
Original record tool: structured-literacy lesson inspection
Use one copy for one observed or sampled lesson. Write “not shown” when the evidence is absent. This unscored record does not assess a learner or certify a program, provider, or curriculum.
| Inspection field | Evidence to capture |
|---|---|
| Target and prerequisite | Exact sound, spelling, syllable, word part, sentence, or meaning target; prerequisite the lesson assumes |
| Direct explanation and model | What the instructor explains or demonstrates before independent work |
| Sequence and cumulative link | Where the target appears in the scope and sequence; earlier skills reviewed; later application shown |
| Guided response and feedback | What the learner does; prompts or models used; how an error is corrected |
| Reading and spelling application | Words or connected text read; spelling or written-language use; support provided |
| Response record and next question | Observable response, brief retention check if used, and the qualified instructor’s next instructional question |
Ask who is making the instructional decision
Verify the instructor’s relevant preparation and the exact service offered. Ask how starting skills are identified, how the sequence is selected, how errors change the next lesson, and what progress evidence will be reported. Do not invent educator approval or treat an organizational fact sheet as verification of an individual provider.
Keep the homeschool transfer explicit
Neither cited IES guide is a trial of Homeschool Momentum, and the pages do not establish that parent delivery reproduces a school or intervention study. If instruction happens at home, record who teaches, the actual lesson, the support and feedback given, and the response. Bring unresolved selection or implementation questions to a qualified reading instructor.
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Sources for this page
IDA defines the content and instructional principles in its fact sheet; IES supports specified foundational and intervention recommendations within the stated K–3 and grades 4–9 scopes. The planning record is original editorial material, not a diagnostic or validated assessment. The cited school and intervention research does not establish homeschooling or Homeschool Momentum effectiveness. This revision remains pending educator review; individual instructional and clinical questions belong with appropriately qualified professionals.
Ledger access date: 2026-09-10
Official checks before you act
Because homeschool law, special education services, and funding rules vary, verify requirements with your state education department, local district, official ESA or scholarship program, and qualified providers. Keep screenshots or PDFs of official guidance with your records.
Frequently asked questions
Does “structured literacy” on a product page prove the program follows IDA’s description?
No. Inspect the scope and sequence, lesson sample, direct teaching, guided practice, feedback, reading-and-spelling application, and progress process. Verify provider claims independently.
Do the IES strong-evidence ratings apply to every student with dyslexia?
No. They rate specified recommendations for the guide’s populations and settings. They are not a universal outcome promise or a vendor-specific finding.
Is the lesson-inspection record a diagnostic assessment?
No. It records visible lesson features and questions. It does not diagnose dyslexia, determine placement, or certify instructional quality.