How Structured Literacy Is Transforming a Third-Grade Classroom
Laura Sleman and Mike Pierson are co-teachers in a third-grade classroom in Chicago Public Schools, where they implement structured literacy as part of their Tier 1 instruction for all students.
We are co-teachers in a general education third grade classroom in Chicago Public Schools, serving a diverse group of learners that includes both English Language Learners and students with disabilities. Our third graders are vibrant, inquisitive, and determined, each bringing unique strengths and talents to our classroom. Within our community of readers, we see a wide range of literacy abilities, from proficient readers still developing their encoding skills to striving readers who are just beginning to crack the code.
We are deeply grateful to have received support from Classmates Literacy Foundation that provided us both with training in the Slant System™. This professional learning has empowered us to implement an evidence-based structured literacy program that strengthens foundational literacy skills for ALL students. We incorporate the Slant System™ daily as part of our Tier 1 instruction to ensure every learner builds a strong foundation in reading and spelling. Additionally, we use the program in small-group settings to provide targeted, tiered support for students who need extra practice in decoding and encoding skills developed in earlier stages.
Since completing the training, we have seen growth not only in our students’ reading and spelling skills, but also in our own teaching practice. The structured routines and explicit instructional methods we learned through the Slant System have transformed the way we approach word study.
Our students have developed a stronger understanding of how words work, and they are increasingly confident when applying phonics and spelling patterns across their reading and writing. We’ve seen students who once hesitated to read aloud, now eagerly volunteer to demonstrate reading words with our new target pattern.
Their excitement about words is contagious! Each day begins with our phonemic awareness warm-up, where students chorally bellow out phonemes, blending, segmenting and working enthusiastically with sounds. They take pride in mastering new patterns and concepts, whether they are identifying prefixes and suffixes, uncovering homophones, or calling out with delight when they discover the schwa sound in a word. Throughout our lessons, rich discussions about vocabulary naturally emerge and students love learning interesting synonyms for common words. Students also apply their new learning as they read connected texts and spell words in context, deepening their understanding of how language works.
The program’s consistency and systematic design have also benefited our classroom as a whole. Since every student participates in daily structured literacy lessons, we are building a shared language for talking about sounds, patterns, and spelling rules. This has created a sense of community around literacy learning. Professionally, we feel more equipped to meet the needs of all learners, particularly those who strive, despite challenges to gain traction in reading and spelling. We are grateful to the Classmates Literacy Foundation for providing this invaluable opportunity. The knowledge and confidence we’ve gained will continue to impact our students’ literacy journeys for years to come.