What is explicit, systematic, and multisensory literacy instruction?

For the past ten years, I have been fortunate enough to be a state certified trainer in North Carolina for the state’s Reading Research to Classroom Practice training. In this course, we teach our participants that there are three basic principles of literacy instruction that should be included when designing effective literacy instruction. These three principles are: explicit, multi-sensory, and systematic. Research has shown the effectiveness of each of these principles in any type of instruction, but I will focus on the impact on literacy here. While I have seen many well-intentioned literacy programs claim to have some combination of these principles, some tend to fall short. In today’s blog we will explore these principles in depth and compare what these principles look like in action compared to typical literacy practices.

Explicit

Have you ever purchased that perfect piece of furniture, only to find out when it arrives that you have to assemble it yourself? Someone has taken the time to spell out all of the pieces that are included for assembly, and step by step instructions with illustrations explain how to assemble your furniture. My husband never even looks at the directions and always manages a perfectly assembled piece, and he usually makes some adjustments along the way to make it “better”. I, however, am the first passenger on the home assembly struggle bus. Honestly, I inevitably end up with leftover pieces that aren’t supposed to be leftover, and a few times I’ve assembled the item backwards causing me to have to unassemble the project and start over. By the end, I’m usually wishing that I had paid the extra money and purchased my new possession already assembled. 

When it comes to literacy instruction, our students fall into different categories. For some students, learning to read is easy, but for a great deal of our students learning to read is extremely challenging. They end up feeling just as frustrated as I feel when I have to assemble a piece of furniture and the directions make no sense to me. There are many instructional approaches and philosophies today that tout the use of discovery or inquiry based learning where students are asked to use their own background knowledge and understanding of the world to discover new truths for themselves. This constructivist learning theory was developed by Jerome Bruner in 1961. He believed that learning came about when the learner was able to actively engage in seeking solutions to problems and drawing their own conclusions based on the problem solving process rather than having information delivered directly to the student (Pappas 2014).

In a study by researchers at Vanderbilt University in 2012, they utilized fMRI technology to examine neural pathways utilized when learning pseudowords in adults when taught with implicit versus explicit instruction (Clements-Stephens et al. 2012). The study found that significantly more neural effort was required using implicit instruction versus explicit instruction. Their findings demonstrated that the instructional approach utilized impacted the rate of learning and neural efficiency in less skilled readers suggesting that struggling readers need explicit instruction in order to develop the optimal neural pathways needed for proficient reading. A meta analysis of 362 research studies conducted by Bissonette et al in 2010 supported the Vanderbilt study’s findings when they concluded that explicit instruction was the most effective form of instruction for students at risk (Alphonse & Leblanc 2014). In addition a meta-analysis of over 30 research studies concluded that explicit instruction, rather than implicit or inquiry-based instruction, had shown considerable improved literacy performance outcomes in all five areas of literacy instruction across diverse learning populations (Adams & Engelmann 1996).

So what exactly does explicit instruction consist of? This type of instruction follows the gradual release of responsibility where the teacher provides direct instruction, followed by guided practice with the student, and then independent practice of the skill. During direct instruction the teacher provides a clear, concise explanation of the learning outcome combined with modeling of the new concept. Explanations are precise and make connections between the new and prior learning (The IRIS Center 2020). During the modeling portion the teacher clearly demonstrates to the students what is to be done as well as explaining exactly what the skill is, when it is used, how it is used, and why it is used. Information is presented in small units moving from simple to more complex information (Alphonse & LeBlanc 2014). While modeling the new learning, the teacher will also include verbal explanations of the thinking process when completing the task to help avoid misconceptions that students may encounter (Greene 2020).

The next step in an explicit instruction lesson is guided practice. In this portion of the lesson, students practice the new concept with the guidance of the teacher. This allows the teacher to catch any misconceptions students may have and to ensure that students understand how to apply the new concept. This may begin with the teacher modeling how to apply the concept while the students participate gradually releasing to students working in small groups or pairs (Surles 2020). During guided practice be sure to allow for multiple forms of response such as: choral responding, white boards, response cards, physical responses (thumbs up/thumbs down), stop and jot, or think-pair-share to ensure that all students are engaged and participating (Surles 2020). The most critical component of guided practice is immediate corrective feedback to ensure that students are able to accurately apply the new concept and allows the teacher to immediately correct any misconceptions the students may have.

The final step in the process is independent practice. This allows students to apply the new skill independently in order to consolidate their learning and to become fluent with the skill. Here they are applying what they learned during the first two steps in the lesson on their own (Alphonse & LeBlanc 2014). Below are two videos from High Leverage Practices in Special Education and the National Center on Intensive Intervention if you want to learn more about explicit instruction.

Multisensory

Think back to my DIY furniture story. I had the tools, and I had instructions. However, the instructions clearly were not explicit enough for me to be able to follow them. While the project itself was hands-on, what could have been included to increase the likelihood of success? While there were illustrations of what to do, I still struggled to differentiate the pieces and what went where. Perhaps real photos versus hand-drawn illustrations or the inclusion of a step-by-step video would have increased my likelihood of success or maybe if I’d had someone to talk me through the steps and answer my questions, I would’ve been more successful. This is where the multisensory component of instruction comes into play.

While I tried to locate research studies evaluating the impact of multisensory instruction, there are very few studies out there aimed at isolating the impact of this variable. The studies that do look at this variable tend to incorporate a small sample size or are conducted examining non-phonetic languages. In a study by Campbell, Helf, and Cooke (2008) they provided interventions to students incorporating multisensory methods such as finger tapping, tracing letters on carpet squares, and the use of magnetic letters during phonemic awareness and phonics supplemental instruction. Prior to and at the end of the treatment, students in the treatment groups were assessed on fluency with both nonsense word reading and grade level passage reading. Students in the treatment group showed an increase in fluency in both areas. In another study Joshi, Dahlgren, and Boulware-Gooden (2002) examined the impact of a multisensory approach to reading on the reading skills of first grade students. The control group was taught with the school’s traditional basal reader while the experimental group was taught with a program utilizing a multisensory approach. Their results showed that the control group made gains in reading comprehension only, while the experimental group showed statistically significant gains in phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension.

So what exactly is meant when we refer to multisensory instruction. The International Dyslexia Association (2020) defines it as, “the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to enhance memory and learning of written language.” This approach was first pioneered by Dr. Samuel Orton utilized this methodology in his clinic and based his approach on work by Grace Fernald and Helen Keller. Anne Gillingham and Bessie Stillman developed a manual for teaching the alphabetic principle based on Dr. Orton’s work (IDA 2020). Many structured literacy programs now incorporate this methodology which has come to be known as the Orton-Gillingham method. 

Learning to read requires different parts of the brain to work together to process information efficiently. Learning to read is not a natural process in the brain and requires the brain to process and synthesize visual and auditory stimuli in conjunction with prior language knowledge to make meaning. When utilizing multisensory methods simultaneously, the brain is activating multiple neural pathways to help process and store information in the brain. While research has not isolated this variable and its impact on a large scale, many programs incorporate this methodology, and the programs that implement these methods in conjunction with structured literacy teaching have been proven to significantly improve student outcomes in reading. If you want to learn more about the multisensory approach, I recommend visiting the IMSE Orton-Gillingham Youtube Channel to watch their informative videos.

Systematic

The last principle of instruction is systematic. This means that there is a logical sequence for our instruction and concepts taught move from simple to more complex skills (The IRIS Center 2020). For example, if I’m learning to work on cars, one of the first skills I may work on is changing a headlight or changing the oil. As I show mastery of these skills, I would gradually build up to far more complex tasks such as rebuilding the car’s engine. The same applies to literacy instruction. When teaching students to read, we don’t begin by giving them a novel by Charles Dickens. We start by getting students to attend to sounds in our language, then we begin to introduce a few letters at a time to start building and reading words. As students show mastery of these concepts we move to introducing more complex spelling patterns starting with the more frequently occurring patterns such as the sh or ch patterns eventually moving to the most complex patterns such as mb or kn involving silent letters or moving into instruction with Greek and Latin roots. Ultimately, the goal of systematic instruction is to ensure that students have all of the appropriate background knowledge needed in order to effectively and efficiently learn new concepts (Adams 1994).

Systematic instruction also includes the provision of scaffolding when learning new concepts that are gradually taken away as mastery and fluency with the skill develops (The IRIS Center 2020). When teaching new concepts, teachers often include scaffolds to make the content more manageable. In literacy instruction at the elementary level this may look like the use of letter tiles to build and read words or the use of counters and Elkonin boxes during phonemic awareness instruction. In the upper grades this could be the use of graphic organizers or topic webs to help scaffold and organize information. These types of scaffolding help to reduce the cognitive load, thereby freeing up space in working memory when working with new information. 

What does this look like?

Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with many different teachers and many different reading programs. Below I have created a table to show different ways that a lesson on the three sounds of -ed may be taught. In the first column I included practices that I have seen utilized in many popular literacy programs that are built on inquiry-based learning theories. The second column follows a format that I have seen utilized in programs that follow an explicit, multisensory, and systematic learning approach. These are not taken from any particular program and are based on my classroom observations and teaching experience using a wide variety of reading programs. Which one looks like what you use with your students? If we want to improve outcomes for all students, then how can we ensure that the materials and instruction we use are aligning with what research has outlined above? 

Typical Literacy Lesson

Explicit Literacy Lesson

SAY: Yesterday we noticed that words that end in -ed mean that something has already happened. Today we are going to listen for the sounds -ed can make. SAY: Here is a list of words: stopped, ducked, noted, funded, plugged, buzzed (display word list). What do you notice about these words (guide students to notice that all words end with ed)? SAY: Now I’m going to say the words, and I want you to listen to what you hear at the end of the word. What do you notice (guide students say they hear the sounds /t/, /d/, and /ed/)? SAY: Now let’s sort the words we see by the sounds we hear at the end. Teacher says the word and has students repeat. Students should say the sound they hear at the end and help the teacher to sort the words by the sound they hear at the end. SAY: Are there any other words you know that have one of these sounds at the end that we can add to our list? SAY: During your center time, you have a list of more words that end with -ed. I want you to say each word and then write each word on your paper under the column for the sound you hear at the end.

SAY: Today we are going to look at the spelling pattern -ed that we use at the end of words. In our prior lesson we studied what it is called when we add letters at the end of the word that change the meaning. What is this called (a suffix)? We also said when we add the suffix -ed to a word that the meaning changes. How does -ed change the meaning (makes it past tense)? What does past tense mean (it already happened)? SAY: When used at the end of the word, -ed can make three different sounds: /t/, /d/, or /ed/. When I show you the word, we’re going to tap the sounds we hear and then place the word under the sound we hear. Let’s do this together.Get your hands up and your fingers ready to tap the sounds. Say each word, tap the sounds, and then sort each word by the sound at the end: stopped, ducked, noted, funded, plugged, buzzed. SAY: Stopped and ducked both have the /t/ sound at the end. Previously we learned that some consonants are noisy and you can feel them when you touch your throat. But other sounds are quiet, and you can’t feel them when you touch your throat. Put your hand on your throat and let’s say the sounds /p/ and /k/. Do you feel your throat vibrate (no)? They are quiet or voiceless sounds. When a word ends with a voiceless sound, then -ed will say the unvoiced sound /t/. Now put your hand on your throat and say the sounds /g/ and /z/. Do you feel your throat vibrate (yes). This is because they are noisy or voiced sounds as we learned previously. When a word ends with a voiced sound, then -ed will make the voiced /d/ sound. Our last sound was /ed/ that we heard in the words noted and funded. These two words end in -t and -d, and anytime a word ends with -t or -d, then it will make the two sounds /ed/. SAY: Now I’m going to give you and your partner a list of three nonsense words that end with -ed. You will decide what sound you think each word will have at the end. Be prepared to explain how you know your answer is correct. Allow partners to work and then share out. SAY: When you go to your centers today, you will have 6-10 word cards. Using the graph paper, be sure to draw a circle for each sound you hear in the word in a box, and then write the graphemes in the word for each sound circle on the paper. Then, on Seesaw, I want you to take a picture of your work to add to your work journal. You will also sort the words by the sounds you hear at the end. When you finish, record yourself reading the words. Then explain how you know that you sorted the words correctly using the rules that we learned today.

Works Cited

Adams, G. and Engelmann, S. (1996). Research on Direct Instruction: 25 Years after DISTAR. Educational Achievement Systems. Retrieved from https://www.nifdi.org/docman/suggested-reading/book-excerpts/research-on-direct-instruction-25-years-beyond-distar-engelmann-adams-1996/178-chapter-3-myths-about-di-research-on-di-25-years-beyond-distar-1996/file.html.

Adams, M. (1994) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA.

Alphonse, J. & LeBlanc, R. (2014 December 17). Explicit Instruction: A Teaching Strategy in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics for Students with Learning Disabilities. LD@School. Retrieved from https://www.ldatschool.ca/explicit-instruction-a-teaching-strategy-in-reading-writing-and-mathematics-for-students-with-learning-disabilities/.

Campbell, M. L., Helf, S., & Cooke, N. L. (2008). Effects of adding multisensory components to a supplemental reading program on the decoding skills of treatment resisters. Education and Treatment of Children, (3). 267.

Clements-Stephens, A., Materek, A., Eason, S., Scarborough, H., Pugh, K., Rimrodth, S., Pekar, J., Cutting, L. (2012 February 15) Neural circuitry associated with two different approaches to novel word learning. Developmental Cognitive Science.Volume 2, Supplement 1. pp. S99-S113. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929311000582.

Colorado Department of Education. (2019 March 16). Purposeful, Direct, Explicit, and Systematic Instruction. Elements Comprising the Colorado Literacy Framework. Retrieved from https://www.cde.state.co.us/coloradoliteracy/clf/eightelements_04-purposefulinstruction.

Greene, K. (2020 July 30). Explicit Instruction: What You Need to Know. Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/universal-design-for-learning/what-is-explicit-instruction.

International Dyslexia Association. (2020). Multisensory Structured Language Teaching. Multisensory Structured Language Teaching Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://dyslexiaida.org/multisensory-structured-language-teaching-fact-sheet/.

Joshi, R., Dahlgren, M., & Boulware-Gooden, R. (2002). Teaching Reading in an Inner City School through a Multisensory Teaching Approach. Annals of Dyslexia, 52(1), 229-242. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/23765391

Pappas, C. (2014 October 8). Instructional Design Models and Theories: The Discovery Learning Model. eLearning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/discovery-learning-model. 

Surles, J. (2020). What are the characteristics of Effective Literacy Instruction? National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from https://improvingliteracy.org/ask-an-expert/what-are-characteristics-effective-literacy-instruction.

The IRIS Center. (2020). Explicit, Systematic Instruction. High-Quality Mathematics Instruction Module: What Teachers Should Know. Peabody College Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/math/cresource/q2/p04/#content.