Is Your School Ready for Structured Literacy in Years 4–8?

Are your Year 4–8 learners getting the structured literacy support they need?

This quick self-review tool helps school leaders and teams reflect on their current literacy teaching practices and identify areas for growth. Based on research-informed principles, the tool is designed to guide meaningful conversations and support planning for PLD.

Use it independently—or alongside your planning for Cognition Education’s Structured Literacy Programme for Years 4–8.

Instructions:

Tick each statement that best describes your school’s current practice.
Tally your results
Refer to the reflection prompts once you have submitted your quiz. You will also be emailed a copy of your results.

A self-review tool for literacy leaders and teaching teams

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🔍 Section 1: Instructional Practice

Teachers explicitly teach orthographic mapping, including phonics, morphology, and etymology, with appropriate scaffolding in Years 4–8.

A clear and intentional vocabulary progression is planned across the upper primary and intermediate years, integrating morphology and contextual understanding.

Comprehension strategies are taught explicitly, revisited regularly, and connected to prior knowledge and concept-building.

Grammar and syntax instruction is embedded and explicitly taught, supporting sentence construction and clarity in reading and writing.

Teachers select and sequence texts purposefully to build background knowledge, deepen concept understanding, and support fluency and critical thinking.

📊 Section 2: Assessment and Monitoring

Diagnostic and formative assessments are used regularly to inform responsive instruction across Years 4–8.

Consistent assessment tools are used across classrooms and linked to teaching sequences and literacy goals.

Teachers use assessment data to adapt instruction, group flexibly, and target small-group and individual supports.

Progress is tracked over time, with assessment trends informing planning, interventions, and team reflection.

🌱 Section 3: School-Wide Capability

There is a shared understanding and language around structured literacy and its key components (e.g., explicit teaching, orthographic mapping, fluency, comprehension, syntax).

Ongoing professional learning is planned or in place to strengthen teacher knowledge in structured literacy practices across Years 4–8.

Structured literacy is reflected in the school’s strategic planning, internal evaluation, and curriculum design documents.

Teams collaborate regularly to analyse practice, moderate assessment, and refine literacy instruction, using shared frameworks other structured resources.

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