Programs
How we teach kids to read.
Structured literacy is explicit, step-by-step, builds on itself and uses more than one sense at a time. It was designed for kids with learning differences, and it works for everyone.
Program 1
Teach kids to read
One-on-one and small-group lessons tailored to each student, from free to sliding-scale ($5–$65 a session).
- Starts with a Diagnostic Decoding Survey
- Orton-Gillingham and Wilson-based methods
- Students stay as long as they need
Program 2
Train Literacy Mentors
We hire and train future educators and community leaders to teach structured literacy.
- Evidence-based, multi-sensory instruction
- Healing-centered and anti-bias practice
- Resilience and child-safety training
Program 3
Build a network of advocates
We help the adults around a child push for what that child needs.
- Caregiver workshops
- Individual student reports
- Support for schools and youth groups
Why it matters
The cycle we’re breaking
When early reading doesn’t click, one problem leads to the next.
Reading gaps
Weak early literacy, often from instruction that never fit the child.
Frustration
Kids act out or shut down. Black and brown students are disciplined more often.
Falling behind
Higher dropout rates and fewer career and economic options.
Passed down
Low literacy can carry into the next generation.
Structured literacy interrupts it at step one.
Structured literacy vs. guessing
A lot of schools still teach the “3-cueing” approach, where kids guess words from pictures and context. Structured literacy teaches the sounds letters make, then how to blend them into words.
Explicit
Every skill is taught directly. Nothing is left to guessing.
Systematic
Skills follow a clear order, from simple to complex.
Cumulative
Each lesson builds on the last one.
Multi-sensory
Kids see, say, hear and touch as they learn.
Summer
LIT Summer Experience
A five-week summer camp. Each day starts with two hours of structured literacy, then moves into hands-on learning around themes like nature, space and culture.
Bring Decode Project to your school
We partner with schools and community groups to run free, grant-funded literacy programs.