“Aha! and Huh?” Exit Ticket: Speech to Print Chapter 8 and Structured Literacy (Discussion Post)

Discussion: “Aha! and Huh?” exit ticket on structured literacy

For this Discussion, we will be using the classroom Exit Ticket Strategy called “Aha! and Huh?” This is a strategy that you can use in your current or future classrooms. After reading Chapter Eight of Speech to Print and watching the Structured Literacy Lesson Video, write down one or two “ahas” (something you learned) and one or two “huhs?” (things you still have questions about).

Original example for study purposes (about 300 words). Chapter 8 of the third edition is titled “Structured Language and Literacy Instruction.” Replace the bracketed items with details from your reading and the lesson video.

Aha!

Aha #1: Structured literacy is defined by how we teach, not just what we teach. Before reading Chapter 8, I thought structured literacy simply meant teaching phonics. Moats (2020) shows that it addresses all levels of language, from phonology and orthography to morphology, syntax and meaning, and that instruction must be explicit, systematic, cumulative and responsive to assessment. In the lesson video, [describe a moment, e.g., the teacher reviewed a previously taught spelling pattern before introducing a new one], which showed me how each lesson builds on the last instead of jumping between skills. [Add a short quote with a page number.]

Aha #2: Every part of the lesson has a purpose. The lesson in the video moved quickly through [e.g., a phonemic awareness warm-up, sound-symbol review, decoding words, reading connected text and dictation]. I realized that dictation is not just a spelling test; it lets students apply new patterns while the teacher immediately sees who needs more practice. I can use this structure even in a short intervention block.

Huh?

Huh #1: How do I fit all of this into a real classroom schedule? The model lesson looked smooth with a small group, but I wonder how a general education teacher with 25 students at very different levels can provide this explicit, cumulative instruction. Should grouping be based on screening data, and how often should groups change?

Huh #2: How much multisensory practice is enough for older students? I understand why tracing letters or tapping sounds helps young readers, but I am unsure how to adapt these routines for middle school students with reading disabilities without making the activities feel childish.

I would love to hear how classmates who are already teaching handle these questions.

References

Moats, L. C. (2020). Speech to print: Language essentials for teachers (3rd ed.). Paul H. Brookes.

[Structured Literacy Lesson Video, as listed in your course, in APA format.]

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