Hi Eloise,
This is the criticism of structured literacy principles that I hear the most frequently, so let’s unpack what might be underneath this concern.
Research on reading and writing—often referred to as the “science of reading” (SOR)—has clarified that direct, systematic, and explicit instruction with intentional practice is the most efficient way to build foundational literacy skills, particularly for beginners and struggling readers. Structured literacy is built on these principles. However, it is often inaccurately reduced to “just phonics,” despite its emphasis on comprehensive language instruction. So when someone says structured literacy (or SOR) is “boring,” what they often mean is that explicit phonics instruction feels repetitive.
And while I do disagree with both the reduction of the science of reading to phonics, as well as the argument that phonics lessons are inherently boring, I want to first acknowledge that I do actually understand where teachers are coming from with this concern. I’d be remiss to not consider that many teachers feel pressure to compete with the high levels of excitement and stimulation that young children today are accustomed to from electronic toys and digital devices, so they want to make reading as fun as possible as early as possible. I’d also guess that the picture-perfect classroom reels circulating on social media contribute to this unrealistic expectation that every minute of instruction should be fun. And while I do think increasing motivation is a worthy goal, I’ll remind anyone reading that we have to crawl before we can run. We have to go slow to go fast. And to trust the process. Frankly, we have so many cliches about this principle because it's reflected in so many different fields and training processes.
As with any complex skill, we gain proficiency by practicing simpler steps in isolation that eventually build on each other. When learning a musical instrument, we start with slow, repetitive tunes with the same couple of notes over and over again, not concertos. While these jingles don’t usually make for exciting recitals from the perspective of an outsider, the beginner musicians usually aren’t requesting anything less “boring” because they want obtainable levels of success. We start learning to drive in an empty parking lot, and begin skiing and snowboarding on the bunny hills or even gentler slopes for learners. And even though many young athletes often request to scrimmage in practice, coaches know that skills and drills are what will ultimately improve their players’ performance. Breaking processes down to smaller, foundational skills to practice is almost always going to be best practice.
Sometimes when lessons feel boring to adults, we assume students feel the same, but students often find success and clarity far more motivating than novelty. It’s enjoyable to be successful at a task and to know you are improving in an important skill. I think your teachers will find that once they themselves recognize the value of structured literacy principles, their excitement in the lessons will transfer to student engagement. Also, consider that structured literacy is intended to be delivered in a way that is fast-paced and highly interactive. Clear guidance on pacing, high rates of student response, and support for keeping lessons brisk and interactive can prevent routines from dragging. Additionally, when teachers are clear on the essential elements of the routine they are expected to use, they have the flexibility to modify lessons for novelty and increased engagement, such as the suggestions provided in the Coaching Corner section of our Lesson Toolkits.
One practical step might be to invite teachers to pilot a structured routine consistently for several weeks and collect simple data, such as tracking the number of students accurately decoding target words at the start and end of the cycle. When teachers see measurable growth in accuracy and automaticity, perceptions of “boring” often shift to recognition of effectiveness.
If we want children to enjoy reading, then they need to be good at it. It might help to think of structured literacy lessons as delayed gratification. The repetitive practice in foundational reading skills leads to automaticity and effortlessness of this skill retrieval as they progress. And while there are certainly other factors that are necessary for proficient reading, effortless word reading is a necessary foundation for these students to build upon. If students are reading slowly, effortfully and/or inaccurately, they are likely to both lack full comprehension of the material, but also lack engagement, enjoyment, and motivation. So building the foundation to make this skill effortless is critical. Remember also that explicit phonics lessons are an important component of students’ literacy development, but should not be the entirety of it! A comprehensive literacy block should also build other essential reading skills beyond phonics and include activities that many teachers find inherently engaging, such as read-alouds from commercial books.
Finally, consider your role in this conversation. Whether you are a colleague, coach, or administrator, start by asking teachers what specifically feels boring and why. Often the concern is less about the structure itself and more about pacing, delivery, or misunderstanding the purpose. Clarifying that difference can open the door to productive problem-solving. I hope this gives you a starting point to try to troubleshoot!