Structured Literacy Walkthrough: K-5 Look-Fors (20-Minute Guide) + Free Checklist

In a 20-minute pass, focus on five domains and capture concrete student/teacher behaviors you can coach tomorrow.

Why structured literacy walkthroughs matter

A structured literacy walkthrough helps school and district leaders move beyond generic "reading looks good" notes. Instead, observers look for concrete, research-aligned moves: explicit modeling, systematic practice, and plenty of cumulative review across phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

When everyone shares the same look-fors, feedback gets sharper, coaching cycles move faster, and support for students who need decoding help becomes much more targeted.

• Clarify what science-of-reading-aligned instruction looks and sounds like in real classrooms.
• Build a common language for walkthroughs, coaching, and PLCs.
• Spot strong practice you can amplify across grade levels and schools.
• Quickly identify gaps in curriculum, materials, or professional learning.
  

How to use this 20-minute K–5 walkthrough

This guide is intentionally simple: it is designed for short, focused walkthroughs that you can complete in roughly 20 minutes. Use it with principals, coaches, and teacher leaders across your school or network.

1. Clarify the focus. Before entering the room, decide which part of structured literacy you are prioritizing today—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, or writing.
2. Capture quick evidence. During the lesson, jot down specific teacher and student actions that connect to the look-fors in this guide. Focus on a short segment of the lesson rather than trying to capture everything.
3. Debrief with one clear next step. Use your notes to name one high-leverage strength and one actionable next step. Connect both to the language of your structured literacy framework.

K–5 structured literacy look-fors

The bullets below can be adapted into a checklist or Google Form for your team. Use only the sections that match the grade level and lesson focus you are visiting.

Phonemic awareness (primarily K–1)

• Students work with sounds only (no letters) for a short, brisk warm-up.
• Teacher models how to blend, segment, and manipulate phonemes using clear, consistent language.
• All students respond (for example, choral responses or gestures), not just volunteers.
• Tasks move from easier to harder (for example, blending → segmenting → adding or deleting sounds).

Phonics and word recognition

• Phonics skill for the day is stated explicitly and connects to past learning.
• Teacher uses a clear routine for modeling, guided practice, and independent practice.
• Students read and write words and sentences that match the taught pattern.
• Students who need more practice receive extra decoding time in small groups using decodable text.

Fluency

• Students engage in repeated reading, echo reading, or partner reading with a clear fluency goal.
• Teacher models appropriate rate, accuracy, and expression before students practice.
• Short, meaningful text is used so students can focus on phrasing and expression.

Vocabulary and language

• Key words are intentionally selected and clearly explained using student-friendly language.
• Students practice using new words in discussion, writing, or quick response routines.
• Teacher revisits important vocabulary across the week to build long-term retention.

Comprehension and writing

• Text is read closely, with questions that require students to use evidence.
• Writing tasks are clearly connected to the text (for example, written responses, summaries, or notes).
• Teacher scaffolds with sentence frames or graphic organizers as needed, then gradually releases support.

Environment and materials

• Print-rich environment features sound walls, decodable texts, and anchor charts that match current learning.
• Students know where to find materials and can explain routines in their own words.
• Technology, if used, directly supports practice with decoding, fluency, or comprehension—not just busywork.

Use our free structured literacy walkthrough checklist

Use the downloadable checklist version of this guide to support principal walkthroughs, coaching cycles, and professional learning communities. You can print it, share it digitally, or adapt it into the walkthrough tool your team already uses.

Encourage leaders to collect school-wide trends, then plan professional learning that targets the highest-leverage needs—such as strengthening phonemic awareness in K–1 or increasing decodable practice for students who are still building decoding skills.

Coaching next steps after a walkthrough

A single walkthrough will not transform instruction on its own. The power comes from how you use the evidence you collect. Pair this tool with short, focused coaching cycles:

• Set a clear, shared goal with the teacher tied to a specific component of structured literacy.
• Model or co-teach a short segment of the lesson using the routine you want to see more often.
• Observe again within one to two weeks and give bite-sized feedback.
• Celebrate growth with concrete "before and after" evidence for the teacher and students.

FAQ

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