Why the reading curriculum matters
Families are often told that a student receives “reading support” without being given the name of the curriculum, the skills being taught, the intensity of instruction, or the data used to decide whether the intervention is working. Knowing the specific instructional approach helps parents ask focused questions about whether it matches the student’s assessed needs.
FERPA and IDEA records rights
FERPA, at 34 C.F.R. § 99.10, gives parents and eligible students the opportunity to inspect and review the student’s education records. IDEA, at 34 C.F.R. § 300.613, similarly requires participating agencies to permit parents to inspect and review education records relating to their child that are collected, maintained, or used under IDEA.
Questions to ask the IEP team
- What is the exact name and edition of the core reading curriculum?
- What supplemental or intensive reading intervention is being used?
- Which reading skills is the intervention designed to address?
- How was this program selected based on my child’s assessments and present levels?
- How many minutes per session and sessions per week are provided?
- Is instruction individual, small-group, or classroom-based, and what is the group size?
- Who delivers the instruction, and what program-specific training have they completed?
- How is implementation fidelity checked?
- What measures are used to monitor decoding, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension?
- What objective criteria will trigger a change in intensity, method, or service?
What is Structured Literacy?
Structured Literacy generally refers to instruction that is explicit, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and responsive. It directly teaches the structure of spoken and written language, including phonology, sound-symbol relationships, syllable patterns, morphology, syntax, and meaning. A program label alone does not establish that instruction is appropriate; the team should also consider the student’s needs, instructional intensity, staff training, fidelity, and progress data.
Examples of reading programs
Wilson Reading System
An intensive Structured Literacy program commonly used with students who have significant word-level reading and spelling difficulties. Schools should be able to explain the instructor’s training, lesson frequency, group size, and mastery criteria.
Barton Reading & Spelling System
A highly scripted Orton-Gillingham-influenced program often used in one-to-one tutoring and some school settings. Parents may ask whether it is appropriate for the student’s profile and whether the instructor has completed the program’s training requirements.
Other programs and approaches
Other examples may include Fundations, Just Words, SPIRE, UFLI Foundations, Really Great Reading, REWARDS, or an Orton-Gillingham-based approach. Programs serve different ages, skill levels, and intervention tiers. This page does not endorse a particular commercial product.
Progress monitoring and instructional response
Ask for baseline data and regularly updated measures that directly match the skills being taught. Grades and general statements such as “making progress” may not show whether decoding, word recognition, spelling, oral reading fluency, or comprehension gaps are closing. Ask the team to explain the expected rate of improvement, how often data are collected, and what changes will occur if progress is insufficient.
Common red flags
- The team cannot name the curriculum or intervention.
- No baseline or repeated progress data are available.
- The intervention is provided inconsistently or with frequent staff changes.
- Staff cannot describe program-specific training or fidelity checks.
- The same intervention continues despite limited measurable progress.
- Reading goals do not address the student’s assessed foundational skill deficits.
Sample parent request
Sample language:
“Please identify the specific core reading curriculum and intervention currently used with my child, including the program name and edition, skills addressed, instructional frequency and duration, group size, provider qualifications and training, fidelity procedures, baseline data, progress-monitoring measures, and the criteria the team will use to determine whether the intervention should continue or change. Please also provide access to education records maintained about my child that document the intervention, instructional decisions, assessments, and progress.”
Quick parent checklist
- Write down the exact curriculum and intervention names.
- Record minutes per session, sessions per week, and group size.
- Ask about instructor training and implementation fidelity.
- Request baseline and current progress-monitoring data.
- Ask what measurable result is expected and by when.
- Send a written follow-up summarizing unanswered questions.
Related guides
- Reading an Assessment Report
- Requesting Special Education Assessments
- Independent Educational Evaluations
- Preparing for an IEP Meeting
- Writing Effective Parent Concerns