Assess Before You Teach
Instruction starts from data, not a grade-level assumption. We teach to the skill gap we can see, then re-measure.
What GLAF stands for
G
Gabow
Built and refined in practice with K–2 readers, not adapted from a packaged program.
Built and refined in practice with K–2 readers, not adapted from a packaged program.
L
Literacy
Reading and writing developed together — decoding, language, and composition as one system.
Reading and writing developed together — decoding, language, and composition as one system.
A
Acquisition
How the brain actually learns to read: explicit, sequential, and cumulative skill-building.
How the brain actually learns to read: explicit, sequential, and cumulative skill-building.
F
Framework
A repeatable structure — principles, a block, a scope, and assessment — not a script.
A repeatable structure — principles, a block, a scope, and assessment — not a script.
What It Is
A bridge between the research and the classroom.
The Science of Reading tells us what works. GLAF answers the harder question teachers and families actually face: how do we do it, in order, every day?
It organizes structured literacy into a coherent plan — eight principles that govern every decision, a predictable instructional block, a clear progression of skills from Kindergarten through Grade 2, and the assessment and grouping tools to keep instruction responsive.
GLAF is the framework behind every tutoring session and consultation in this practice — and a model schools and families can adopt for themselves.
"The research has been settled for decades. What's still catching up is implementation — and that is exactly what GLAF is built to solve."
The Foundation
Eight Guiding Principles
Every lesson, grouping, and assessment decision traces back to these. They are the why behind the how.
Nothing Left to Chance
Each skill is directly modeled, named, and practiced. No guessing from pictures or context, no incidental discovery.
In Order, Without Gaps
Concepts follow a planned sequence where each new skill rests on mastered ground. No leaps, no holes.
See, Say, Hear, Move
Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways fire together to build durable neural connections.
Review Is Not Optional
Prior skills are revisited until automatic. Daily review protects against the forgetting that derails struggling readers.
From Phoneme to Paragraph
Decoding and language comprehension are taught in tandem, so word recognition always serves meaning.
Mastery Sets the Pace
We advance when a child is ready — not when the calendar says so. Progress monitoring drives every adjustment.
Confidence Is Curriculum
We start from strengths and engineer early wins. A reader who believes they can will keep showing up to try.
The Engine
The 90-Minute Literacy Block
A predictable structure repeated every session. Consistency lowers cognitive load, so attention goes to the content — not the format.
0 min45 min90 min
10′
Phonological Warm-Up
Quick, oral drills — rhyming, blending, segmenting, phoneme manipulation. No print required.
15′
Phonics & Review
Cumulative review of taught patterns, then explicit teaching of the day's new grapheme or rule.
20′
Word Work — Decode & Encode
Reading and spelling words with the target pattern. Multisensory mapping of sound to print.
15′
Fluency Practice
Repeated and partner reading of decodable connected text at the right level of challenge.
20′
Language & Comprehension
Read-aloud, vocabulary, background knowledge, and explicit comprehension strategy work.
10′
Connected Writing
Dictation and sentence composition that reinforce the same patterns just read.
The Progression
Scope & Sequence
What is taught, and in what order, across the early grades. Each grade builds without gaps on the one before.
Kindergarten · Building the alphabetic foundation
Fall · Terms 1–2
Sounds & Letters
- Rhyme recognition and syllable clapping
- Initial & final phoneme isolation
- Letter names and formation
- Consonant sounds, short vowel /a/, /i/
- Concepts of print & book handling
Winter · Terms 3–4
Blending Begins
- Oral blending and segmenting of 2–3 sounds
- Remaining short vowels /o/, /u/, /e/
- Reading & spelling CVC words
- First high-frequency words (heart words)
- Sentence-level print awareness
Spring · Terms 5–6
First Texts
- Digraphs sh, ch, th, ck
- Reading decodable sentences & short texts
- Encoding CVC words from dictation
- Retelling and basic story structure
- Phoneme deletion and substitution
Grade 1 · From decoding to fluency
Fall · Terms 1–2
Patterns Expand
- Review CVC, digraphs, and blends
- Consonant blends (initial & final)
- Closed syllables & FLOSS rule
- Magic-e (VCe) long vowels
- Spelling with taught patterns
Winter · Terms 3–4
Vowel Teams
- Common vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, oa)
- R-controlled vowels (ar, or)
- Open syllables & multisyllable intro
- Fluency: phrasing and expression
- Inflectional endings -s, -ed, -ing
Spring · Terms 5–6
Reading to Learn
- Diphthongs (oi, oy, ou, ow)
- Two-syllable word decoding
- Comprehension: main idea & detail
- Paragraph writing with conventions
- Grade-level fluency benchmarks
Grade 2 · Morphology & comprehension depth
Fall · Terms 1–2
Syllable Mastery
- All six syllable types reviewed
- Consonant-le syllables
- Schwa in unstressed syllables
- Multisyllable decoding strategies
- Fluency: rate with accuracy
Winter · Terms 3–4
Word Structure
- Prefixes (un-, re-, dis-, pre-)
- Suffixes & spelling change rules
- Common Greek & Latin roots
- Vocabulary from morphology
- Inference & text structure
Spring · Terms 5–6
Independent Readers
- Advanced & irregular patterns
- Comprehension across genres
- Summarizing & main-idea synthesis
- Multi-paragraph composition
- Self-monitoring & fix-up strategies
A Week in Practice
Inside a GLAF Week
Pick a day to see how the block plays out across a single instructional week — here, a Grade 1 week introducing the ai / ay vowel team.
How We Know It's Working
Mastery, Not Coverage
A skill counts as learned only when it is accurate, automatic, and transferable. These are the criteria that move a child forward.
Stage 1 · Accurate
Gets It Right
- Applies the pattern correctly with prompting and time to think.
- 90%+ accuracy on a controlled word list.
- Can explain the rule in their own words.
Stage 2 · Automatic
Without Effort
- Reads target words on sight, no visible decoding.
- Maintains accuracy at a natural reading pace.
- Spells the pattern reliably in dictation.
Stage 3 · Transferred
Uses It Everywhere
- Applies the skill in unpracticed, connected text.
- Uses it in independent writing without reminders.
- Retains it weeks later with no re-teaching.
Responsive Grouping
Three Tiers of Support
The same framework flexes to intensity of need. Data — not labels — decides where a child receives instruction.
I
Core
All learners · whole-class instruction
- Full 90-minute block, on grade-level sequence
- Universal screening 3× per year
- Differentiated practice within the lesson
II
Targeted
Below benchmark · small group (3–5)
- Core block plus 30 min of targeted reteaching
- Progress monitoring every 2 weeks
- Skill-specific groups that re-form by data
III
Intensive
Significant gap · 1:1 or pairs
- Daily individualized Orton-Gillingham instruction
- Weekly progress monitoring
- Instruction at the precise point of breakdown
For Educators & Families
The Implementation Toolkit
Practical instruments that make the framework run — a fidelity checklist for planning, and a conference template for monitoring growth.
Daily Fidelity Checklist
- Warm-up targets a phonological skill below print.
- New concept is explicitly modeled before practice.
- Cumulative review of prior patterns is included.
- Students both decode and encode the target.
- Fluency text is decodable and at the right level.
- Comprehension and vocabulary are addressed.
- Writing reinforces the day's pattern.
- Errors corrected immediately and constructively.
Progress Conference Template
StudentName & current grouping tier
Skill FocusPattern or strategy being targeted
BaselineAccuracy & rate at start of cycle
NowCurrent data point & mastery stage
DecisionAdvance · continue · intensify · regroup
Home LinkOne strategy to reinforce this week
For Schools & Administrators
The GLAF School Audit
Too many literacy blocks are built on habit rather than evidence — and too few administrators have the training to tell the difference. The GLAF School Audit brings an outside expert eye to the question that matters most: does your reading instruction actually reflect the Science of Reading?
What the Audit Examines
- Protected instructional time and structure of the literacy block.
- Scope and sequence — explicit, systematic, and gap-free.
- Universal screening and progress-monitoring practices.
- Tiered intervention and how data drives grouping.
- Curriculum and materials alignment to the evidence base.
- Fidelity of phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction.
What You Receive
ObservationClassroom & block walkthroughs against the GLAF benchmark
FindingsWhere instruction aligns with the Science of Reading — and where it does not
ComplianceA clear, plain-language report leadership can act on
RoadmapPrioritized, research-based recommendations
Follow-UpOptional coaching to put the recommendations in place
Bring GLAF to your child or classroom
Whether you are a parent seeking structured support or an educator looking to implement the framework, the first step is the same — a conversation about where your reader is and where they are headed.