CAL:ON is grounded in the Science of Reading; a large body of research from cognitive science, linguistics, and education that explains how children learn to read and write, and how to teach them most effectively. When applied to the classroom, this approach is sometimes referred to as structured literacy.
This means our work helps schools to:
- Teach reading and writing explicitly and systematically.
- Build knowledge of the skills and content that underpin literacy success.
Foster motivation, confidence, and a love of reading by helping all learners experience success and meaning in what they read.
Use ongoing assessment to inform teaching and monitor progress.
Our programmes, professional learning, and assessments are designed to support the explicit teaching of:
- Oral language and oracy: Developing spoken language and vocabulary as the foundation for literacy.
- Systematic phonics (including synthetic phonics): Teaching letter–sound relationships in a clearly sequenced, cumulative way.
- Fluency: Building accuracy, automaticity, and expression in reading.
- Spelling and writing: Teaching encoding, morphology, grammar, and composition.
- Reading comprehension: Supporting pupils to make meaning from text by developing knowledge, vocabulary, and reasoning skills.
Together, these components ensure that all children and young people – including those who struggle – receive explicit, cumulative, and evidence-informed instruction that builds reading and writing success. We want to ensure that children and young people across Wales become ambitious, capable learners who enjoy reading and writing for purpose and pleasure.