The Literacy Lab

Early Identification, Lasting Impact

At Tucker Maxon school, The Literacy Lab is a place where early readers grow into confident, independent learners. With our trained specialist and evidence-based instruction, we offer targeted support for students who need help building foundational reading skills—whether they’re just starting out or need extra practice to stay on track.

We believe in acting early—before students begin to struggle. All students in grades K–3 are screened regularly to help us catch any potential reading challenges right away. For students in grades 4–5, we continue to monitor progress and provide support as needed. We use research-backed assessments, including DIBELS to guide our instruction.

Multisensory, Structured Literacy Instruction

Students in The Literacy Lab receive 1:1 or small-group, direct instruction using the Orton-Gillingham approach—a proven method that is structured, sequential, and multisensory. This kind of teaching helps students build strong connections between sounds and letters by seeing, hearing, saying, and writing. It’s effective for all learners and essential for those with dyslexia. Use of this method by our in-house reading specialist produced significant results; so much so that all elementary faculty are now being trained in its use.

More Than Just Reading Scores

Our goal is not only to boost reading levels, but to help students build confidence, resilience, and self-awareness. Students in the Literacy Lab are supported in understanding their unique learning styles and are encouraged to become advocates for their own education.

A Positive, Supportive Culture

The Literacy Lab is a space where students feel safe, valued, and encouraged. We work hard to create a learning environment where students feel proud of their progress and motivated to keep going.  We collaborate closely with classroom teachers and families to help students transition smoothly into middle school.

Commitment to Schoolwide Excellence

To support every student—not just those in intervention—our entire staff is undergoing training in structured literacy practices. This ensures a consistent, research-based approach to reading across all classrooms.

What Is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?

The Orton-Gillingham approach is a powerful, research-based method of teaching reading and spelling. It breaks learning down into small, manageable steps and gives students lots of chances to practice and master each skill before moving on.
This approach is:

• Explicit – concepts are taught directly and clearly
• Systematic and Sequential – lessons follow a carefully structured order
• Multisensory – students learn by engaging sight, sound, touch, and movement
• Individualized – instruction is tailored to each child’s pace and learning style

This method is especially effective for students with dyslexia, but benefits all learners by building a strong foundation in phonics, fluency, and comprehension.