Supporting Literacy Development in Hawaii’s Students: A Path to Success
In Hawaii, many students face significant challenges when it comes to literacy, with some falling behind as much as two grade levels. This gap represents a critical barrier to academic success—not just in reading and writing, but across all subject areas. Addressing this issue requires a clear, strategic approach, one that can meet students where they are and give them the tools they need to succeed.
The solution is in Structured Literacy, a proven, systematic method that helps students close gaps, build foundational skills, and achieve long-term literacy success. But what does this look like in practice, and how can we support Hawaii’s educators in making real progress?
The Literacy Challenge in Hawaii: A Call to Action
While many students in Hawaii are falling behind, this issue isn’t unique to the islands. Across the country, literacy challenges are widespread, with some students significantly behind their peers in reading and writing. What sets Hawaii apart is its unique structure as the only U.S. state with a single, unified public school system. This centralized model creates both opportunities and challenges when it comes to implementing systemwide literacy improvements—offering a rare chance for scalable, cohesive impact.
These challenges require a solution that is both comprehensive and adaptable. Structured Literacy provides that solution. It’s not just a set of strategies; it’s an approach that can be tailored to meet the needs of every student, regardless of their starting point. When implemented with fidelity, it ensures every learner has the foundational skills they need to succeed—not just in reading, but in life.
Actionable Steps for Closing the Literacy Gap
For Hawaii’s educators, addressing the literacy gap requires a commitment to evidence-based practices and a focus on targeted, intentional instruction. Here are three actionable steps to take toward creating measurable literacy improvements:
1. Evaluate and Target Instruction To Meet Students Where They Are
The first step is to assess where students currently stand in their literacy development. Understanding the specific gaps is essential for providing the right level of support. For students who are behind, this means identifying the core areas that need reinforcement and creating a clear road map for moving forward.
Using assessments such as those offered in the Acadience® Suite allows educators to support data-driven instructional decisions, monitor the effectiveness of instruction, and improve student outcomes. This ensures that no student is left behind and instruction remains focused on the skills that student needs.
2. Prioritize Small-Group and Individualized Instruction for Struggling Readers
Students who are significantly behind in literacy often need more than whole-class instruction to catch up—they need focused, personalized attention. Within a tiered intervention model, small-group and one-on-one instruction creates the conditions for rapid skill development by allowing educators to tailor lessons to each student’s needs.
These instructional settings make it possible to deliver intensive, explicit practice in foundational skills like decoding, vocabulary, and fluency—skills that struggling readers must master to access grade-level content. Small groups also allow educators to quickly identify when students are making progress and when additional support is needed.
Voyager Sopris Learning® provides targeted intervention solutions designed for these settings. These programs support educators in delivering structured, high-impact lessons that build skills efficiently so students not only catch up, but gain the confidence to keep progressing.
3. Leverage Proven Literacy Solutions To Support Implementation
Teachers need solutions that align with Structured Literacy principles and that can be seamlessly integrated into their classrooms. This is where literacy solutions such as those offered by Voyager Sopris Learning come into play. Our solutions are designed to meet the diverse needs of all learners and provide actionable tools for educators.
Voyager Passport®, LANGUAGE! Live®, and REWARDS® are built on the principles of Structured Literacy, offering teachers a clear, step-by-step framework for instruction. These solutions are approved for use in Hawaii and backed by years of research. They can be adapted to meet the specific needs of K–12 students in Hawaii to help them master essential skills to fully engage with grade-level content.
Moving Forward: Ensuring Every Student’s Success
Improving literacy outcomes requires more than just good intentions—it takes research-aligned solutions, consistent support, and a shared understanding of best practices. Across Hawaii, educators are already doing the hard work of addressing gaps in literacy. What they need now is a framework that fits the local context, builds on what’s working, and ensures every student can make meaningful progress.
Voyager Sopris Learning supports this effort with Structured Literacy solutions grounded in research and shaped by real classroom experience. From supplemental solutions to comprehensive, targeted intervention, educators can bring Structured Literacy to life in practical, sustainable ways.
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Hawaii-Approved Literacy Solutions
Give every student the opportunity to succeed with Voyager Sopris Learning’s literacy solutions.
Acadience® offers universal benchmark screening assessments and progress-monitoring solutions for reading preK–8 and math K–6.
The journey to literacy requires essential tools to ensure students who struggle can reach grade level. Updated Voyager Passport® is a K–5 literacy intervention that provides comprehensive, explicit, and systemic instruction in the five essential components of reading and includes language and writing—in just 30 minutes of instruction per day.
Balances mastery of foundational skills through online learning with teacher-directed small- or large-group instruction in more advanced literacy skills, such as close reading, writing, speaking, and oral comprehension.
