How ULS supports the Science of Reading
What is the Science of Reading?
The Science of Reading is a large body of research that identifies the skills and instructional practices that support successful reading development.
These skills are commonly organized into five pillars:
- Phonemic Awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
Unique Learning System incorporates these evidence-based practices throughout instruction, lessons, assessments and learning materials.
Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness focuses on understanding and manipulating the individual sounds in spoken language.
How ULS supports phonemic awareness
ULS provides:
- A structured scope and sequence of phonological and phonemic awareness skills
- Instruction that progresses from easier to more complex skills
- Explicit connections between sounds and letters
- Opportunities to practise identifying and manipulating sounds
Phonics
Phonics helps students understand the relationship between letters and sounds.
How ULS supports phonics
ULS provides:
- Predictable phonics routines
- Explicit instruction in grapheme-phoneme relationships
- Instruction that begins with high-utility letters and patterns
- Opportunities to decode and encode words using taught skills
Fluency
Fluency helps students read accurately, automatically and with appropriate expression.
How ULS supports fluency
ULS provides:
- Repeated practice with taught word patterns
- Sentence and passage reading activities
- Opportunities for independent reading
- Access to decodable and differentiated texts
Vocabulary
Vocabulary development supports communication, comprehension and academic success.
How ULS supports vocabulary
ULS provides:
- Explicit instruction in high-utility vocabulary
- Student-friendly definitions
- Multiple opportunities to practise new words
- Introduction to morphemic analysis and word structure
Comprehension
Comprehension focuses on understanding and making meaning from text.
How ULS supports comprehension
ULS provides:
- Interactive read-aloud experiences
- Explicit comprehension strategies
- Opportunities to retell and discuss texts
- Instruction in text structure and text features
- Connected texts that build knowledge and vocabulary over time
Bringing the five pillars together
Rather than teaching these skills in isolation, ULS integrates them across lessons, courses, library books and assessments.
This helps educators deliver standards-aligned literacy instruction while providing differentiated support for students with unique learning needs.
Why it matters
The Science of Reading emphasizes systematic, explicit instruction and repeated opportunities for practice.
ULS supports these principles through:
- Structured instructional routines
- Differentiated materials
- Explicit teaching strategies
- Progress monitoring and assessment
- Accessible literacy resources
This helps educators deliver evidence-based reading instruction while meeting the diverse needs of their students.