MRU Literacy

This website is designed for Mount Royal University Bachelor of Education students to guide them in providing literacy support to elementary students. It is based on a four-part framework for each 30-minute tutoring session:


  1. Word play (10 minutes)

  2. Student reading (10 minutes)

  3. Adult reading (10 minutes)

  4. Reflection (short wrap up)


The website will provide guidance for each of these components.

Scarborough's Reading Rope

The literacy support materials are based upon the three components of Scarborough's Reading Rope as pictured in the image below.

Scarborough's rope shows the interconnectedness of two foundational skills that make up skilled reading: language comprehension and word recognition.

According to this model, skilled reading results from the braiding of word recognition and language comprehension. The tutoring framework is intended to support each of these strands.

  1. Word play is intended to build all three of the word recognition strands: phonological awareness, decoding, and sight word recognition.

  2. When the children read to an adult, they become increasingly automatic in their word recognition skills.

  3. When adults read aloud to children, children develop language comprehension that will support reading comprehension.

  4. Reflection is a key component of all teaching. It is important to reflect with your student. What did they learn today? What are your next steps for teaching?

What You Will Learn

You will learn strategies for

  • Helping children to hear sounds in words, decode words, and identify high frequency irregular words

  • Coaching children when they are reading

  • Talking to children about books while reading to build deeper understanding and enjoyment

  • Setting goals to target your instruction

View this 30-minute video of a tutoring session with a grade 2 student and an MRU teacher candidate.