The Fundamentals of the Literacy Academy Program, Part 2

Part 2: Relationship to Cognitive Load Theory

Keeping the phonics pattern constant while increasing linguistic complexity is one of the cleanest applications of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) to reading instruction—especially for students with dyslexia. It works because it protects limited working memory while still allowing learning to grow.

Let’s take a look at the direct connection between our program’s progression and this theory.

1. Basics of Cognitive Load Theory 

Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) explains that:

• Working memory is limited

• Learning happens when we don’t overload it

• Instruction should carefully manage mental effort

  
  

There are three types of cognitive load:

1. Intrinsic load – the difficulty of the task itself

2. Extraneous load – unnecessary mental effort

3. Germane load – effort used to build lasting knowledge

   
   

Good instruction reduces extraneous load, manages intrinsic load, and maximizes germane load.

2. What Happens When the Phonics Pattern Changes Too Often

If instruction jumps from

• VCe → vowel teams → r-controlled → diphthongswhile also increasing word length

students must juggle:

• New sounds

• New spellings

• New word structures

This spikes intrinsic load and overwhelms working memory.

For dyslexic students, this often leads to:

• Guessing

• Breakdown in accuracy

• Weak orthographic mapping

• Fatigue

The brain simply cannot hold that many new variables at once.

3. What Staying with One Phonics Pattern Does

When the phonics pattern stays constant:

• Sound–spelling mapping is already known

• No new decoding rules are required

• One major cognitive variable is removed

This dramatically reduces intrinsic load.

Now working memory is free to handle:

• Longer words

• Blends

• Compounds

• Affixes

• Stress shifts

Learning can happen without overload.

4. How Increasing Linguistic Complexity Adds “Good” Load

As words progress:

• date → crate → liftgate → celebrate

The structure changes, not the phonics.

This adds germane load—the productive effort used to:

• Recognize patterns in new contexts

• Chunk words into parts

• Reuse known spelling units

• Build orthographic and morphological schemas

This is the kind of load that leads to durable learning.

5. Why This Protects Orthographic Mapping

Orthographic mapping requires repeated, accurate encounters with the same spelling pattern.

Keeping the pattern constant:

• Strengthens mapping

• Stabilizes spelling

• Prevents relearning

• Encourages transfer

If the pattern changes too soon, mapping remains fragile.

6. Why This Is Especially Important for Dyslexia

Students with dyslexia often have:

• Less efficient phonological processing

• Reduced working memory capacity

• Slower automaticity development

By holding the phonics pattern constant:

• Working memory is protected

• Cognitive overload is avoided

• Confidence is preserved

• Learning is more efficient

This aligns directly with IDA-aligned structured literacy principles.

7. Exposure vs. Expectation Fits Here Too

Keeping the pattern constant allows teachers to:

• Expose students to complex words early

• Delay expectation until the structure is manageable

This sequencing is cognitively safe and instructionally powerful.

*I will further address exposure vs. expectation in another post. 

8. What This Looks Like Instructionally

Instead of teaching:

“Here’s a new vowel pattern and a longer word”

You’re teaching:

“Here’s a longer word with a pattern you already know”

That distinction matters neurologically.

9. The Instructional Sweet Spot

If you do this…	Cognitive Result
Change pattern + structure	Overload
Keep pattern, add structure	Learning
Keep pattern too long	Plateau
Advance too fast	Breakdown

Balance is key.