CAN 
US/Global
Inspire joyful, purposeful lifelong reading and writing with collaborative evidence-based instruction
Build an Upward Spiral of Literacy Across Your District
Align instruction, coaching, and leadership systems to create sustained literacy growth—not short-term gains.
What if every student in your school saw themselves as a reader, building confidence through success and choosing to read again and again because they can and want to? That’s what strong literacy systems make possible. Not just better readers, but lifelong readers.
Dirigo (pronounced DEER-ih-go) Literacy, meaning “I lead,” stems from the belief that district leaders, principals, literacy coaches, and K–8 educators find themselves at a defining crossroads between unproven literacy initiatives and a critical and urgent need for improvement. Grounded in Dr. Molly Ness’s Upward Spiral of Literacy, Dirigo Literacy provides a comprehensive, evidence-based framework that uniquely connects instruction, leadership, and systems. It's a defined collaboration framework that drives results.
The Upward Spiral of Literacy: The Dirigo Literacy Framework
Move beyond cycles of academic failure by shifting your focus from "fixing" students to building an upward spiral of sustained success. This essential booklet, The Upward Spiral of Literacy: The Dirigo Literacy Framework, offers a research-backed approach to accelerate student reading and writing outcomes.
The 5 Pillars of Dirigo Literacy
Pillar 1: Proven Results That Matter
Turn effort into measurable outcomes with a focus on accountability and impact. Dirigo Literacy accelerates reading growth, especially for struggling learners, while helping schools meet and exceed proficiency benchmarks. Educators and leaders gain clear, data-driven evidence they can trust to guide decisions and demonstrate success.
Pillar 2: Science of Reading Aligned Instruction
Grounded in structured literacy and cognitive science, Dirigo Literacy transforms research into clear, actionable instruction. Teachers gain practical strategies they can implement immediately—eliminating guesswork and ensuring every lesson is aligned to how students learn best.
Pillar 3: Designed for Real Classrooms
Built with educators in mind, Dirigo Literacy integrates seamlessly into existing schedules without adding complexity. It reduces planning time while preserving teacher autonomy, empowering educators to deliver high-quality instruction across diverse classrooms and learning needs.
Pillar 4: A True Partnership That Goes Beyond High-Quality Instructional Materials
High-quality instructional materials are crucial to literacy success in schools. But sustainable change requires so much more. With ongoing professional learning and coaching, teachers and leaders receive the support needed to ensure lasting impact. This is a partnership approach focused on helping educators implement, refine, and sustain effective literacy practices over time.
Pillar 5: Advancing Literacy Access
Literacy is foundational to opportunity. Dirigo Literacy helps schools close achievement gaps and expand access for all learners, including those historically underserved. Districts are equipped to deliver on their commitment to equitable literacy outcomes and long-term student success.
All school leaders envision a future in which students are joyful, purposeful readers and writers. At Solution Tree, our Dirigo Literacy framework helps move this goal from a vision to a reality—through exploring how to grow an upward trajectory of literacy.
Featured Dirigo Literacy Resources
The Miracle of Reading
Learning to read is an active process, and teaching students how to read is a science. In this free white paper, The Miracle of Reading, penned by literacy expert Dr. Molly Ness, you will gain new insight into effective literacy instruction.
Explore what we offer
Books & Videos
Dirigo Literacy resources provide comprehensive, district- and school-level tools and strategies to help educators collaborate and implement sustainable literacy improvement.
Events
Attend a high-impact event and enhance your literacy knowledge, and meet our all-star experts.
On-site professional development
Bring Dirigo Literacy experts to your school or district for customized professional learning. Your team will receive in-depth training to boost literacy across all grade levels.
