STB recognizes that reading instruction is the foundation of all academic skills; being a proficient reader has an impact on a student’s entire education in every academic area.
St. Bernard’s Elementary School never moved away from the phonemic basis for the teaching of reading. STB has fully embraced the current philosophy of reading instruction referred to as Structured Literacy, an approach to teaching reading that is based on the Science of Reading. The Science of Reading identifies five essential components for comprehensive reading instruction; Structured Literacy incorporates all five components into their lessons.
 Phonemic Awareness
 Phonics
 Fluency
 Vocabulary
 Comprehension
All of the programs adopted by STB incorporate recommended multi-sensory instructional techniques and support instruction that is explicit, sequential, systematic, prescriptive, diagnostic, and cumulative. Instruction is assessment-driven. The diagnostic aspect of the Science of Reading requires benchmarking and continued progress monitoring to measure outcomes and guide differentiation of instruction.