The Advantage of Structured Literacy for Dyslexia Prevention in Multilingual Learners

In the modern education system, literacy and reading difficulties remain the most common challenge. It affects the present and future of students, regardless of their cultural, linguistic, or socio-economic background. Developing reading skills presents even more difficulties for children who grow up in a multilingual environment.  This problem is especially acute for those who learn two or more languages at the same time. Additional difficulties arise in the process of learning to read, which requires clearly structured, scientifically proven learning methods. In this context, the Structured Literacy approach is recognized as one of the most effective ways to prevent and manage dyslexia in multilingual children. Nothing is known about this method in Georgia yet. Information in Georgian can only be found in my dissertation (Shashviashvili, 2024). In Georgia, we do not have statistical data on dyslexia, nor does the education policy take effective measures to overcome reading difficulties. Therefore, students with dyslexia face significant difficulties, especially those who learn to read in two or more languages at the same time. The needs can be met in several regions of our country, such as Samtskhe-Javakheti, Marneuli and Kakheti. Dyslexia is a particular challenge in multilingual learners. The aim of my research is to investigate best practices and approaches to the prevention of dyslexia in multilingual learners to overcome the challenges identified in learning to read in a second language. This is the structured literacy approach. This article will attempt to answer the main question: How can structured literacy be an effective framework for the prevention of dyslexia in multilingual learners in Georgia? To address this issue, I have researched international evidence supporting structured literacy. A number of studies have been conducted in developed countries in this regard, but it is clear that we do not have a similar study in Georgia. Therefore, the information in the article is based only on international studies. As part of my desk research, I did their analysis and summarized the benefits of structured literacy for the prevention of dyslexia in multilingual learners as the main findings of the study. Finally, the article proposes strategic recommendations for the education of Georgian teachers, adapting classroom approaches, and integrating literacy into national policies aimed at strengthening early intervention, equity, and inclusive education.