How to Teach UFLI Online (Without Losing Your Mind or Your Students’ Attention)
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 27
If you’ve tried using UFLI in an online tutoring setting, you’ve probably realized something: it’s not exactly plug-and-play for digital instruction.
Maybe you’ve downloaded the free UFLI slide decks and felt that moment of relief — “Yes! Structured phonics instruction, done!” But as soon as the Zoom session starts, it’s a different story.
Suddenly, you’re juggling:
Plain slides that lack any real interactivity
No embedded teaching instructions
Kids getting distracted or bored
A dozen windows open, trying to find the game or printable you panic-purchased last night
Sound familiar?
You're not alone. Teaching reading online is a powerful, effective format, but only when your materials are truly designed for digital learning. If you’re tutoring with UFLI and finding it overwhelming, here’s what you need to know (and what to do about it).
The Problem: UFLI Wasn’t Designed for Online Tutoring
UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) is a fantastic curriculum for structured phonics instruction, especially in schools. But in the tutoring world, especially online, it brings some real challenges.
What’s missing when you try to teach UFLI online:
No embedded teaching instructions: The slide decks assume prior training, leaving tutors unsure of pacing, scripting, or routines.
No built-in engagement tools: There’s nothing to capture students’ attention the way a hands-on or gamified tool might.
No session flow or transitions: You have to fill in the blanks between warm-up, instruction, practice, and wrap-up.
No differentiation: You’re stuck with the same pacing, stories, and skill practice regardless of student need or age.
Offline-first design: Holding up flashcards to a webcam? Not ideal.
To keep kids engaged online, you need more than slides. You need a plan, a flow, and tools that actually work in a digital environment.
The Hidden Time & Money Cost of Tutoring with UFLI Online
Many tutors report spending $30 or more a week on supplemental materials trying to make UFLI work online:
Printable games and worksheets from TPT
Custom digital slides
Decodable stories that match the unit
Fill-in-the-gap interactive activities
Clipart and fonts just to make it look fun
And don’t forget the time cost:
You’re prepping the night before, searching through downloads, toggling between tabs mid-session, and trying to troubleshoot tech when a student gets distracted or clicks the wrong thing.
It's exhausting.
Teaching Reading Online Can Be Effective — But It Needs to Be Digital-First
Online reading instruction isn't just classroom teaching over Zoom. It's a different experience altogether, and when done right, it can actually accelerate student progress.
What makes it work?
✅ Step-by-step instructional flow that’s clear and organized
✅ Digital materials that are easy to present and visually engaging
✅ Built-in games and interaction to hold attention and make learning fun
✅ Smooth transitions between activities — no dead time
✅ Between-session practice that’s accessible and simple
✅ One-click access to everything — no more file chaos
A Better Way: Digital Lessons + Interactive Games = Less Stress, More Progress
Instead of reinventing the wheel every week, I created The Teach-to-Read Blueprint (TTRB): A structured literacy platform specifically built for online reading instruction.
✔️ Fully interactive digital lessons (designed for tutoring, not classrooms)
✔️ Skill-aligned games for every unit
✔️ Printable resources (like decodable passages and board games)
✔️ Step-by-step flows to follow during sessions
✔️ Progress monitoring and session planning tools
✔️ Materials designed by a dyslexia specialist (not AI-generated fluff)
And yes — it was created to align with many of the lessons in the UFLI sequence, so you can use it to supplement your school’s required curriculum without confusion.
Try It Free: No-Prep Tools for Online Reading Tutors
Want to see how it works?
These samples are pulled right from the TTRB platform and can be used to supplement your UFLI instruction this week, no extra prep needed.
Final Thoughts: Teaching Reading Online Doesn’t Have to Be a Scramble
If you’ve been trying to patch together online tutoring lessons with UFLI and a bunch of add-ons… there’s a better way.
You don’t have to spend hours prepping or hundreds on TPT. With the right tools, you can run smooth, engaging, science-of-reading-aligned sessions online, and help your students make real, measurable progress.
If you're ready to simplify your workflow, reduce burnout, and fall back in love with tutoring, check out The Teach-To-Read Blueprint.
Your students (and your sanity) will thank you.
P.S. Thinking About Starting Online Tutoring?
Are you curious about launching your own tutoring side hustle but not sure where to begin?
The Launch & Grow Toolkit is your shortcut to getting started. Inside, you’ll find:
Step-by-step guides to setting up your online tutoring practice
Tools for pricing, marketing, and communicating with families
Templates, checklists, and plug-and-play resources to make it feel easy
And the best part? It's included for free with your Teach-To-Read Blueprint subscription.
Looking for more ways to bring energy to your UFLI lessons?
👉 Read this next: How to Make UFLI Lessons More Fun— Discover practical ways to bring more joy and engagement to your structured literacy routine.
About the author:
I’m a dyslexia specialist and creator of The Teach-to-Read Blueprint, a plug-and-play structured literacy curriculum for tutors and teachers. I help educators make research-backed reading lessons effective and engaging—online or in person.
🔍 Want to help your own student thrive with a dyslexia-friendly approach? I’ve built a curriculum designed to make decoding easier, lessons more engaging, and instruction fully online. 👉 Teach-To-Read Blueprint
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