Teaching the alphabet sounds pretty straightforward. Show a letter. Say its name. Teach its sound. Practice writing it. Move on to the next one. But once you start teaching real students, the questions come quickly. These are important questions because alphabet knowledge involves much more than being able to sing the ABCs. Research does not…
Struggling to plan reading centers that are differentiated? This phonics game changes everything. 💡 The Center Struggle Is Real… Let’s be honest—managing reading centers can feel like herding squirrels hopped up on Skittles! You want to meet every student where they are, but prepping five different activities for five different skill levels? Nope. Not sustainable….
Learn exactly how to teach word chains with teacher scripts, lesson progression, and practical tips that help students become stronger readers and spellers. Quick Answer Word chains are one of the most effective science of reading routines for teaching phonics because they strengthen phonemic awareness, decoding, encoding, and orthographic mapping in one highly efficient activity….
If you have spent any time in science of reading circles, you have probably heard someone say that phonemic awareness should be done “in the dark.” Yet this message has created a tremendous amount of confusion for teachers. Some educators wonder whether they should avoid using letter tiles during phonemic awareness instruction. Others question whether…
If you have ever planned an Orton Gillingham lesson, you know one thing is true: 👉 Students need repetition to become strong readers and spellers. But here is the challenge… How do you provide that repetition without: The answer is simple: The best phonics games do more than entertain students. Effective phonics games provide repeated…
Teaching a brand-new phonics pattern does not have to feel overwhelming. Many teachers tell me they feel unsure about what to say, how to introduce the new pattern, and what steps to follow to make sure their students truly learn it. The good news?When you follow the Orton Gillingham approach, the teaching becomes clear, predictable,…
The common dilemma Teachers often ask: When a student spells a long vowel sound like the /ō/ in home, how do we help him decide which pattern to use — o, o_e, oa? It can feel like a guessing game: “Which spelling fits this word?” But what if we shift the question from “Which spelling…
Have you ever noticed that some students can orally blend sounds all day long — but when it comes to reading or spelling, the skills just don’t transfer? They can orally segment the sounds /s/ /u/ /n/, but when they see the word sun in text, they guess. That disconnect between hearing sounds and reading…
I still remember the exact moment I stood in the checkout line at the teacher supply store, sweating a little as I handed over my debit card. I had just spent over $250 on decodable books, games, and posters that I hoped would help my struggling readers. I wanted so badly to do right by…
Say Goodbye to Syllable Division Rules. Here’s a Smarter Way when Decoding Multisyllabic Words Let’s be honest—teaching students to divide syllables in multisyllabic words using rigid rules can feel like wrestling a word puzzle with no clear solution. And for many kids? It’s overwhelming. If your students can decode one-syllable words just fine but get…
Is There One Right Orton Gillingham Phonics Scope and Sequence? (Here’s the Truth) If you have ever searched for the “best Orton Gillingham phonics scope and sequence,” you have probably felt overwhelmed. There are so many versions out there—and every program claims theirs is the most “science of reading-aligned.” So which one is right? As…
There is a big myth out there: that the Orton Gillingham approach—and even the science of reading—are only about phonics. While explicit, systematic phonics is crucial, it is just one strand of the reading skills required for proficient reading. If you have ever played Wordle, the popular word-guessing game, you have unknowingly put Scarborough’s Reading…