It is a new year and I hope you will join me in learning more about the science of reading. Our journey should not be one of confirming what we already know about reading or validating our experiences. Instead, consider what it would mean to change your approach to reading instruction based on scientific facts. …
Learn how to make high frequency words sight words by using them in context.
It is the beginning of the school year, and we are eager to see how our students read and what skills we need to teach them. How do we accomplish both? We do so with a comprehensive reading assessment that covers all skills needed for reading. Science of Reading and a Reading Assessment …
Word Ladders (sometimes called word chains) are a powerful way to connect phonemic awareness and phonics.
Orthographic mapping is a process and not a skill. There are instructional practices and skills that promote orthographic mapping.
In the first part of an Orton Gillingham lesson we practice phonemic awareness, blending, and letter-sound correspondence. After that, it is crucial that students review and reinforce previously learned skills. The student must also learn new information and practice this new skill in their reading and writing. Concepts taught and reviewed cover ALL strands of…
This is Part 1 of a series of posts about what is included in an Orton Gillingham lesson plan. Many assume an Orton Gillingham lesson only includes phonics. While explicit instruction of many phonics skills is a large part of an OG lesson, a quality lesson covers SO many more aspects of our language. This…
Orton Gillingham is an approach and not a program. It is a systematic approach to teaching literacy to individuals for whom reading, writing, and spelling do not come easily. Many of these individuals have dyslexia, but many others can benefit from the structured literacy approach as well. In the hands of a well-trained Orton tutor,…
The terms “phonological awareness” and “phonemic awareness” are often confused with one another. Yes, they sound the same and they both involve the spoken parts of language. However, they are not only distinct, but you may be surprised to learn when and how you should teach each of them. Important Terms to Understand: Phonemes are…
Structured literacy is getting a lot of well-deserved attention. Researchers in the areas of reading, psychology, speech and language pathology, neuroscience, and education all agree. Although there may be more than one way to TEACH reading, there is only one way that the human brain LEARNS to read. The majority of students learn to read…
Why Use Phonemic Awareness? Phonemic awareness, the most advanced level of phonological awareness, is the ability to isolate and manipulate the spoken sounds in words. No letters and no print involved. Just the sounds. Phonemic awareness is the #1 predictor of reading success. Have you ever had a child who struggled with phonics? He most…
PHONICS INSTRUCTION There are long-standing myths about phonics instruction. Keeping these myths alive (and thus keeping phonics instruction from our students!) undermines a student’s reading acquisition. As educators, we must constantly look to the current research and adjust our instruction accordingly. Remember, although there are many different ways to TEACH reading, science continually reminds us…