As teachers of structured literacy, we soon discover that English is more logical that it appears at first, but that isn't always the popular opinion … [Read More...]
The Many Reasons For Silent E
Have you ever had a student decide a word didn’t look right so they added an e to the end? When in doubt, they throw an e on the end. Many students learn one of the reasons for silent e as part of the standard curriculum. Most of the other uses remain a mystery. Silent […]
How to Help A Child With Dyslexia With Home Reading
It is easy to feel overwhelmed about how to help your child practice their reading, especially when they have dyslexia. There are a few simple guidelines that can help make time spent reading more productive, less frustrating, and happier for you and your child.
7 Techniques for Building Independence During Orton-Gillingham Lesson
7 techniques to build independence during the Orton-Gillingham lesson. By keeping your focus on promoting independence, it encourages the gradual release of responsibility. This is a developmentally appropriate way to teach. Building independence during the Orton-Gillingham lesson shows children they can have a sense of ownership and control over their work. This is meaningful for […]
A Phoneme, A Grapheme, A Morpheme: What’s the Difference?
What’s the difference between a phoneme, a grapheme, a morpheme? The science of teaching reading can sound like a foreign language, especially when you are first learning about Orton-Gillingham or Structured Literacy instruction. While you will likely be talking about digraphs and trigraphs, and blends before you know it, some of the specialized vocabulary […]
Multisensory Spelling Strategies for GE or DGE
GE or DGE? Your Student Knows More Than They Think Whether to use ge or dge at the end of a word is actually the 4th of the short vowel spelling generalizations.
Is It AU or AW: Spelling Strategies For Vowel Teams
The spelling generalizations for vowels really are cumulative. Although it may take a lot of practice for your students to internalize them, an understanding of the principles at work is very important. As your students continue to learn less frequent vowel teams, they will need to draw on their knowledge about other vowel teams and […]
Becoming A Structured Literacy Interventionist Using The Orton-Gillingham Approach
The road you take to become a more structured literacy interventionist can take many twists and turns throughout your career. Who I am today is certainly not the young, impressionable twenty-two-year-old in her first year of teaching back in 2000. If I could talk to that young teacher now, I would definitely have some advice […]
Orton-Gillingham Lesson Plans: Tips for Word Lists
When you’re in the middle of Orton-Gillingham training, you learn how to write lesson plans for your students. Part of writing an effective Orton-Gillingham lesson plan is to create a word list. The words you select must be appropriate for reading and spelling. By appropriate, I mean you are choosing words that suit the needs […]
