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In part 1 of this series, we discussed modeling organization, as an organized Orton-Gillingham teacher, for our students both through our own organized space and in more explicit ways such as how to set up a dictation paper. Organization and executive functioning skills are frequent areas of difficulty for students with dyslexia. By implementing some…
Kids with dyslexia also often struggle with organization. Why? Well, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise to you that many of our students struggle with organizational skills. In addition to affecting reading and writing, dyslexia often impacts working memory and executive functioning skills. Check out this video for a preview of some helpful executive…
When I used to work for public schools, I noticed that assessments like letter identification or letter/sound correspondences were frequently only assessed during Kindergarten and the first half of 1st grade, regardless of whether students ever reached mastery. In most cases, the alphabetical knowledge and sequence were never assessed. When I was completing my Orton-Gillingham…
Parenting is full of challenges. Some of these challenges, such as homework, or supporting challenged readers, frequently turn into battles. For kids with reading difficulties, battles over homework and reading logs can be a particular problem. Parents often seek out my tutoring services because of the very unpleasant dynamic that has emerged when they try…
I love to talk about children’s books. The two children’s books I’m going to share with you in this post are written to teach children about the Science of Reading (SOR). We know children are so curious and always have lots of questions. What better way to explain how their brain is working when they’re…
In our last post, we talked about the role of executive function and ways that parents can support their students with these important skills. Looking for ideas to support your child’s executive function skills at home? Read 20+ Tips for Supporting Executive Function Skills at Home. Today, we will have a round-up of some wonderful…
Executive function refers to a set of brain-based cognitive processes that help us to plan, regulate our behavior, and achieve our goals. Depending on where you look, the number of executive function skills varies considerably. However, executive function skills are related to three main areas: working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. This includes skills such…
Dictation is an important part of each Orton-Gillingham lesson. It is when everything comes together. Dictation is the You Do portion of the gradual release of responsibility. When looking at this portion of the lesson, there are a few points where you can begin maximizing dictation.
When we talk about language or English Language Arts and dyslexia, we are most often referring to reading and writing. But truly, language encompasses more. When students learn a foreign language, reading, writing, speaking, and listening are the necessary skills. For young children developing their language skills, these are the same categories. In general, speaking…
I know so many educators who are looking for more support. They’ll often ask me for my opinion about what different memberships and PD opportunities might be best for them. The thing is, many of these teachers and tutors are at different places in their careers and looking for different things. There are a lot…
All who are trained in Orton-Gillingham have something in common and that is that we follow this specific set of principles of the approach. These principles are the interwoven thread and commonality between everyone trained in Orton-Gillingham. In a previous post, I covered What does Explicit, Systematic and Sequential Teaching Look Like?
Routines are an important part of Orton-Gillingham instruction for a number of reasons. Time is a precious commodity when working with students with dyslexia. Routines make lessons more efficient. Students know what to expect when there are well-established routines. This reduces stress and anxiety, but also requires less language when transitioning from one activity to…
The suffixing rules represent a challenging but important set of spelling generalizations. They allowed students to write a wide variety of sentences using the full range of verb tenses. Learning these suffixing rules, like the Y Rule, puts students on the path to avoiding many spelling pitfalls and being able to successfully navigate the writing…
A particularly challenging, but important, set of spelling generalizations are the suffixing rules. They are important for students to be able to write using more natural-sounding language. For example, He did hop sounds far more awkward and stilted than He hopped. Learning the suffixing rules, like the drop e rule, expands possibilities for our students…
If your partner, parent, child, sibling, or dear friend is a dedicated and hard-working structured literacy teacher or tutor, you may be searching for thoughtful and useful gifts you can surprise them with this holiday season. You need ideas for gifts for structured literacy teachers. I’m here to help – with this list of gifts that…
One category of spelling rules that is particularly important is suffixing. These rules are particularly important because suffixes are so frequently used in our written language. Writing even a simple paragraph without suffixes is an incredibly difficult task and results in the use of awkward language that doesn’t sound particularly natural. Learning a few basic…
This is the final part of our series on syllable division. The easiest and most common type of syllable division is the division between consonants. The next most common are the V/CV syllable division and VC/V, also discussed previously. The black sheep of the family was in our post on C+LE syllable division. Only one…
This post about C+LE syllable division is the next in our series on syllable division. The easiest and most common type of syllable division is the division between consonants. The next most common are V/CV syllable division and VC/V, also discussed previously. Check out the previous posts in this series: Syllable Division Between Consonants 7…
This post about VC/V syllable division is the next in our series on syllable division. The easiest and most common type of syllable division is the division between consonants. The next most common is V/CV syllable division, also discussed previously. Check out the previous posts in this series: Syllable Division Between Consonants 7 Steps for…
As we know, dyslexia is not something you can outgrow. Children with dyslexia become adults with dyslexia. While remediation can decrease the reading gap, there are still certain challenges for adults with dyslexia. It can also provide some benefits. When undiagnosed, dyslexia is particularly damaging to self-esteem and self-concept. Dyslexia in adults may cause slow…
When your child is struggling to learn to read or has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia, it can be overwhelming. Where do you start to find help? How do you protect your child who seems so beaten down by their school experiences? You realize you need help, but what kind of help should you look…
There are many reasons to teach syllable division rules. Your students need a procedure to help them tackle long multisyllabic words. Mastering syllable division helps your students to access a much wider variety of printed material. The easiest and most common type of syllable division is division between consonants. In this post, we’ll look at…
When it comes to teaching online, Michelle B. from Read to Rewire has nailed it. She is a guest on my blog and is sharing, “Tips on Working With Wiggly Readers Online”. If you are an Orton-Gillingham teacher or work with children online, her tips are going to really help you!
Just as learning syllable types is an ongoing process that continues and builds over time, so too is learning about syllable division. Learning to divide multisyllabic words opens many doors for students and expands the number of words that they can successfully decode. Your Orton-Gillingham students may feel overwhelmed and panic when presented with a…
Games have several important roles to play in Orton-Gillingham lessons, so it’s only natural to find one that both you and your students will love playing. Sometimes I hear, “We don’t have time for games during my Orton-Gillingham lessons,” That makes me sad! Gamifying your lessons doesn’t have to take away from the content. Sometimes…
The very best practitioners make decisions for individual students regarding pacing, repetition, mastery, and review. Your students need meaningful time to review what you have previously taught based on their individual needs. Let me help you plan a meaningful and effective review in Orton-Gillingham lessons. If you are using an Orton Gillingham-based program, you can…
You may have seen the recommendation to use decodable readers or decodable text with your students, especially early on in their learning. Let’s take a closer look at what that means, why it might be beneficial, and how to go about it. Many newly trained Orton-Gillingham educators or classroom teachers ask how to use decodable…
When seeking tips for giving corrective feedback, think of the process as a form of on-the-spot, contingent teaching. You, the teacher asks questions, and assess where your child has erred. Then you apply just the right quantity of explicit instruction. This ability to respond to your student needs on the fly is one of the…
VCCV words are usually the first ones you teach in your Orton-Gillingham lesson plans. These word lists are a bit easier for students because you’ve already taught closed syllables. You may even refer to these words as Rabbit Rule words. Today, I will discuss a fun way to make learning VCCV words a bit more…
If you are a dyslexia specialist or educational advocates for your students with dyslexia, you may be facing an uphill battle. Trying to encourage structured literacy changes to classroom instruction can sometimes be a challenge/. There is bountiful scientific evidence supporting a structured literacy approach as part of the regular Tier 1 curriculum. However, the…
The world of Orton-Gillingham teacher training programs can be a bit confusing for those who are new on the scene. Although there are numerous training programs that are based on Orton Gillingham, what is sometimes referred to as “straight Orton Gillingham” is not a program, but a group of principles underlying the practice of teaching…
Podcasts are a great way to incorporate media consumption into your daily life. Unlike video or reading from books, podcasts are made to be listened to “on the go”. The listening format is particularly accessible for people with dyslexia and those who find themselves super busy. I enjoy listening to podcasts in the car and…
A picture is worth a thousand words. This saying is perhaps one of the most well-known proverbs. It has iterations in many different languages, and for good reason. A picture, and certainly a film, can convey complexity and the multi-dimensional aspects of human issues in a more gripping way than words alone can manage. In…
If you were to write a job description for yourself, chances are it would be full of many varied types of tasks of varying complexities. As an educator, you wear many hats. You fill many different roles in the lives of your students and in the culture of our schools. Like human jobs, phonograms have…
Tyler’s classroom teacher shows you his latest writing assignment. He scored 100% on his latest posttest on structured literacy concepts, but his writing sample is full of errors. Despite all the practice on the k/ck spelling rule, he has not applied it here even once. You pop into Camryn’s classroom during reading time and despite…
I recently asked my email subscribers to participate in a brief survey. I asked them why they are thankful for Orton-Gillingham Methods. And you certainly did answer! There were so many wonderful thoughts shared about the ways in which OG has been a powerful influence on so many lives. From being a foundational part of…
Although the hard sound for g is more common than the soft sound, eventually the soft sound becomes necessary to learn and master. Many children may already associate the /j/ sound with the letter g due to the letter name. However, due to its greater utility, we typically teach the hard g sound first.
Letter names can often be confusing for young children just learning to read and can make learning sounds more challenging. Have you ever had a student who said that y said /w/ or w said /d/. Another place this tends to come up is with the letter c. Many students will identify the /s/ sound…
You will find most teachers of children with dyslexia are not fans of the weekly spelling test. Words arranged by theme or covering multiple spelling patterns is a recipe for failure for many of our students. Other students may manage to learn the words for the Friday spelling test, but not be able to spell…
October is Dyslexia Awareness month. Dyslexia Awareness Month has two big goals. One is to educate people with the facts about dyslexia. What is dyslexia? How is it best remediated? What are the signs? The other, and perhaps more important part of this campaign, is the social and emotional side of dyslexia. We strive to…
New sneakers, new lunchboxes, freshly sharpened pencils, and a fresh start are symbols of the beginning of a new school year. A new year also means new teachers and often some new challenges for your students with dyslexia. When a child has dyslexia, we have a particularly important role in their education. We become an…
At some point in their learning, you may hear one or more of your students shake their heads and ask, “Why is English so difficult?” or “Who made up this crazy language anyway?” Or perhaps you have found yourself having the same thoughts as you try to help struggling readers and writers understand the complex…
For many years, those of us who work with striving readers and writers have known that certain strategies or techniques, like repeated practice, are effective, but we haven’t really been able to tell WHY. We’ve known that students with dyslexia often have a pattern of areas of weakness in their psychological testing. We have theories…
As dyslexia teachers or parents, you understand the struggle many children have surrounding reading. The struggles surrounding writing problems may or may not build on reading difficulties. However, if your students do have trouble reading, they will also have trouble writing.
Decodable text is written in such a way that it contains very few if any unknown concepts. It uses known syllable patterns, phonemes, and learned words. The complexity of decodable text changes as your students learn new concepts. A decodable sentence for a student working on CVC words with short a is going to look…
What are nonsense words? Nonsense words are words that follow the patterns and rules of English, but are not actual words. Just like real words, nonsense words must contain a vowel, use real vowel patterns or consonant blends. For example, crob could be a nonsense word, but xzyml could not. By using the sounds of…
I still get a bit of the thrill of anticipation that I did as a child looking forward to summer vacation. However, this break from the routine of school doesn’t have to mean a break from learning. And, summer learning doesn’t have to mean a break from the fun. There are lots of ways to…
I’m digging into specific principles of the Orton-Gillingham approach. Three words are key to describing some of the principles that define Orton-Gillingham. Instruction is explicit, systematic, and sequential. While these principles are crucial for your students with dyslexia or learning challenges, they also constitute powerful teaching for most of your learners. In another post, I…
Have you ever noticed students having difficulty not only with visually similar letters such as b and d, but also having difficulty with letter sounds that seem more surprising such as /b/ & /p/ or /k/ & /g/? For mature language learners, it is sometimes challenging trying to find out what is causing the difficulty….
You may come here for literacy tips, but today we are talking about math, so put your hats on! Adrianne Meldrum at Made For Math is my guest and she’s talking about dyscalculia. If you recall Adrianne was a guest a few years ago on my blog. She wrote, “Multisensory Math Activities That Work“. I’m…
What is the alphabetic principle? To start, let’s come to a common understanding of what we mean by the alphabetic principle. This is not just singing or saying the ABC’s. It is a term used to describe a very important part of the reading process. We are really talking about 2 interconnected skills.
You may have been thinking about starting your own Orton-Gillingham tutoring business, but you’re not really sure. Where do you even begin? Students who need Orton-Gillingham services are not always able to access them in their school or homeschooling setting, so we need your private services now more than ever! Enjoy this guest post by…
If you do an online search for reading interventions, your head will start to spin. The marketplace is full of products, programs and philosophies of reading. As an educator for over twenty years, I have used my fair share of different programs and products. Nothing compares to the success I have seen since I began…
You may think of phonemic and phonological awareness as something for the primary grades, for early readers or non-readers. If you teach older struggling readers or language arts classes for upper elementary or middle school, you may not find phonemic awareness tasks among the materials at your disposal. However, for a lot of readers that…
Phonemic awareness might be one of the most important, most talked about, and most misunderstood aspects of literacy. Some of that confusion stems from the similarities and differences between phonological and phonemic Awareness. They are very much related, but not interchangeable. If Phonological Awareness is an umbrella that covers skills, those skills include hearing words…
Many times, your students with dyslexia or other learning differences mistakenly believe that their brain is somehow defective. You might hear them referring to themselves as stupid. These are insults that are often used to bully or insult children with learning challenges. One of the ways you can empower your students is to teach them…
As teachers and tutors, you know that we must go beyond helping our students learn to decode and read fluently. Comprehension is the end goal for all of the instruction and practice that we provide. BUT how do you know WHAT and HOW to teach in order to help our students improve in this…
It is hard to believe that the holiday season is here! Many families have rediscovered the fun of family game night. From board games to card games to jigsaw puzzles, the joy of offline fun has helped to bring families together. Not only are games fun, but they can also be educational. If you are…
Teaching to mastery is one of the most important considerations when teaching your students with dyslexia. Striving readers and writers very often find the class and instruction moving forward before they have had a chance to master new concepts. This results in learning gaps. When I encountered this in pupils at school, I would describe…
One thing that I find myself frequently explaining to parents, students, and other teachers is the rationale for using decodable texts. Students are accustomed to using leveled texts in their classrooms and in many school-based interventions that follow and balanced literacy model of instruction. While engaging, there are important reasons why decodable text can be…
In our new reality of virtual school and virtual work. It might feel hard for you to keep track of what month it is, let alone what Awareness Month it is! However, October is Dyslexia Awareness month. For the sake of our students with dyslexia, it is important to continue to spread awareness, not just…
Educators and families have lots of questions about RAN or Rapid Automatized Naming. This is also referred to as Naming Speed. I am so happy to have Dr. Melissa Orkin sharing her knowledge with all of us about RAN or Naming Speed. Dr. Orkin has worked with Dr. Maryanne Wolf at Tufts’ University Center for…
In Part 1 of Teaching Schwa Vowels, we talked about strategies for learning schwa a. Schwa a is a great place to introduce the schwa vowel because it is predictable in its location and spelling. In addition, this post offers a lot of suggestions about teaching children about accent and stress which is a necessary…
During these strange times we live in, many of us are wearing multiple hats. Parent, employee, teacher, student, educational guide. If your child is doing hybrid or remote schooling, then it is highly likely that some adult in your household is overseeing your child’s learning. For children with dyslexia and accompanying challenges, this style of…
Late summer means cooler evenings, and back to school. Even for the most seasoned teachers, back to school this year presents many new challenges. Nerves and uncertainty dull the shine of freshly sharpened pencils and new sneakers. The excitement of seeing friends is confused by social distancing requirements, separated cohorts, and face coverings. And holding…
When you’re the parent of a child with a diagnosis like dyslexia, everything can feel overwhelming. Relief over finally having answers and a plan for helping your child can swiftly turn into a feeling of being unprepared. Parents often find themselves faced with an abundance of new information, unfamiliar terms in both legalese and “teacherese”…
As an adult, I can look at these challenging times and think how we are currently living through historical events. I have the gift of age and perspective. Although none of us have ever experienced anything like this pandemic, for your children the challenges they face can be particularly difficult to process and understand. One…
With summer break quickly approaching, it’s time to take a look at the dangers of the “summer slide”. The summer slide is a term used to describe the learning loss that occurs during the summer vacation. Struggling students are particularly at risk of losing ground in their quest to become fluent readers. The statistics are…
During these challenging times, you may be adjusting to distance learning. You may be learning how to teach virtually and communicate through a technological intermediary. In addition to the learning curve, there are additional factors that make online learning challenging for you and your students. The increased screen time for many children can be overstimulating….
When someone says poetry, my immediate image is classical poetry forms such as sonnets. But I also have fond memories of reading Shel Silverstein poems or writing structured poetry forms like haiku when I was a child. Often, poetry is not one of the things people think of when they think of challenged readers. However,…
Multisensory teaching is a key element of instruction for students with dyslexia. Orton Gillingham has become synonymous with multisensory instruction, but let’s review what multisensory actually means. Multisensory teaching engages multiple senses for the student to support their learning. Ideally, this would involve the senses of sight, hearing and touch or movement. When I am…
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by teaching online, you are NOT alone. It IS overwhelming. Your planning make take longer. There’s technology that may be new to you. Your emotions towards teaching may be a very mixed bag. Let me tell you. Every feeling you have is valid. Recently, I reached out to Nancy Young. You…
We are certainly living in challenging times right now. For our students with dyslexia, the specialized instruction they get through Orton-Gillingham lessons is extra important. Many students may not be getting the literacy support throughout their day that they would in a school setting. With a little creativity and flexibility, it is possible to deliver…
Our world just got bigger and smaller all at once. It’s hard to imagine that a little over a week ago we were preparing for spring break. Now we are dealing with navigating the response to school closings. The carefree energy that comes with springtime has been clouded with a mist of uncertainty. This has…
Schwa vowels can be puzzling to children and adults at first. Breaking down schwa sounds by groups can be helpful. Starting with schwa a sounds is one of the common unstressed syllables in the English language. With this “How to Teach Schwa Tutorial”, your students will be able to pick this unstressed syllable up rather…
Do you have an older, struggling reader or writer? Here are some useful APPS for older struggling readers and writers. As your students become older and the demands on them in the classroom increase. The role of technology moves from a tool for practice and skill reinforcement, to that of assistive technology. Assistive technology is…
Many teachers and tutors are making a transition to online teaching for a variety of reasons. Families may find it more convenient. You can easily set up your online sessions with students as long as they have a laptop or PC and an internet connection. I’ve been preparing to begin offering online sessions. Here are…
Today’s children are able to tap and swipe as toddlers. They are digital natives more comfortable with exploring apps and technology than most adults. However, the use of technology with children is always a balancing act. There are many reading apps available that can be a wonderful! Reading apps can be an engaging supplement for…
One question that comes up in discussion among OG colleagues more than just about anything else is about students that are having difficulty distinguishing vowel sounds. Sometimes they struggle with two similar short vowel sounds. Sometimes they have difficulty distinguishing between short and long vowel sounds. We are always looking to add to our…
Want to learn how to monitor your Orton-Gillingham lessons? Here are some useful tips. The data-driven world of education can sometimes feel overwhelming. But with the tips I have for progress monitoring, the task isn’t going to feel so daunting. Is it important for you to take some time to consider progress monitoring? Yes!
If there is one thing Orton-Gillingham teachers can never have enough of, it is decodable text. Finding books that are highly decodable, engaging for our students and suitable for a wide variety of ages is challenging. Differences in scopes and sequences further complicate matters. However, there are some resources that I turn to again and…
As teachers of structured literacy, we soon discover that English is more logical than it appears at first, but that isn’t always the popular opinion out there. This article details several resources WHY English isn’t crazy.
One challenge that structured literacy practitioners face in their work is isolation and frustration with how to share their knowledge in a way that will be well received. While this is a bigger challenge for those working in a school setting, the issue may also arise for those in private practice when communicating with other…
In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, I wanted to take a moment to draw from the comments of my readers. Whether you are a parent of a student with dyslexia, a teacher of a student with dyslexia, or a person who understands dyslexia through first-hand experience, the journey of learning is a lifelong one. As…
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…
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 tools for reading with dyslexia that can help make time spent reading with new readers more productive, less frustrating, and happier for you and your child.
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…
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 can…
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.
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…
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…
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…
When you’re thinking about spelling a word with oi or oy, your location is everything. Try some of these multisensory spelling strategies. In some ways, the /oy/ sound is one of the more straightforward vowel teams and spelling generalizations that your students learn during their Orton-Gillingham lessons. The /oy/ sound really only has 2 spellings:…
Some spelling considerations are less about clear rules to follow than frequency and expectations. Such is the case for spelling the long o sound. O-e is the most common spelling for the long o sound in the middle of a word, but oa isn’t far behind. Ow is the most common way to spell the…
Not all spelling generalizations are as neat and tidy as you might like them to be. Just as the spelling generalizations for the floss rule, ck and tch build on each other, the same is true for the vowel spelling generalizations. By the time your students are introduced to ou as in ouch and…
When Y is a Vowel As part of the spelling generalization blog series, this next post is going to give you the low down on Y as a vowel. Most of us remember learning the vowels as children: A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y. For a long time before I became trained in…
Does it start with c or k? A simple spelling generalization that students find very empowering regards the spelling of the initial /k/ sound or when the /k/ sound is part of an initial blend.
Is it AI or AY? Decisions…..Decisions As students expand their knowledge of vowel teams, the number of spelling choices increases and students need some tools for determining which spelling to use. In reading, we generally teach the possible sounds that a letter or combination of letters can make and teach students about the frequency with…
CH or TCH? It isn’t about hearing the /t/. The third of the short vowel spelling generalizations has to do with whether to use -ch or -tch at the end of a word. This generalization states that when you hear the /ch/ sound at the end of a syllable AND it is immediately preceded by a…
There are a variety of reasons why students struggle to develop reading and writing skills, and many of these students need explicit instruction in foundational skills such as phonics for decoding and spelling, automatic fluent reading skills, and basic text structures. However, the ultimate goal of reading is to comprehend, which is why teachers can’t…
K or CK? Is there a rhyme or reason? After introducing the FLOSS rule, the next spelling generalization that is usually taught is the K/CK spelling generalization. This is an incredibly useful and freeing spelling generalization that allows students to spell many words using standard spelling. This generalization applies to the END of words and…
Tips for Teaching the FLOSS Spelling Generalization Some of the most powerful tools we teach our Orton Gillingham students are spelling generalizations to help them choose the correct spelling option. Most adults are not even aware of these “rules”, as with increased familiarity with the orthography of English, one develops an awareness of what “looks…
Decoding and encoding consonant blends is among the most important concepts you teach your beginning readers. This is a skill they will use across multiple syllable types, in both single syllable and multi-syllabic words and even in reading and writing Latin roots and Greek combining forms. Your students may come to you already confident…
Many children and adults struggle with math. Teaching multisensory math techniques as well as incorporating multisensory math activities into lesson plans is not only best practice for students with dyscalculia, but can be helpful for all learners. I’m thrilled to welcome a guest blogger today who can explain what multisensory math…
Many teachers are familiar with decoding strategies that may emphasize the use of picture clues, meaning and self-monitoring. Sometimes these decoding activities are even given cute nicknames to help students remember. While we want students to monitor our students and their reading for accuracy to make sure it makes sense, often…
Does your child struggle with reading? It could be dyslexia. Perhaps your child is struggling with reading and writing and you are questioning what might be going on. Maybe you’ve seen a list of red flags for dyslexia and see some of them in your son. Reading may have been hard for you and now…
Many children have some knowledge of consonant digraphs when they start their Orton Gillingham lesson with an Orton-Gillingham tutor, although few really are familiar with the term digraph, its definition, or all of the digraphs we teach in Level 1. Here are some tips for making digraph instruction multisensory and memorable. A digraph is…
Please welcome, Lorna Wooldridge as my guest blogger! In a recent blog I wrote for the Orton-Gillingham Online Academy (OGOA) on “The National Reading Panel and The Big Five”, I explained what exactly “The Big Five” are, and why they are so important for reading. I plan to blog extensively about each one…
7 Tips for Getting Off to a Great Start with a New Student When parents come to me seeking help for their child, very often it is the child’s emotional well-being that has been the final catalyst to seek tutoring. Struggling readers often begin to think of themselves as “stupid” and their overall self-confidence and…
6 Back to School Tips for A Child with Dyslexia The beginning of a new school year is a time of very mixed emotions for many kids. Excitement about a new grade and new experiences blends with feelings of nervousness. For children that struggle academically, these feelings of anxiety can be multiplied both…
Whether you are just beginning your journey to understand dyslexia or looking to find helpful reference tools to spread dyslexia awareness, you need a go-to list. I’ve spoken with a lot of classroom teachers over the years who really WANT to learn about dyslexia, because guess why? Their professors never brought up dyslexia…
As an Orton-Gillingham tutor, I find the need to spread dyslexia awareness is ever present. Dyslexia is one of the most common and least understood issues that face learners. There are many myths that surround dyslexia and how best to treat or remediate it. In fact, there are still people who insist that…
Explaining Orton-Gillingham to families isn’t always easy. It can be a challenge to avoid using a lot of technical language and jargon when talking about dyslexia and the parts of an Orton-Gillingham lesson. Many times, parents seeking tutoring services are told their child should receive Orton-Gillingham instruction or sometimes a specific O-G-based program. However, they’re…
Using Multisensory Teaching Techniques Multisensory learning strategies are crucial not just for kids with dyslexia, or within Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, it is good solid teaching for ALL students. Incorporating multisensory learning tools into your classroom lessons will not replace intervention services, but it will make classroom lessons more accessible to students with learning differences. …
Multisensory Teaching Strategies in the Classroom Part One: Using Multisensory Teaching Techniques Multisensory teaching is not just crucial for kids with dyslexia, or within Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, it is good solid teaching for ALL students. Incorporating multisensory learning tools into your classroom lessons will not replace intervention services, but it will make…
When I think of summer vacation, I have visions of popsicles, playing in the sprinkler, lemonade stands, long summer evenings and lazy days reading in a hammock. As an educator, I know that for struggling readers, reading is often the last thing on their mind when they think of relaxation. But, I also worry…
Whether you are a parent of a child with dyslexia, an adult that has dyslexia, a tutor or interventionist that works with children with dyslexia or a classroom teacher that has students with dyslexia in your class, there is one thing that we all have in common. We need to actively seek out information and…
If you have a child or students who struggles with reading comprehension, there are a number of reasons why this is happening. These include: weak decoding due to poor phonological awareness skills that have compounded over the years and impacted a child’s ability to make meaning of text weak fluency skills poor vocabulary development due…
Do you find yourself scratching your head when thinking about how the heck to run an Orton-Gillingham lesson plan in small groups during a typical school week? Common problems which may arise: Timing could be off. You might only have a session about 30 minutes a day or a few days a week. A…
Tips for Sharing Orton-Gillingham Progress Reports with Parents Whether you are working in private practice as an Orton-Gillingham tutor or working with students in a classroom or school setting, sharing information about a student’s progress is an important part of our work. Orton-Gillingham progress reports are one way to do that. When it comes to…
Building an Understanding of Homophones Soon after introducing the first vowel teams, the need to discuss homophones rears its head. This can be challenging for struggling readers during Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, and especially for ELLs, or English Language Learners. Homonyms and homophones are frequently confused and the words used interchangeably, but there…
Part of being a successful Orton-Gillingham teacher or tutor means being prescriptive. This means you tailor your Orton-Gillingham lessons and plans to meet the specific needs of your struggling readers. Just as important as being prescriptive is being diagnostic. This means that based on a student’s performance within a particular task, you are able to…
Teaching Tips for Vowel Teams Some of the mountains that our struggling readers must climb are bigger than others. One skill that we must introduce fairly early on, but that will take a long time to master is the vowel team syllable. In principle, the vowel team syllable is easy to spot and easy to…
Whenever my students meet with me for an Orton-Gillingham lesson, they have a few supplies handy, like their Orton-Gillingham binder. I, of course, come towing my large O-G bag, but I find having things that the student can easily access while I am not with them is helpful for them. Families have an opportunity to see…
This post contains a referral link and affiliate link. We know that part of becoming a successful reader and writer is building and utilizing a rich vocabulary. Parents can begin helping their children do just that starting when they are babies. Reading, singing and talking every single day to your little ones will lay…
7 Tips for Helping Your Student Master Short Vowel Sounds Those Tricky Short I and Short E Sounds! One of the very first things students need to master also happens to be one of the most difficult for many of them, the short vowel sounds. Short vowels are introduced very early in level…
When a Student Finds It Hard to Blend Sounds Together: 6 Tips for Getting Over the Hump While very often, things go along quite swimmingly in the Orton-Gillingham lesson plan, from time to time we all have a student that has particular difficulty blending sounds together. They know their letters and can correctly…
Today, we know more about the human brain than ever before. Brain research is a rapidly growing and changing field and the implications for teachers is huge. From all I’ve read and heard, there is one piece of knowledge that has affected my teaching more than any other. That has to do with the role…
Today, I am providing you with a list of professional books that are truly invaluable if you teach reading. Whether you are just starting out on your journey with writing Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, in the middle of a practicum, starting a private practice, working in an elementary school, or a seasoned educator who’s used…
I use a lot of tracing in my Orton-Gillingham lesson plans. When I introduce a new phonogram, students will trace the letters while saying the sound. When I introduce a new prefix or suffix, students will trace the letters while saying the meaning. And when we are working on learned words (high frequency sight words…
Thank you, Miss Jaime, O.T. for joining my blog in honor of National Handwriting Day! “There’s no time to work on Motor skills! We’ve got to get these 5 year olds reading!” Kindergarten just isn’t what it used to be. As an Occupational Therapist, one of my concerns is that the children…
5 Fun and Easy Ways to Practice Spelling Generalizations When you are working with children in Orton-Gillingham lessons or other reading interventions, there is often a big discrepancy between our students’ proficiency with understanding a spelling generalization and their proficiency with the application of that spelling generalization. It takes a lot…
(Contains an affiliate link.) Phonological Awareness contains a mixture of foundational literacy skills which are critical for reading success. It’s hard to argue against the need to provide a strong phonological awareness curriculum, particularly in the younger grades where we can identify and remediate early to avoid later reading failure. We want to…
The Top Five Tips When Looking for An Online Reading Tutor Please welcome, Ann Mitchell from Learning, Literacy and Family to my blog today! Do you have a child who struggles with reading? Is there constant resistance when you are trying to help? The only thing you wish is that you had a…
Wrapping up a whole year as a certified dyslexia practitioner, I look at the accomplishments, the progress made and the people I have reached. Through the power of the Orton-Gillingham approach, a structured literacy methodology, and dyslexia awareness spread through social media, I’ve been able to reach parents and other educators all over the world….
Students with dyslexia frequently struggle to have legible and fluent handwriting. In a world surrounded by computers, it can be easy to let handwriting slip through the cracks or decide it is unimportant. However, there are several good reasons to spend some time on cursive handwriting practice, whether you are a classroom teacher, support teacher…
6 Tips for Introducing Dyslexia to Your Child in a Positive Way I am so thrilled to have Amy share tips for dyslexia advocacy with you today. Thank you so much Amy, from Mamabearmoms.com for sharing your expertise! When parents think about dyslexia, they tend to focus on the negative because, let’s face…
The ability to decode more complex text requires not only a working knowledge of the phonemes and graphemes of English and the 6 syllable types, but also an ability to divide multisyllabic words. How the words are divided affects the syllable types and pronunciation. At its most basic, syllables are units of speech. We hear…
After working with a student in Orton-Gillingham lessons for awhile, the routine can become very well known. Guess what? That’s a good thing! But… if you don’t take time to shake things up every now and then, you run the risk of having certain segments become a bit mundane. You really don’t want that to…
Last Spring, I received an email from Mindy Bramer, an educational consultant for PaTTAN, (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network). The state of Pennsylvania had just become one of the first states to initiate a ground-breaking, dyslexia pilot program that was backed by state legislation. “Act 69 of 2014, the Dyslexia and Early…
What Does an Orton-Gillingham Lesson Look Like? If you were to observe an Orton-Gillingham lesson such as Wilson, SPIRE or Barton, they would have similarities, but also plenty of differences. The same is true of a non-program-specific Orton-Gillingham lesson plan that follows the Orton-Gillingham approach. The exact lesson sequence may differ depending on where the teacher was…
Dyslexia awareness goes on all year long. It HAS to. Last month I published a post with 12 books with dyslexic characters you can’t miss for Dyslexia Awareness Month. There was a huge response! So I started digging even deeper. I thought, “Emily, you have to do a second list.” So I did! (This post contains affiliate links.)Here,…
Here is a special guest post from Karina Richland of PRIDE Learning Center! I’m certain you will find these practical tips for improving reading fluency just as helpful as I have! How to Improve Reading Fluency in Children How do you figure out your child’s reading level? Do you watch your…
Not too long ago, I shared 6 of my favorite read aloud books to promote phonological awareness. I promised that there would be even more to come. Here they are! Not only are these great books for building phonemic awareness, but several of them have sequels that have similar structures and can be…
The Top 6 Types of Repurposed Games: From Precision to Super Silliness No one knows quite how to breathe new life into something old quite like a teacher. Since Orton-Gillingham students require extensive practice to reach mastery of the concepts being taught, one of the best ways to practice is to incorporate lots of…
Children’s Books With Dyslexic Characters (This post contains affiliate links.) Raise a hand if you know someone with dyslexia. You should have your hand up by now. It’s Dyslexia Awareness Month and I am all about spreading awareness! If you love children’s book as much as I do, you know how important it…
The Top 6 Picture Books For Building Phonological Awareness (This post contains affiliate links.) building phonological awareness can happen anywhere at anytime. We know that beneath the umbrella term, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness is the most important skill to work on for early reading success. Struggling readers may have poor phonological awareness; therefore, it is…
The Top Five Tips For Communicating With Families of Children With Dyslexia Imagine you are a parent who has a meeting with her child’s teacher. Arriving at the school, she arrives in the office five minutes early for the appointment. The secretary directs her to sign in and take a seat. Suddenly,…
Managing Challenging Behaviors in the Orton-Gillingham Lesson: 5 Tips to Decrease Problems Whether you are working in a mainstream classroom, in small groups or in a one-on-one tutoring situation, you are bound to encounter the occasional behavior issue. When choosing which techniques to best help a particular situation, I find it helpful to…
5 Success Tips for Dyslexia Advocacy I am so thrilled to have Amy share tips for dyslexia advocacy with you today. Thank you so much Amy, from Mamabearmoms.com for sharing your expertise! If you have a struggling reader, you may be new to the concept of advocating for your child’s educational needs. Below…
It’s been a busy summer in the world of Orton-Gillingham this summer! I am always seeking new books, materials and lesson ideas for using the Orton-Gillingham approach, and today I am back to share some wonderful teaching tips for teaching spelling strategies. I apologize for the summer hiatus from blogging, but things are picking back…
Getting your dyslexia child to want to read this summer can sometimes be a challenge. I have students whose moms reveal their kids will simply not pick up a book on their own. They will however, if mom or dad initiates it, and provides a bit of support like reading together, reading aloud or…
You might have noticed or read a few stories in the news about offensive awards given out to students with learning challenges lately. A trophy was actually handed out in an assembly to a middle schooler with ADHD that was labeled, “Least likely to pay attention.” The teachers responsible for curating the so-called “award”…
You all know me as a certified dyslexia practitioner using the Orton-Gillingham approach, but first and foremost, I am a mom to four amazing children. (And, no. I don’t sleep very much.) Many might not know that my four children are my rainbow babies who came after four little precious angels and a very…
Top Five Reasons to Use Audiobooks with Struggling Readers Does your child struggle with reading? It’s a common problem among children, which is why many parents are turning to audiobooks for help. They are a great tool that can make reading more interesting for kids that don’t want to read. Due to all the…
Everyone needs movement in their life, am I right? For me personally, I love my Zumba classes or just dancing with my kids in the kitchen. Kids need to MOVE. Brain breaks have become increasingly important in classrooms as we have even more demands. I’m finding as a dyslexia practitioner using the Orton-Gillingham approach in…
Hi everyone! When using the Orton-Gillingham approach or in any reading intervention program, the review portion is such an important component. Using games to review is a great way to reinforce learning. Today, I have a fun game to share with you for reviewing the doubling rule, also know as the 1+1+1 rule. Welcome…
As a dyslexia practitioner using the Orton-Gillingham approach, I can’t stress enough the importance of a good fluency intervention for your struggling readers. I’ve taught in a 3-5 building for twelve years and saw many children that really needed this added component into their reading repertoire. Sadly, there were problems with implementation. I would hear things like:…
Seven things parents would like their child’s pediatrician to understand about dyslexia You trust your pediatrician with your child and for most things, they are the best resource. They can tell you if your child is growing well, if their diet is healthy, and they are there when injuries or accidents occur. Sometimes, however, there…
As a teacher and tutor using the Orton-Gillingham approach, I am always looking for ways to improve my instruction. Meeting with other teachers and tutors online has truly been a valuable experience when it comes to planning my Orton-Gillingham lessons. Did you know I run a private Facebook book for trained O.G. teachers and tutors?…
Top Five Ways to Help Your Child Get Motivated to Read Some kids love to read and spend a lot of their time getting lost in the pages of a good book. Others hate the thought of reading. Some kids have a hard time staying focused on what they’re reading. Their minds wonder and they…
I work with children who have dyslexia using the Orton-Gillingham approach, but it isn’t very often that I get a chance to interview dyslexic adults about their own journey and challenges. I’ve met people over the years who are steeped in studying how to remediate reading for people with dyslexia, and yet they fall into…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Hello everyone! As a teacher working with children with dyslexia, I grow a special bond with each child I work with as the years pass. It’s a unique relationship when you use the Orton-Gillingham approach. I learn a great deal about each child through the teacher lens, but it’s…
Hey Orton-Gillingham teachers and tutors! Do you have this problem? Any store you walk in, you spot ordinary, household objects that you could use in your Orton-Gillingham lessons. My wheels are always turning. And if you’re like me, with small children at home, you do NOT have a lot of spare time. I need to…
If you have a child or work with children who struggles with reading on a daily basis, you know what a battle it can feel like. As an Orton-Gillingham teacher who uses the Orton-Gillingham approach, I sometimes see progress in small increments, instead of leaps and bounds. Guess what? I’m OK with that. Growth might…
Hi everyone! As a teacher using the Orton-Gillingham approach, I am constantly looking for phonics activities that my students will find fun and engaging. Using Orton-Gillingham methods does NOT mean the instruction has to be dry! I hear that sometimes, and I have to disagree. Orton-Gillingham lessons can have rich, multisensory activities built in that…
Hi Everyone! Let’s talk about games with children. We all know how important they are for so many reasons. As an Orton-Gillingham teacher, I use an Orton-Gillingham approach. Phonics activities and games play an integral part of EVERY lesson I create for my students. The information I can gather from playing a game with a…
Hi everyone! I meant to publish this post last month, but things with my four little ones always get pushed back a bit. If you have started out a new school year, waiting for services or new accomodations for your dyslexic child, then it can seem like a particular tense time. Perhaps last year may…
Hi everyone! I’m sharing three tips for working with kids in a 1:1 setting today. Seems like a pretty easy topic, but it’s important. I look at different pictures of teachers in classrooms working with students, and I’m often taken back to the days my supervisor would come during my Orton-Gillingham practicum and observe my…
(This post contains affiliate links.)Hi everyone! It’s back to school time and I’m sure you’re busy getting all your classrooms prepared and supplies organized. I work with students all year round, but I certainly use the BTS season to rethink some of my teaching strategies, purchase new materials and set a plan to help my…
Hi everyone! I am dedicating the entire contents of this post to those who have purchased The Complete O.G. Part One or The Complete O.G. Part Two. Why do I need an entire blog post? I am keeping a running list of updates and revisions I make here. I will list the dates of when…
Hi Everyone! I’m going to walk you through a tricky part of planning your Orton-Gillingham lessons today: finding a starting point. As a teacher or tutor using the Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, you want to make the best choice for your student, but that means gathering some pieces of the puzzle that show who they are as a…
(This post contains affiliate links.) Hi Everyone! A few weeks ago I was on Instagram and saw photos of teachers using light boxes. The Heidi Swapp Light Box is the cutest little tabletop or desktop invention. Immediately I thought, “Hmmm. I need one of those.” What for might you ask? A few ideas ran…
What are learned words? In Orton-Gillingham terms, learned words are what many people call sight words. You may also refer to them as red words or high frequency words. Most teachers can agree that learned words cannot be sounded out, and make up a large amount of our text in the English language. Our students…
Years ago, when I was knee deep in my Orton-Gillingham training, I longed for more cohesive materials that truly match the progression skills I was trained to follow. But it was HARD! Ready made programs didn’t quite work for me all the time. The order was off and I spent hours searching for the…
I received a message from a fellow teacher a few days ago. She was getting ready to attend her first Orton-Gillingham training session, and asking what supplies to pack in her bag. I was instantly transported back to when I first started. Those nostalgic thoughts of nervousness, excitement and the “Yikes! Can I really do…
(This post uses affiliate links.) Hi everyone! As an Orton-Gillingham teacher who works with children with dyslexia, I know first hand how they struggle with phonological awareness. Under the umbrella term called phonological awareness, we have a very important early reader offshoot- phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is a critical early reading indicator. What Is Phonemic…
(This post uses affiliate links.) Hi everyone! I’m back with some tips for using Orton-Gillingham materials. You’ve made a big investment and want to implement them well. You may notice that the volume of printable materials needed really does a number on your ink supply. Or perhaps there are…
(This post uses an affiliate link.) Hi everyone! I’m back with more tips and today I’m going to discuss how to diversify your Orton-Gillingham resources. When we open a 401k or a 403b to stash away for retirement, your financial advisor may recommend that you diversify where you invest your money, right? Well, when…
I’m here to talk about finding reading passages for your Orton-Gillingham lessons or reading intervention groups. It’s one we all grapple with, am I right? We spend hours pouring through scads of Orton-Gillingham resources and books looking for decodable text, but sometimes fall short. Why does this happen? Orton-Gillingham lesson plans follow a fairly strict…
Hi everyone! I’m here today to chat about reading comprehension. We teachers are always searching for ways to check assess a students’ comprehension of a particular book or passage. You may be considering the following: What materials do I use with my students? Is the assessment tool I’m using appropriate for their level? How do…
This post about organizing teacher materials contains affiliate links. Have you just finished your OG training or you’re in the middle of a program? Then this series is for you! I’ve spent the past month chatting with fellow Orton-Gillingham-trained teachers and compiled some tips for you to use right away. I’m going to break this…
Welcome back everyone! We are in part 6 of this six part syllable series! Can you believe it? I feel like I have solidified so much of my own understanding about syllable instruction by sharing with all of you, so thank you! If you are new to this series… I’m so glad you’re here! Please…
It’s that time of year again. You may be setting up your classroom or out shopping at your favorite dollar store. Teachers all over are gearing up for another school year. And we all know what that means. Fire up the laminator! If you are were like me, there is a secret (or not secret)…
Welcome back everyone! This is part five in my six part syllable series. I am having so much fun sharing this information about syllables with you!A few quick reminders: If you are new to this series: Please read part one and click here. Read part two and click here. Read part three and part four….
Welcome back everyone! This is part four in my six part syllable series. I am having so much fun sharing this information about syllables with you!A few quick reminders: If you are new to this series: Please read part one and click here. Read part two and click here. Read part three. In order to…
Welcome back everyone! This is part three in my six part syllable series.A few quick reminders: If you are new to this series: Please read part one and click here. Read part two and click here. In order to follow along with this series, please download a chart I created on the six syllable types…
Welcome back everyone! This is part two in my six part syllable series. If you missed part one, click here. In order to follow along with this series. please download this chart I created on the six syllable types by clicking here. It spells out CLOVER. Each letter in CLOVER stands for a syllable type,…
Hi everyone! I’m starting a six part series on teaching the six syllable types. Today I’m going to start with one of the easiest types to teach, the closed syllable. If you follow this series, you’ll want a copy of CLOVER, an acronym for the six syllable types. The syllable types are not introduced to…
(This post has affiliate links.) Hi everybody! I’ve been thinking back to old games I played as a kid. Who remembers playing Jenga? Anyone remember that silly commercial from the 80s that showed the lady playing and saying, “Jeng-A, Jeng-A!” as she tried to pick a piece? That always cracked me up. If you don’t…
Hi everyone! We all need a little motivation from time to time, don’t we? What tasks sometimes feel tedious to you? (Don’t even ask me about laundry.) Now try to imagine challenges your students face when learning. What helps them sustain and persevere? After a great conversation with my fellow OG teachers the other day,…
Hi everyone! I wanted to send a special request out for you to sign up to receive my monthly emails. I know what you might be thinking. Oh no… not another email to clutter up my inbox. But when you hear what I’ll be sending you, I’m sure you’ll feel differently. Updates on new products,…
Hi everyone! I haven’t blogged for a little while, but I’m back and with a brand new blog design! Thanks to Kristen from Chalk and Apples, The Literacy Nest has gone from drab to fab. I am so grateful to her for design expertise. Stay tuned for more blog redesign celebrating soon! Mother’s Day is…
Have you heard the news!? Educents is opening their MARKETPLACE! What does that mean? That means that besides the already AMAZING deals they offer on a daily basis, you can now purchase items from sellers stores, also on a daily basis! WHAT!? That’s right! Over 500 sellers have already created stores in the Educents Marketplace,…
Hi Literacy Nest, friends! Do you ever find some of the simplest materials make the best games? How many ways can you think of to use a pack of index cards? How about those sticker dots people use at yard sales? Today I’m going to share how I made an activity for practicing blends that…
Hi everyone! I apologize for not posting Mentor Monday in awhile. Once a week was getting a bit hectic, so I will either cut it back to bi-weekly or monthly. Merging my love of children’s literature and teaching makes Mentor Monday extra special for me. I hope you will continue to support it by stopping…
The Literacy Nest: Where Fledgling Readers Grow Hi everyone! As you all know, I have changed from The Reading Tutor/OG to The Literacy Nest in the past month. Thank you for continuing to support my page, stores, and blog as I have made the transition. Some of you may or may not be aware that…
Hi everyone! My little blog is undergoing some big changes over the next few months and I wanted to fill you all in on what you’ll notice.What’s changing? Social Media: I am changing my blog, and all social media outlets to The Literacy Nest. I’ll still keep my little owl theme going, but freshen up…
Welcome to the February edition of Mentor Monday! This week we are talking about Valentine’s Day! I have a super cute and EASY craft for you to make with your kiddos. It’s great for following directions, shapes, symmetry and scissor practice. Of course, I have books too! A Nor’Easter has been predicted for today in…
Welcome to another week of Mentor Monday! I’m so grateful to have my fellow teacher bloggers link up last week. If you had a chance to, thank you! Here in New England we are bracing for a blizzard. It’s going to be a real winter wallop as the meteorologists say here! Anytime someone uses the…
Welcome! One year ago today, a group of teacher-bloggers launched the website Adventures in Literacy Land to share tips and tools for effective literacy instruction. In honor of reaching our first full year of blogging together we are hosting a Winter Wonders Blog Hop and Birthday Celebration. Join us, if you will, to read a…
Welcome to the Gift of Reading Blog Hop! Books and reading play such an integral role in my home. They are the cure all! They help with naps, bedtimes, tantrums, rainy days, extra snuggle time, and let’s not forget all the amazing language and vocabulary development! I’ve been thinking of several books to give as a gifts…
Welcome to Mentor Monday! Please note this post has an affiliate link. As we approach Memorial Day weekend, I’d like to take a minute to thank all of our servicemen and women for protecting our country and for paying the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom doesn’t come free. Please pause, reflect and thank a veteran. It truly is an…
Happy Friday everyone! As we near the end of October, I’d like to share a special freebie with you in honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month. Offering inspiring quotes from famous dyslexics can encourage our students when learning to read feels like an uphill battle. This is a collection of 9 quotes from famous people in…
Happy Friday everyone! We’re more than halfway through Dyslexia Awareness Month and what a month it has been. I’m thrilled to share the resources I find and/or create on my FB page with you. I was passing out snack to my twin toddlers this morning and noticed this message on a box of raisins. When…
Happy Friday everyone! I don’t know about you, but lately things are feeling very busy around here! So much to do, so many great opportunities, but sometimes you just can’t do them all. But! I love sharing with all of you, so today, in honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, I thought I’d share 3 helpful resources…
Welcome to the Harvest of Freebies Blog hop! I absolutely love Fall. The smells, the foliage, the colors, and holidays make living in New England a very special place. We New Englanders are pretty traditional folk, and I’m no exception. Sharing traditions is what brings family together. I sharing some wonderful seasonal resources with you…
Hi everyone! Today, I’m sharing photos of some October classroom resources that you may be interested in from my store. This is a collection of literacy resources that work well for centers, guided reading and writing, word work, fluency practice, and independent projects. You’ll see the link for each one below. I’m sure your students will…
Hi everyone! Welcome to my second week of Friday Foundations. I’m taking the time each Friday to share tips and resources with my fellow OG instructors. I thought I’d share some photos of multi-sensory activities I incorporated into my lessons. Keep in mind, NOTHING I do here is a silent activity, The child is always…
(This post has an affiliate link.) Welcome to Mentor Monday! This week we’re discussing character education in the classroom. The trait my fellow teacher bloggers and I have chosen is responsibility. We all know how important it is to be responsible and model being responsible, but what is the best way to translate that in the classroom?…
Hi everyone! Welcome to my first Friday Foundations post! Every Friday, I am dedicating a special post to all my OG instructors with helpful tips for you and your students. I hope you find it informative, practical and take away a little something you can use right away. 🙂 Let’s talk lesson planning. When I was training to…
Welcome to the Blasting Off A Great Year Blog Hop! I’m sharing strategies for hooking reluctant readers in your classrooms. Climate is everything. It’s the strategic placement of books (even the covers facing out when on display, if possible) EVERYwhere. It’s the organizational system for categorizing books, by genre, author, and topic. It’s the cozy and inviting book…
Welcome to stop #3 on the Cooking Up a Great Year Blog Hop! I’m so happy you stopped by! Today I’m sharing a few teacher tips for building classroom community, and a delicious crock pot recipe. I was a classroom teacher for 13 years before I became a WAHM of 3, ages 2 and under….
Can it be possible??? July is nearly over??? I have teamed up with 40 fabulous stores for… This is a FABULOUS 4 day event that is full of sweet deals, savings and 4 amazing giveaways! Here’s a peek at what you are being treated to… Each day a new ‘deal’ will be posted by the 40 participating…
Here are some Orton-Gillingham lesson planning tips to get you started for the upcoming school year. Today, I’m blogging about how I use my words and sentences lists. This was one of the requested topics from a weeks back on my Facebook page. Hopefully seeing photos will help to give a better understanding. After being…
Hi everyone! Today I’m going to talk about a multi-sensory spelling strategy called S.O.S. The S.O.S. (Simultaneous Oral Spelling) strategy is a commonly used technique used as one way to help improve a dyslexic reader’s ability to spell. It has been researched that by using a multi-sensory approach to practice spelling, the dyslexic learner would have build better phonological awareness, which is a huge weakness. S.O.S. uses visual, auditory and…
Hi everyone! I have a long list of OG topics to blog about for this upcoming school year. About a week ago, I asked my Facebook page fans which topic they’d like to have me blog first. Out of over 100 comments, many were eager to see how I used my OG notebook, so we’ll start there. I…
Welcome to the second stop on the Author Study Blog Hop for Ezra Jack Keats! I’ve done a number of author studies over the years with my third graders when I was in the classroom full time. It is one of the most rewarding experiences of my career to see a group of children…
Welcome to the Fourth of July Blog hop everyone! I’m so glad you stopped by my blog today. I’m sure many of you are spending this holiday weekend relaxing with family and friends. As a kid growing up in the Boston area, my family and I would head to the Charles River every year to…
Greetings everyone! I’m Emily, The Reading Tutor/OG. I was a classroom teacher for many years before having my three children. I am now a WAHM (work at home Mom). My boys are nearly 2 and my daughter is 3 months old. I work with children in a 1:1 setting with dyslexia and writing…
Hi everyone! I’d like to take a minute to thank all of our servicemen and women for protecting our country and for paying the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom doesn’t come free. However you may celebrate this long weekend, please pause, reflect and thank a veteran. It truly is an honor to be an American. Here is a Youtube…
Hi, everyone, it’s Andrea from Reading Toward the Stars! I am so honored and pleased to be here while Emily loves on her precious new bundle of joy! I just returned rejuvenated and refreshed from our state reading conference. I gained so many new ideas and am excited to share some quick and easy vocabulary…
Hi everyone! I am Em from Curious Firsties and 100% honored to be guest posting for Emily today! I have learned so much from her this year and love that I can “give back” a little! Over in Curious Firsties land I am a Title I teacher for only first graders. We are a departmentalized…
Welcome to Mentor Monday! I’m Wendy from Read With Me ABC, and I’m hosting today’s mentor text conversation. Emily is enjoying a few precious moments with her brand new beautiful baby girl. 🙂 Let’s talk about about using mentor texts to analyze characters, shall we? Characters reveal themselves through their words, actions, and feelings. Strategic…
As you can see, Emily has allowed me to snag her blog for the day. She’s had a very busy week welcoming her new baby into the world. The news came through yesterday that the baby arrived safely, and both mom and baby are doing well today. I am Carla visiting from Comprehension Connection today…
Hi everyone! This is going to be a VERY exciting week for me and my family. Tomorrow is our baby #3 delivery day 3/4/14, so please keep us in your prayers. You may be wondering if Mentor Monday will be taking a break. I’m happy to report that I have several wonderful teacher blogger friends that…
Welcome to Mentor Monday everyone! This week’s topic focuses on the reading comprehension strategy, determining importance. This strategy really hits home for me this week. When I think about determining what’s important, it’s kind of like packing for a vacation, baking a new recipe, or even sorting out life events. In about a week, I’ll…
Hi everyone! Since I started The Literacy Nest over two years ago, I’ve received many thoughtful emails asking where to go to receive OG training. I thought I’d share my list with you today and the links you can go to learn more.
Welcome to Mentor Monday everyone! Are you as excited about this week’s topic as I am? Let’s talk about using figurative language in writing. This is what author’s do to spice up their stories. It’s what gives a story character, voice and visualization. So how do we help our young writers use it effectively, but not…
Welcome to the fourth week of Mentor Monday! It’s hard to believe I started this linky one month ago. I’d had the chance to meet some wonderful new blogger friends and learn about some fabulous children’s books. Hopefully you have too! 🙂 Today’s topic is Non-Fiction Text Structures. Personally, I think teachers have tons of…
Happy Friday TRT/OG friends! I hope you enjoyed Mentor Monday this week. We had some wonderful book suggestions. At the end of that post, I spoke of a very special project pulled together by some talented teacher bloggers. Lessons From The Heart is an exclusive ebook created for the month of February, and it can be all yours! Collectively,…
Welcome to the third week of Mentor Monday! This week we’ll focus on mentor texts for teaching the reading comprehension strategy, making inferences. This is a tough strategy for some kids to grasp. You need just the right picture book to model it, especially for first timers. I made this collage back in the Fall for…
Welcome to… Hi Everyone! You are almost halfway through our Loving Literacy Blog Hop! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s posts and freebies so far. I know I have! Reflecting on my own love of reading, I realized what a major influence my Dad had. As long as I can remember, he was in charge of reading…
It’s been a long term goal of mine to host a free movie screening of The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia. That day came last Saturday January 25, 2014! Thanks to several organizations, a supportive State Representative from Massachusetts and an amazing, local, non-profit organization, I was able to pull this off. Here are some pictures from…
Greetings everyone and welcome to the second week of Mentor Monday! Never underestimate the power of a picture book! Each one has a powerful message and can be an incredible teaching tool. This week’s topic is Lively Leads. Before I go into what leads are, can anyone guess what famous chapter book this one is…
NEVER underestimate the power of a picture book!Note: This post contains an affiliate link. Welcome to the first Mentor Monday! Do you find yourself searching for that perfect mentor text to match a skill or strategy you’re teaching? There are so many great books out there, but never enough time to sift through them all. Well…
Greetings TRT/OG friends! I have three important things to share with you. 1. My bimonthly newsletter is available for you to download for free! Just click on the owl in the right sidebar that says, “Click here to read my newsletters.” This month is full of information about my movie screening, where to find OG training, the new collaborative blog,…
Welcome to a new year with Mentor Monday! If you are new to this weekly post, I choose a topic to share picture books ideas you may want to use. There’s usually a few fun ideas thrown in there, too. Today, we’re talking about activities for honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther…
Hi Everyone! I linked up with Carla from Comprehension Connection for Six Traits Sunday Linky. I’ve worked with a wide variety of writers over the years. The ones that always seem to stand out are the reluctant writers. Just coming up with an idea for writing is a monumental task for some students. I found…
It’s here. It’s here. It’s finally here! It’s been over two months in the making, but today we announce the launch of our new literacy blog… Twenty bloggers with a specific interest in literacy (reading specialists, reading coaches, literature teachers, etc.) have joined together in this effort. I’m so excited to reveal the authors! Amy…
Happy New Year Everyone! I’m linking up with Emily from Curious Firsties for Wednesday Wow. As I look back on 2013, and look ahead to this new year, I have to say WOW! So much has happened! It all started last March when The Reading Tutor/OG was born. My little Facebook page for literacy resources with fellow educators…
Happy Tuesday everyone! Please welcome Jessica from Hanging Out In First to my blog! A group of my fabulous teacher blogger friends are blog swapping today. You can view my post about multi-sensory spelling strategies at Ripper Resources. Thank you Jessica, for writing a wonderful post on The Reading Tutor/OG! It is Trading Spaces Tuesday and a bunch…
I’m writing today about a reading activity that I absolutely love doing with students: Reader’s Theater. It’s such a great way to build in fluency practice and have fun at the same time. Over the years, I’ve picked weeks here and there in my reading workshop plans to take a little break from the typical schedule…
Hi everyone! I linked up with Andrea at Reading Toward the Stars for Book Talk Thursday! I’d love to share a book that is great for the holidays. The Snow Tree by: Caroline Repchuk is about a little bear in the woods that wants to decorate a tree for Christmas. With the help of his…
Hi everyone! I’m here today to talk about what I carry in my ENORMOUS bag when I travel to service students for Orton Gillingham instruction. About a month and a half ago, I posted a picture of this amazing tote I purchased from a dear teacher friend of mine. I filled it with all my…
Greetings and Happy Holidays from The Reading Tutor/OG! I was looking on Pinterest the other day at cookie ideas, and I thought of a great idea to share with all of my new teacher blogger friends. Let’s do a Cookie Swap Linky Party! My Mom and I always have a marathon cookie baking session every…
Hi Everyone! It’s that time of year again! I’ve been as busy as a squirrel feverishly gathering acorns for winter creating new and exciting products over the past few weeks. I’m on a MAJOR QR code kick. Even though I’m a hybrid educator now, the classroom teacher in me wants to be sure to create…
I linked up with The Reading Writing Redhead to share what I’m most thankful for this year! Here’s a few thoughts that come into my mind right away. Happy Thanksgiving! And of course I’m so thankful for all of you! Here’s a link to a freebie in my store! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/November-Syllable-BINGO-961775
Welcome to The Reading Tutor/OG! You have arrived at At each blog stop, you will be gathering Reading gifts and freebies. In each post you will find a picture of a snowman with a letter on it. Collect all of the letter to solve the mystery quote to enter the giveaway. Record…
Happy TRT/OG Friday friends! Welcome if this is the first time visiting my blog! Be sure to click the blue book with the heart on it in the right sidebar to follow me on Bloglovin. It’s the easiest way to organize all the blogs you read. This week I started my annual tradition that may make some of you think…
Welcome to my blog! I’d like to chat about close reading today. The Common Core State Standards and PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) has brought close reading into the forefront of every teacher’s mind. You may be wondering: What is close reading? How should you implement it in your classroom? Is…
Five For Friday: November Edition Happy Friday TRT/OG friends! Welcome to all my new followers too! After last night’s Halloween fun, I really needed a nap today(didn’t happen)! Each year I host my family and serve a huge crock pot of chili and homemade cornbread for dinner. Then we all go trick or treating in our neighborhood. There’s…
Welcome to Stop # 3! Greetings Blog Hoppers! Welcome to my blog, The Reading Tutor/OG! I’m thrilled to be a part of this amazing event with such talented educators. Hopefully you’re gathering the clues along the way at each stop for a chance to enter to win a big prize at the end. Be sure to take careful…
Hey TRT/OG fans! I wanted to let you know about two events starting Thursday morning, October 24 and running until Sunday October 27. 1. Oct 24-26 The Tutors, Coaches, and Specialists Facebook FrenzyHere’s an UPDATED frenzy map with links to all the pages. There’s 20 different pages to visit! You’ll find my product by going to my Facebook page…
Welcome to my Five For Friday blog post everyone! How was this week for you? Many teachers I know are gearing up for parent/teacher conferences. I just started with two brand new OG students this week, which is so exciting to me. We’re rolling up our sleeves and getting right down to business. Let…
Background It’s the child that skims, or bounces from book to book but never finishes. It’s the child that just can’t seem to settle down or protests when it’s time to read. It’s the child that just won’t take any recommendations from parents or teachers when it comes to choosing books. The case of the…
Welcome back TRT/OG friends! This week has been a week of firsts. Anyone else trying something new? I love the excitement and the challenge. It’s highly motivating for me. I’ll wrap this week up for you with lots of information you don’t want to miss. Here we GOOOOO! First, I have two brand new walkers in my…
Hello from Comprehension Connection! My name is Carla, and I’m glad to be visiting The Reading Tutor/OG today to share a few ideas on the topic of writing. I am a reading specialist in Virginia, and I’m in my twenty third year. Wow, time flies! Much of my experience has been in the Title…
My October newsletter is officially up! You’ll find lots of great information, so be sure to check it out and share. I want to personally thank my fellow blogger and teacher friend, Lauren from Teacher Mom Of Three for her contribution to this month’s newsletter. I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading her fluency tips. Just click…
Happy Friday TRT/OG fans! Phew! Things have been very busy around here. I’m in the middle of preparing for the upcoming blog hop (more details to follow), new TPT products, my upcoming guest blog post on Comprehension Connection, and the October newsletter. I’m learning how to get a whole lot done while my two little ones nap. 🙂 Here are…
Greetings all! If you’re new to my blog, here’s some background about me. I blog about a number of things, but mainly best practices in literacy. I love having the opportunity to share what I’ve done successfully with my students for many years with a larger audience. After teaching 13+ years, I’m home in my…
Hi TRT/OG friends! I’m doing a Five For Friday wrap-up to talk about some of the things happening on my page, and beyond this week. 1. First of all, thank you so much for following this blog! I also want send a HUGE thanks to my bloggy teacher/Facebook friends: Comprehension Connection, Teacher Mom of Three, 180 Days And…
GIVEAWAY ALERT! WIN A $25 TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS GIFT CERTIFICATE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW THIS BLOG AND LEAVE A COMMENT. MY GIVEAWAY IS FROM 9/23/13 UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON 9/27/13. GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO ENTER. GOOD LUCK AND THANKS FOR FOLLOWING! Greetings Parents and Educators (or both!) This is…
Here’s an oldie, but goodie freebie that won’t make you crabby! I hand one of these out to my OG students when we begin tutoring. I glue or tape it into their notebook. When we finish learning a new phonogram or rule, they get to color in the coinciding section of the crab. It’s pretty motivating to…
Welcome to my new blog! I wanted to take the opportunity to give you a tour of the new features! 1. Here’s the navigation bar. It will direct you to my Facebook page and my Teachers Pay Teachers Store. 2. These buttons take you to my Facebook page, Twitter page, Bloglovin page, Pinterest boards, RSS feed, and email. Click on…
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