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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 ow…
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. Students are usually aware that ck is not found at the beginning of a syllable, but they often aren’t aware…
Is it ai or ay? Decisions, decisions. As students expand their knowledge of vowel teams, the number of spelling choices increases. Often, 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…
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 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 these kinds of decoding…
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…
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…