Reading is not a skill we are naturally wired to acquire; rather, it is a complex process that must be explicitly learned. It begins with recognizing letters and the sounds they represent, followed by blending those sounds to form words and, ultimately, constructing meaning from text.
The literacy network in the brain integrates visual and oral language systems with cognitive processes such as working memory, processing speed, and auditory processing. Given this complexity, there are multiple points at which breakdowns can occur. In fact, approximately one in five individuals experiences difficulty acquiring literacy skills, and dyslexia remains one of the most under-identified learning differences, often underlying a range of academic challenges.
When a child struggles in school, it is frequently due to weaknesses in foundational skills, which can impact performance across multiple subject areas. A comprehensive intake evaluation is essential for identifying specific skill deficits and determining the targeted instruction needed to support the student’s success.
While I am formally Orton-Gillingham trained, I incorporate many remediation methodologies including:
- Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler’s The Writing Revolution
- Anita Archer’s REWARDS (R) program
- Lindamood-Bell’s Visualizing and Verbalizing and Seeing Stars
I believe that a student must understand the process and approach, and embrace that each concept covered has value in the classroom and at home.
Each individualized lesson plan utilizes a multi-sensory and communicative approach to build skills such as:
- Phonemic Awareness: The understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds, called phonemes. A student who is phonemically aware can isolate, manipulate, blend, and segment sounds into spoken and written words. Phonemic Awareness is an auditory training process. In my practice, I align phonemic awareness instruction with explicit, systematic phonics instruction.
- Word-Attack and Decoding: Recognition of sound/symbol concepts, syllabication, suffixes, and spelling patterns, and morphological concepts/patterns. Word-attack skills contribute to fluency, allowing readers to comprehend text as they read rather than pausing to decode unfamiliar words.
- Reading Fluency: Reading text effortlessly with speed, accuracy, fluidity, and prosody. In addition to recognizing words automatically, fluent readers also incorporate appropriate phrasing, rhythm, and intonation.
- Reading Comprehension: Students must apply strategies to gain both explicit and implicit understanding of a text.
- Writing Skills: Writing is a complex multi-step process. We learn strategies for breaking down this process and applying various approaches to expository paragraphs and essay writing.
- Spelling and Grammar: These lend tremendously to written fluency and reading comprehension. Students are taught to employ a variety of multi-sensory strategies to apply their phonics and morphological knowledge to encode (spell) words. The study of grammar is essential for literacy because it helps readers and writers understand how language works—not just what words say, but how meaning is built. Grammar helps us understand and use the language.
- Vocabulary Building: We also use various approaches to build vocabulary and learn meaning, nuance, and usage at a significant level. This contributes to reading comprehension and both written and verbal expressive language skills.
- Critical and Analytical Thinking: Often associated with “directed thinking,” i.e. solving problems, seeking the truth, and developing understanding, with the focus on a desired outcome. Students learn how to break down situations, practices, problems, statements, ideas, theories, and/or arguments into their component parts. Additionally, they learn to evaluate concepts/ideas and make reasoned judgments about how valid, effective, important, relevant, useful, and worthwhile they are.