Just a quick note to let everyone know that I am now a Barton-Certified Tutor (for Levels 1-3). I went to the IDA conference in Chicago last weekend, and went to Susan Barton’s training on Saturday. I am now one of only two tutors in the Atlanta area who is Barton Certified!
Most people aren’t fully aware of how they learned the most basic skills in life, because they happen when we are so young. Walking, tying one’s shoes, and learning to read fall into this category for many. Or maybe you’re one of those people for whom reading was a struggle, and all you remember was the pain and embarrassment of not “getting it” like the other kids. Either way, the process of how children learn to read, and what can go wrong, is quite fuzzy for many adults.
I am going to try and clarify this process for those parents out there who want to start their children off on the right path to reading, and for those whose children are struggling with this seemingly simple task.
There are many things that happen before a child even picks up a book which prepare them for later reading success. The first skill, which they learn while they are still babies and toddlers, is speaking and listening to their native language. As they gradually acquire vocabulary and move into speaking in phrases and sentences, they are learning many things about how language works and what sounds are considered useful or not useful in that language.
When you read aloud to your toddler, they are getting a sense that books can tell stories. It’s very important that children hear many different types of stories read aloud to them. Nursery rhymes are especially useful, as they help the child learn to hear rhymes (words with similar endings, but different onsets). This helps them build up what is called “phonemic awareness” and is a vital precursor to learning how to read.
Another essential phonemic awareness skill is being able to break apart the sounds in a word. At first, a child will learn that different words begin with the same sound (cat, cow, kite); or end with the same sound (back, picnic) even before they realize that the letters “c” and “k” say that sound.
They will also begin to get an ear for the rhythm of the language, which we call the syllables and accent. You can help them to clap to syllables, just as they would clap to the beat in a song, and this can be a good way to do both counting and reading skills at the same time (ask them, how many claps are in “book,” “bathtub,” “octopus,” “alligator?”)
More skills such as print awareness and beginning comprehension usually come along right after this stage, around ages three to five. Children will learn the way to hold a book and the way to read print from left to right, using their finger to follow along. Even if they can’t actually read, they can pretend to read along to a familiar story. This stage is vital for reading comprehension as they re-tell the stories they are familiar with and make up new stories. They will learn that stories have a beginning, middle, and end, and that things happen in a certain order. Give them lots of dress-up props and they will act out their favorite stories.
Once they are familiar with books, can count syllables, and tell you rhymes and which words begin and end with the same sound, they are ready to begin learning the alphabet. There are many different ways to do this, but I find the most effective way is for them to learn to print the letter (start with just upper or lowercase, depending on what system you use) at the same time that they learn its sound. This makes for a multi-sensory experience and takes the learning a bit deeper. They can write the letter in sand or shaving cream on the table, on a whiteboard with markers, with finger paint- be creative! You can even make letters out of playdoh for a 3-d shape. Don’t worry if your child reverses his or her letters at this stage, since they are still working out left/right dominance and the orientation of the letters. Just gently correct them, have them fix their mistake and move on.
When helping your child learn the alphabet, it is very important to make sure you pronounce the sounds well; this will make all the difference when they are learning to blend the sounds together later! Most people want to say “buh” for b or “tuh” for t. You need to try to get the “uh” sound out of the letter. Just say it’s pure sound, without anything after it. This is harder for some letters than others. Discover which sounds you can hold (sssss, mmmmmm), which sounds use your vocal chords (d, j), which sounds do not use vocal chords (s, t, ch), and which sounds go away when you pinch your nose (I’ll let you find this one out on your own!) Children should learn the most common sounds of the letters and the short sounds of the vowels first, so as to avoid too much confusion.
When your little one knows his or her consonant sounds and short vowel sounds, you are ready to start blending! Some kids get this part right away, and for others it takes a long time. Start with a consonant followed by a vowel (don’t worry if it’s not a real word, in fact that’s even better!). Make cards or make a flip book with the vowels in the middle and consonants on either side. Say the sounds very slowly, until they run into each other. Next, try a vowel and then a consonant (like “at”). Then, try 3 sounds, a consonant-vowel-consonant. You can make up a bunch of cards of real words that follow this pattern (bat, rat, mop, top) and have fun illustrating them.
When they’re blending at a good pace and burning through those short-vowel word cards you’ve made, they are almost ready to start with books. Find a good phonics series like the Bob books or Now I’m Reading by Nora Gaydos and work through them book by book. They will usually list the sight words in the back or front of the book, but look through them because there may be more. These are the words your child needs to learn before they can read that particular book; the other words can be sounded out based on what they know. Just learn a few new words before each book, and voila! Now your child is reading!
If any of the above steps cause a lot of trouble or take a very long time for your child to master, then he or she may be at risk for a learning disability. Have them tested right away! Then call us and we can guide your child through the needed exercises to get them back on track to being a great reader.
Is your child ready for school to start? Here in Atlanta, most schools go back in session on the 8th of August! Now is the time to find a great tutor who can help your child prepare for the next grade. We can help you get a great learning system in place for the upcoming school year, so you can relax and know your child will have someone to turn to when the homework and projects start to pile up! We only have a few more openings, so call us today!
An email discussion list I’m on is currently having a lively discussion on which languages (if any) would be best for a dyslexic student who wants to study a foreign language.
Now, the traditional position of most Orton-Gillingham tutors I know has been that dyslexics should be exempted from the foreign language requirements in school, and allowed to focus their study on learning to read and spell English. Because English contains within it so many different source languages (Old English was a Germanic tongue, but over the course of many invasions and cultural mixings over the last millenium, our current English came to contain bits of Latin, French, Greek, and a whole mess of other influences) one might say that learning English is akin to learning many different languages.
However, as someone who has studied many foreign languages in school, I would argue that there are unique insights one gains from studying another language and culture which should be part of the curriculum for any dyslexic student, given the proper supports. If the goal is for a student to have exposure to another way of thinking and another culture, then there is no reason that a student with dyslexia or another learning disability can’t participate in the foreign language classroom. Now, they are likely to have the same issues in a foreign language as they would have in English- poor spelling, trouble decoding when reading, trouble with the order of phonemes and syllables, maybe even trouble memorizing lists of words and phrases. But, they shouldn’t be hindered in their ability to speak and understand a foreign language, though writing and reading may be more difficult for them than other students.
As far as choosing a language that would be easier for a dyslexic student, many people recommend American Sign Language. This is a full-fledged language and is accepted by most colleges for their foreign language requirements. ASL is unique among human languages in that it is a purely visual/kinesthetic language, and therefore is processed by a different part of the brain than spoken languages. This may make it easier for dyslexics. Also, while there is a process by which you can write down the signs, this is done with English words, and so there is no foreign spelling-system to master. Furthermore, for someone with a learning difference the experience of being able to sign and allowing them to experience Deaf culture would be beneficial.
Another option for a language using a more visual/kinesthetic learning process would be Chinese. I studied Mandarin for two years in college, after many years of wanting to learn it, and it was a very rewarding experience. Yes, it is considered ‘harder’ than other foreign langauges, but this is mostly because of the writing system of characters. To truly be literate in Chinese, one must recognize thousands of characters; however, this uses a visual-processing center of the brain, which is a different area than the one used to process English. Therefore, dyslexic students may not experience the same troubles with reading/spelling as they would in English. One thing that may be more difficult for a dyslexic student learning Chinese would be the great amount of homophones, and getting the pronunciations of the tones correct. If you have a musically-inclined student, however, the tones will be processed in that part of the brain and you needn’t worry. I found speaking/listening the easiest part of learning Mandarin, as well as the grammar. It has a very simplified and logical grammar system compared to English.
Lastly, I would consider a language with a more direct sound-to-symbol ratio than English. This is true for Spanish, and I’m told, Turkish and Indonesian. Also, there are rarer languages which have no written component at all (ie. Hmong, which is taught at the University of Wisconsin). Do some research, and you should be able to find a language which suits your student – and remember that motivation can go a long way toward overcoming the difficulties involved.
I am very excited to announce that Ladder Learning Services is now offering a multi-sensory math curriculum in addition to our multi-sensory language and handwriting programs! The math program we are using is based on the Orton-Gillingham method and is structured and systematic. We are using proven hands-on materials such as Cuisinnaire Rods, base-10 blocks, and algebra tiles. Multi-sensory math students will explore and discover for themselves the fundamental relationships between numbers – with no more counting on fingers! We can supplement what our students are learning in school from Pre-K through high school mathematics, and help them to be successful in the classroom and beyond.
We have openings for the summer!
Looking for a summer tutor in reading, writing, math, or another subject? We’re your local Atlanta learning-disability specialists! We use multi-sensory instructional techniques based on the Orton-Gillingham methodology. We can help your son or daughter catch up to grade level and be prepared for the fall.
Call today: 404-654-3557.