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The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler, published by Jossey-Bass/Wiley Buy this book from: You may need a writing revolution in your classroom. Here's how to lead it. Expectations about student writing have changed dramatically in recent years.

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These videos were funded by the State of Florida Department of Education's (FDOE) Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B) in collaboration with the FDOE's Just Read, Florida! Office.

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These videos were funded by the State of Florida Department of Education's (FDOE) Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B) in collaboration with the FDOE's Just Read, Florida! Office.

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This video was produced in partnership with the National Education Association.
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Transcript

Reading Fluency with Chloe, Second Grader
Linda Farrell: That word is "flood-ing." Say "flooding." Chloe: Flooding. Linda Farrell: Flooding. That means a whole bunch of water goes some place. Chloe: And it's flooding the whole, entire ... Linda Farrell: Yeah. It's that word.
[Graphics] Looking at Reading Interventions: A Reading Rockets Series

[Graphics] One-on-One Intervention with Chloe.
Chloe is in the second grade in Alexandria, Virginia. During the pandemic, she's also getting Linda Farrell: Okay. Hi, Ms. Smoak and Chloe. How was your holiday? Chloe: It was completely great. Olu Smoak: It was wonderful. How are you? Linda Farrell: I am well. Ms. Farrell and Chloe are working mostly on phonics. But they devote the last ten minutes of each lesson to oral reading. That gives Chloe a chance to apply what she's learned about phonics and develop her reading fluency, which is our focus today. virtual And they probably should be approached with struggling readers in that way. If someone is struggling with fluency, first, we want to have them accurate. Next, we get them reading at a reasonable rate, and if they aren't reading with expression at that point then we work on their expression. lessons from reading expert Linda Farrell. Linda Farrell: Today, Chloe, we're going to read some sections of passages. We're going to aim for accuracy. What's accuracy? Chloe: Accuracy is when you don't do any, like any words, every word is correct. Linda Farrell: Yes. That would be 100 percent accuracy. Olu Smoak: Okay, I'll leave you two to the lesson. See you afterwards. Have a great time.
[Graphics] Linda Farrell, M.Ed. Founding Partner, Readsters
Linda Farrell: Okay, Chloe, let's get started. Chloe: When the twins finished eating their apples it was time to get to work. Kim picked red apples. Jill got green apples. The green apples were not sweet.
Linda Farrell: Fluency is often measured as a rate. People think that fluency is how fast you read and actually fluency has three elements: accuracy, its rate, and its expression.
Ms. Farrell starts Chloe with a short passage - about 40 words or so. It's one that Chloe can probably read accurately on her first try ... to give her confidence and to get her warmed up. Ms. Farrell won't be timing Chloe, so the focus is on reading each word correctly. So why is accuracy so critical?
[Graphics] Three Elements of Fluency: Accuracy. Rate. Expression.
Ms. Farrell says that it's a mistake to allow young readers to guess words or to skip words. We shouldn't even let close misreads slide - like reading "mommy" instead of "mom" or adding a word that isn't there. If we allow students to get comfortable with inaccuracy, they can develop habits that are really hard to change later on. Linda Farrell: You got 100 percent three times in a row, so we're going to read Set Two next time. Chloe's goal is to read three passages correctly the first time she reads them - cold reads. After that, she'll practice reading more difficult passages until she's reading 100% accurately at her grade level. Linda Farrell: But before we do that write 100 percent in the third column.
[Graphics] Working on Accuracy
Linda Farrell: Oh my gosh. Three 100s in a row. We are going to move to set two. Can you find the passages that say set two?
[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: First reading of passage #1
Linda Farrell: Can you find the passages that say Set Two? Linda Farrell: Uh-huh. That's it. Okay. And when you're ready to read, I'm ready to take notes. Chloe: April [sic] day means tree day, tree day. Trees are important. That is why trees get a special day every year.
[Graphics] When the twins finished eating their apples it was time to get to work. Kim picked red apples. Jill got green apples. The green apples were not sweet.
As Chloe reads, Ms. Farrell makes note of any missed words, any self-corrections, and any repetitions. And then she starts her review with what Chloe got right.
Linda Farrell: The reason accuracy at every age is so important is that in early reading in easy texts you can guess and still get the gist, especially if you have good background knowledge. When the students get to 4th and 5th grade, and the pictures go away and the words are harder, guessing is no longer a strategy that works.
Linda Farrell: How many words are in that section? Chloe: 45? No, 49. Linda Farrell: 49 words in that section and you got 46 right. And that is 94 percent accuracy. Chloe charts her work, and then Ms. Farrell reviews the words that Chloe misread. This prepares her for the next reading.
Linda Farrell: Students are motivated to improve. They have charts. They chart how well they do and that's very motivating.
Linda Farrell: Underline the first word. Linda Farrell: That word is arbor. Read that word. Chloe: Arbor. Linda Farrell: Arbor. Arbor means tree. What does arbor mean?
[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: First reading of passage 2
After learning the word "Arbor," Chloe reads the same section as many times as she needs to until she reads it with 100% accuracy. Linda Farrell: Here's the good news. You got 49 words right. Linda Farrell: Yes. That's good news and I'm glad you're happy. Here's the not so good news. You had three repetitions. You repeated the words you read and you're only allowed to have two of those repetitions. So you get to read it again. Linda Farrell: Why do we have to read it one more time? Chloe: Because I got three overs and I didn't know what they're called. Linda Farrell: They're called repetitions. You repeated words, but overs works just fine.
[Graphics] Arbor Day means tree day, tree day. Trees are important. That is why trees get a special day every year.

[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: Reviewing Chloe's reading

[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: Prep for second reading of passage 2
Chloe: Arbor Day means tree day. Trees are important. These repeated readings help Chloe improve on this particular passage, and they also help her develop good habits for the long haul. It's hard work, but Chloe wraps up the day's lesson with a strong finish.
[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: Second reading of passage 2

Linda Farrell: If a student has the habit of going back and rereading, repeating what they're reading, or self-correcting what they read, it slows them down and it hurts their comprehension.

[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: Second reading of Arbor Day section
After a few more sessions, Chloe was consistently able to read passages with 100% accuracy. But she was still reading slowly. So now Ms. Farrell will focus on increasing Chloe's reading rate, or the pace at which Chloe is able to read accurately. If you think of reading as riding a bicycle, fluency means you can turn the pedals fast enough to have a smooth ride. Pedal too slowly, and the bike falls over. Read too slowly, and you may not be able to understand what you read.
Arbor Day means tree day. Trees are important.

[Graphics] Working on Accuracy: Third reading of passage #2: Arbor Day
Linda Farrell: So we're going to start now on working on rate. So Chloe, are you ready to work on rate?
Linda Farrell: How many words do you think you got right? 49 words, 100 percent, and only one self-correction. How do you feel about that? Yes.
Linda Farrell: So your goal is to read 60 words a minute and not make any mistakes. So, what we're going to have you do, Chloe, is read for one minute, I'll time it, but you don't have to read fast just read naturally. Olu, I think Chloe and I are ready to work together.
[Graphics] Fluency Lesson 2: Reading to Improve Rate. Working on Chloe's rate of reading accurately
Before Chloe reads, Ms. Farrell will review words that may be difficult to pronounce or that have an unusual spelling pattern. This allows Chloe to do her rate practice without being stumped by a word we wouldn't expect her to know, yet.
Linda Farrell: Rate has been shown by many studies to correlate very closely with comprehension. Children need to read fast enough so that they can hold their ideas in their mind.
Linda Farrell: We have one word to review. So that word is on line 44. That word is rough. Can you read rough? Chloe: Rough. Linda Farrell: That word is rough. Rough means it's not smooth. Chloe: like if I have a bath cloth and it's rough. And now Chloe is ready to read.
[Graphics] Working on Rate. Chloe's goal: 60 accurate words per minute
Chloe: All cats are related. Tigers, lions, and the cats people have as pets. Linda Farrell: [alarm] Stop. And that time you read 46 words. Chloe: Is that good or bad? Linda Farrell: Well, here is what's good: you got 100% accurate and you only had one time that you repeated, one time. Chloe: If I had three repeat I would have to start over, but one is repeat okay? Linda Farrell: One repeat is acceptable, that means it's okay. Two repeats is acceptable, that means it's okay. And three repeats is too many. Chloe: Which is not acceptable. Linda Farrell: That's right, it's not acceptable.
Linda Farrell: The reading rate is generally measured as words correct per minute. Lots of people think it's how fast or what speed the student is reading, but it's really a measure of how many words correct do children read in a certain time, usually it's one minute when we're assessing. So it is speed. It is how fast they're reading, but it's also how accurately they're reading.
Linda Farrell: Okay, so we get to start again because now we want you to read accurately and we're going to aim for 60 words a minute.
Linda Farrell: When we first started working with Chloe she was reading I believe about 38 words correct per minute. And she still, even after we practiced, read relatively slowly. So once she met her accuracy goal, now we look at what's the 2nd grade middle of year benchmark and it's around 65 or 70 words a minute in 2nd grade material.
Chloe: All cats are related. Tigers, lions, and the cats people have as pets. Linda Farrell: You got 63 words correct and 100 percent accuracy. You read every word correctly and you didn't have any self-corrections or repetitions. You made it! You got your goal, girl!
[Graphics] Working on Rate. Previewing words that might be difficult for Chloe.
Now that Chloe has demonstrated that she can read accurately at 60 words per minute, Ms. Farrell helps Chloe focus on expression. Expressive reading means that students are using phrasing, emphasis, and timing as they read aloud. When children read with expression, they are reading the way they talk, and this usually means that they understand what they're reading.
[Graphics] Working on Rate. First reading of a passage for rate. All cats are related. Tigers, lions, and the cats people have as pets.
Linda Farrell: This time when you read, could you just read like you talk? You're reading a little slowly, like what you do is you say all-cats-are-related. And then there's a period, and then you stop a long time before you go to the next word every time you come to a period. Can you not stop quite so long when you come to a period? Chloe: Yeah, my dad tells me to or my mom or dad tells me to like stop when you see a period, you kind of like stop. Not trying to take too long. I just take a breathe and then go to the next line. I didn't know it was taking so long. Linda Farrell: Yeah, it's really good the way you're stopping. What we want you to do is not stop quite so long. Linda Farrell: Watch me. All cats are related. Tigers, lions and the cats people have as pets all have many things in common. Do you hear how I don't stop quite as long? Can you try that? Chloe: Okay. All cats are related. Tigers, lions and the cats people have as pets all have many things in common They all have four toes on their front feet and four toes on their back feet.
[Graphics] Working on Rate. Second reading of passage 3.
Linda Farrell: You aren't going to believe how many words you read that time. First of all, 100 percent accuracy. How much accuracy did you get? Chloe: 100 percent accurate. Linda Farrell: Yep, you read every single read correctly. You got 80 words a minute. Linda Farrell: 80 words a minute, with 100 percent accuracy is phenomenal.
[Graphics] All cats are related. Tigers, lions, and the cats people have as pets.
Now that Chloe's reading more fluently, her rate goal will be adjusted to 90 words a minute, which is the end of year benchmark for second grade. What seems like quick improvement is actually due to a lot of hard work. Ms. Farrell says Chloe needs a little more practice - roughly ten minutes at a time, twice a week, for the next month or two. As Chloe becomes a more accurate and faster reader, she and her mom will enjoy reading together even more. Linda Farrell: Olu and Chloe, it's always so much fun to read with you. See you next time. Olu Smoak: Same here. We enjoyed it. Thank you so much. Bye bye. Chloe: Bye bye! This episode of Looking at Reading Interventions was produced by a partnership of the National Education Association and WETA. For more information on the teaching practices featured in this program, please check out our viewer's guide. You can also download our facilitator's guide, offering helpful ideas for using this program for professional development. You'll find both guides at We are deeply grateful to Chloe and her entire family for allowing us to share Chloe's experience with reading intervention. We'd like to thank Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project. readingrockets.org/interventions.
[Graphics] Lesson Three: Expression. Moving from word-by-word reading to reading "like you talk"

[Graphics] Working on Expression

[Graphics] Working on Expression. Celebrating Success.

Linda Farrell: What we do is that we have a reasonable goal that we think she can make. So we just wanted to get her to 60. What was so surprising about Chloe is that once we talked to her about reading like you talk, and I modeled for her, she went up to 80 words a minute!

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Reading Fluency with Chloe, Second Grader

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In this online lesson, reading expert Linda Farrell helps second grader Chloe master the three key elements of reading fluency - accuracy, reading rate, and reading with expression. Watch how Ms. Farrell gives Chloe explicit instruction and encouragement through all three steps, each building on the previous stage.

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Learning 'b' and 'd' and Reading Short Vowel Words with Aiko, Second Grader
Linda Farrell: Okay. We're gonna have a lesson. And we are gonna have some fun ... Today reading expert Linda Farrell will be working with Aiko, a second grader here at Windy Hill Elementary in Calvert County, Maryland. Ms. Farrell will help Aiko with telling the difference between the letters 'b' and 'd,' keeping her eyes on the text rather than looking up to think of words, and reading words with short vowels. Linda Farrell: Do you ever get your 'b's and 'd's mixed up? Linda Farrell: Sometimes? Well, let's see if we can't fix that.
Linda Farrell: Aiko confuses 'b's and 'd's. She's in the second grade. And it's going to get in the way of her reading. So we have to fix that problem. Lots of children confuse 'b's and 'd's. They look alike. It's a ball and a stick. So we know we have to straighten that out, because that's going to hurt your reading because there are lots of words with 'b's and 'd's.
Linda Farrell: We're gonna work on fixing that. So we're gonna learn about our 'b' hand. Have you ever used your 'b' hand?
Linda Farrell: They have a 'b' hand. Their 'b' hand, it looks like a 'b.' Here's the circle. Here's the line. And we teach them to not guess and to slow down and compare your hand to the letter.
Linda Farrell: This is your 'b' hand, okay? So I'm gonna put this little rubber band on you, so you can remember which one's your 'b' hand. So which one's your 'b' hand? Aiko: This one. Linda Farrell: Okay.
Linda Farrell: I don't tell a kindergartener, a first grader, or a second grader, "It's your left hand," because they don't know which one is their left hand. Sometimes I don't even know which one's my left hand. When we first teach it, we put something on their hand. We might put a sticker. I put a rubber band on Aiko's hand so that when I say, "Where's your 'b' hand?" she's got something that reminds her. Three lessons she won't need the rubber band anymore. She'll know what it is. Some kids get it right away.
Linda Farrell: Would you put your 'b' hand up like this ... and make a fist. And then put your finger out. Okay? That is your 'b' hand. And I'm gonna show you why it's your 'b' hand. Go like this. We put this down here. And this letter is a 'b.' And your hand looks like this letter. Can you see that? We have the circle right here. Where's the circle on the letter? Point to the circle on the letter. And where's the circle on your hand? Yeah. Right there. Where's the stick on the letter? Show me a stick on your finger. This is your 'b' hand because the stick is on the same side of the circle as your finger. So your finger and your, and the stick are on the same side of the circle.
Linda Farrell: Lots of kids get 'b's and 'd's mixed up - kindergarten, first and second grade. It does not mean that they have dyslexia. Students who have dyslexia have phonological processing issues. They do not differentiate sounds easily. Their problems are primarily related to phonological awareness. 'B/d' is about shapes. That is not about sounds.
Linda Farrell: Will you put your 'b' hand by the 'b'? Yep. And is your finger on the same side of the circle as the stick or on a different side of the circle? Aiko: Same side. Linda Farrell: The same side. Yeah. Let's go down here. Is this a 'b' or a 'd'? Linda Farrell: Okay. And when you answer, I want you to look down here and compare it. Here's what you did. You went [looking upward]. Well, you're not gonna figure it out unless you look and you compare. Okay. So you have to look and say, "Ooh, I can tell." So is that a 'b' or a 'd'? Ms. Farrell's explicit lesson about recognizing the shape of the letter 'b' will take some time to sink in for Aiko. And there's a common habit she'll need to deal with. When Aiko is working on identifying a letter, she often looks up to think, looking away from the letter.
Linda Farrell: The answer to what is an incorrect letter or an incorrect word is in the print. And we have to teach Aiko to keep her eyes on the print, on the words, when she's reading, or the letters. I've worked with many kids that have this same difficulty. And I'll say, "Keep your eyes on the words," and they can't do it, because their habit is so strong that they can't try to do what I'm asking them to do and remember to keep their eyes down. So we just practice keeping your eyes down.
Linda Farrell: We're gonna practice looking down here, okay? So I'm gonna ask you a question, and you can't look up until I go like this [pounds fist], okay? So you keep looking down. Don't look up. Look down. Look down. Look down. Look down. [pounds fist] Now you can look up. Okay. Let's try it again. Look down. Look down. Look down. [pounds fist] Eventually, Aiko will need to have images of words stored in her brain. This is critical to the immediate word recognition necessary for fluent reading. When students say a word without looking at it, they miss opportunities to develop those images. Linda Farrell: So hold your hand up here. So I'm gonna go 'a,' cause I don't need my 'b' hand. But do I need my 'b' hand for that letter? Linda Farrell: Yes, I do, cause that's a 'b' or a 'd.' So I have to put my 'b' hand and ... let me see. Is that a 'b' or a 'd'? Which one do you think? Ohp. Where are you gonna look? Linda Farrell: Yes. Okay. Is that a 'b' or a 'd'? Linda Farrell: Let's try that. Put your 'b' hand next to that. Okay. Is your finger on the same or a different side? Aiko: Different. Linda Farrell: Different. So is that a 'b' or a 'd'? Linda Farrell: Yes. And we're gonna keep looking down. Remember? You don't get to look up until I stomp. Okay? So now, I want you ... we're gonna go just right to here. Okay? So watch me. 'a, d, s, b.' You do it. Okay. Put your hand up here for the 'a.' Okay. Do it. Aiko: 'a, d, s, b'? Linda Farrell: Okay. Now. See how far away your hand is? You gotta go like this. And you know where you looked when you read? You looked at me. But where are you supposed to be looking? Linda Farrell: Yep. At the letter. So. Okay. So we did those four. You do these four.
Linda Farrell: And this is isolated practice. I see lots of teachers who use a 'b' and 'd' hand or a 'b' hand. But they only do it when the kid misses a word. So, "Oh, you read 'bog' as 'dog.' Use your 'b' hand." You don't have to use your 'b' hand. If it's not "bog," it's "dog." We've gotta have isolated practice to rewire the brain ... to stop guessing and start looking. And that's what we did with Aiko. Aiko has pretty significant 'b/d' issues. With this kind of practice, she could solve her 'b/d' issues, I believe, in three to four weeks if we did this every day.
Linda Farrell: You got it. Do you think you can do 10 in a row? Linda Farrell: I think you can. Let's try it. Okay. Aiko: 'x, b, d, a' Linda Farrell: [whispering] Hand down. Is your finger on the same side or a different side? Aiko: Different, so it's a 'd.' Linda Farrell: Yes. Okay. Aiko: 'o, b, c, d, j' Linda Farrell: Ten out of 10! That's ... After a little more practice with 'b' and 'd,' Ms. Farrell will help Aiko work on another skill ... reading short vowel words without sounding them out aloud first Linda Farrell: Can you just read these words right here? Linda Farrell: Could you read these words right here please? Linda Farrell: Could you check and see if that's a 'b' or a 'd'? Use your 'b' hand. Is that a 'b' or a 'd'? Linda Farrell: It is a 'd.' So what's ... .Linda Farrell: Okay. Linda Farrell: What's the word? Linda Farrell: Look down. Always keep your eyes on the words. Linda Farrell: Okay. You got five words right. Can you touch and say that word? And Aiko will need to lean on her new skills ... distinguishing between 'b' and 'd' using her 'b' hand, and concentrating on looking down at the words while she thinks.
Aiko: 'd' ... did
Linda Farrell: [whispering] Mouth closed. Linda Farrell: Okay. Now. Two things: you got five right. Can you? What's that word?
Linda Farrell: It is hug. Read them all again.
Linda Farrell: [pounds fist] That was perfect. You kept your eyes down the whole time. Can you check and see if that's a 'b' or a 'd'? Use your hand. Use your 'b' hand. Linda Farrell: Yeah. So what's the word? Linda Farrell: It is. We're gonna go over here ... and again, don't look up until I stomp. So read those. Linda Farrell: You can use your 'b' hand, right there. In one short lesson, Aiko has made a lot of progress. She's learning to keep her head down as she reads, focusing on the letters. She's using her 'b' hand to help her identify her 'b's and 'd's more accurately. And she's reading words as a whole rather than sound by sound. As she practices and works toward mastery of these skills, her reading will get better and better.
Linda Farrell: Okay. You got six out of six right. When you read this word, you went /k - i - t/. Did you hear yourself do that? Okay. It's okay. I want you to do that in your head. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna close our mouth until we're ready to read the word. It goes like this. [pause] Did. [pause] Ad. I have to think those sounds in my head. So can you do that? Let's read these.
We'd like to thank the wonderful students and families at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. We hope that sharing these experiences will help other children who are learning to read. Special thanks also to Kelly Cleland, Julie Donovan, Joanne Harbaugh, and their outstanding colleagues at Windy Hill Elementary ... and to Leanne Meisinger at Calvert County Public Schools. We are deeply grateful to Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project.
Linda Farrell: It is kip. And the other thing is, you looked up. So we're gonna practice looking down. Okay. You're gonna look down, look down here until I stomp, okay? [pounds fist] You can look up. Okay? Do it again. [pounds fist] Now you're gonna read, and you can't look up until I stomp, okay? So remember, you're not gonna look up until I stomp, so I'll hold this, okay? So start reading.

Linda Farrell: Mud. You kept your eyes down and you got 'em all right! Six out of six! Yes!

Produced by Noel Gunther

Edited by Christian Lindstrom

Graphic Design: Tina Chovanec
For more information about teaching reading, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org
Camera: Richard Chisolm

Audio: Dwayne Dell

Reading Rockets is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C.

© 2019, WETA, Washington, D.C.

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Learning 'b' and 'd' and Reading Short Vowel Words with Aiko, Second Grader

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Reading expert Linda Farrell works with Aiko on a common letter reversal - confusing the letters 'b' and 'd'. Ms. Farrell coaches Aiko to look at the letters during b/d practice and to look at the words while she works with Aiko to read short vowel words accurately.

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Transcript

Letter Names with Reese, Kindergartner
Linda Farrell: What do you like to eat? Reese: Ice cream. Linda Farrell: What kind of ice cream? Reese: Vanilla ... and chocolate. Reese is in kindergarten at Windy Hill Elementary in Calvert County, Maryland. Before he can learn how to read, he'll need to master all 26 letters of the alphabet. Reese knows most of them, and reading expert Linda Farrell is going to help him with the last few that he needs to learn.
Linda Farrell: Letters have to be absolutely automatic, all 26, because when you're reading, so many different things are going on. You cannot be struggling with which letter, is this a 'v' or a 'y'? It's going to slow ... even those two confusions will slow up reading forever.
Linda Farrell: I would like you to sing the alphabet song. Reese: 'A - b - c - d - e - f - g - h - i - j - k - lmnop - q - r - s - t - u- v' - [mumbles] - 'x - y' and 'z.' Now I know my ABCs. Next time won't you sing with me. Linda Farrell: You know the song. Reese: I can go quicker. Linda Farrell: Oh, that was quick enough. I could hardly keep up.
Linda Farrell: Reese could sing the alphabet song, sort of. He would be what many teachers would say, oh, yeah, he can sing the song. But if you listened really carefully, you would hear that Reese had difficulty when he sang the song articulating 'l-m-n-o-p,' which is also - many children have that. And he had difficulty articulating the 'w.' When we got to letter naming, it was very interesting. 'W' was one of the letters that he didn't know. We find this often ... is that the source of the confusion for a letter name will often go back to you find that same confusion in singing the song. So when children have difficulty with letter names, it isn't as easy for them as it is for other children to learn this shape, this abstract shape has this abstract name. And some kids learn that easily, and some kids need more practice. And Reese is one who needs practice.
Linda Farrell: What we're going to do is we are going to sing the alphabet song and touch the letters as we sing. Okay? So get your finger. Now. Sing the first row. Reese: 'A - b - c - d' ... Linda Farrell: Stop. Okay. So you sang the first row. Now go and sing the whole thing to here. Reese: 'A - b - c - d' ... Asking Reese to touch the letters ensures that he'll look at the letters as he sings. Reese: ... 'lmnop' ... Linda Farrell: Okay. Now this row is a little bit hard. So let's do this. Let's go 'l - m - n - o - p.' Say them again. Linda Farrell: Wait. What was that? Reese: I mean ... 'l - o.' I mean ... 'm - n - p Linda Farrell: Let's try that again. What's that letter? Linda Farrell: What's that letter?
Linda Farrell: Reese has difficulty with 'l-m-n-o-p.' Now he can do that. He can say that's an 'l,' that's an 'm,' that's an 'n,' that's an 'o,' that's a 'p,' but he can't say 'l-m-n-o-p.' He can't sing it and say it at the same time. I don't know why this happens, but I see it all the time. When children can coordinate a movement with a visual, a letter, they can coordinate and say and touch the letter at the same time, they will know it better. So we do that with the letter song, with the alphabet song, and we make sure that our children can touch and say each letter. And we do it over and over and over again, because we always teach to mastery. And the thing that we worked with the most with Reese was the 'l-m-n-o-p' line. We are getting him to look at the letter as he says its name or sings its name. That's going to be a really critical skill when he learns to read, because we need him to look at the letter when he's reading.
Reese: 'X - y' and 'z.'
Linda Farrell: Is there an and there?
Reese: I said 'n.'
Linda Farrell: The song says and. So you're going to go 'y' and ... Do it like this: 'y' and ... So take your hand and go 'y' and 'z.' Do that one again.
Reese: 'Y' and 'z.' Linda Farrell: Okay. Do you think you can do them all without making any mistakes? I think you can. Reese: Without pointing? Linda Farrell: You have to point. That's part of the trick, okay? So do it. I think you can do it. Reese: 'A - b - c - d - e - f - g - h - i - j - k - l - m - n - o - p - q' ... By looking at the letters as he names them, Reese is developing an image in his mind that is linked with the letter's name. Being able to easily recognize letters is critical to becoming a fluent reader. Reese: Now I know my ABCs. Next time won't you sing with me. Linda Farrell: That was pretty darn good.
Linda Farrell: We teach the names of the letters before we teach the sounds of the letters. The logical reason is that an 'a' is always an 'a.' An 's' is always an 's.' The name is a constant. The sound changes. I look at it as the 'a' is the big category, just like this is a flower. These are all flowers. This is a rose. Okay, we have an 'a.' This is a peony. I have an 'a,' and in this word with this spelling pattern, it's an /a/. In this word with this spelling pattern, it's an /ay/. So we're teaching the category first. We are then - go to the sounds. And most of the letters if you know the name, the sound is easy to learn: 'b,' /b/, 's,' /s/, 'z,' /z/, 'd,' /d/. There are some letters that don't match their sounds - 'y' and 'w' - and we have to teach those specially. Those don't come naturally. But most of the sounds come easily. Also, the song gives you an anchor for the names. I can sing this song. I have a chant, even though I don't know what an 'a' is. When I'm two years old, I learn the alphabet song.
Linda Farrell: What's that letter? Linda Farrell: This is a 'y.' That's a 'v.' Can you say 'v'? Linda Farrell: Okay. Look down at the letter and say 'v.' Linda Farrell: Point to it and say 'v.' Linda Farrell: What's that letter? Linda Farrell: Point to it and say 'v.' Linda Farrell: And what's that letter? Linda Farrell: Okay. Reese: They kind of, so when you put this, this way, kind of looks like an 'n.' Linda Farrell: It does kind of look like an 'n.' Yeah.
Linda Farrell: It was very interesting working with Reese, because he pointed out to me very articulately how 'v' and 'z' looks like an 'n' and 'v' and 'y,' and they all ... it was exactly the letters that he was getting confused about. And he could even tell us as a kindergartener why they were confusing.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Here we go. Linda Farrell: You're telling me that's a 'y,' and I'm going to tell you that's a 'v.' Linda Farrell: So can you say 'v'? Linda Farrell: What's at the bottom of the 'v'? A point. What's at the bottom of the 'v'? Reese: Point. Linda Farrell: Okay, so ... Reese: It's kind of ... if you turn it this way, and there's a line, you kind of, it looks like, it would look like an 'a.' Linda Farrell: It would. Reese: And it looks like a triangle when you put it this way. Linda Farrell: Okay. But what letter is that? Is that ... Linda Farrell: Okay. Is this 'a' or 'v'? Linda Farrell: 'Y'? Oh my gosh. I have to show you something. 'Y' looks like this. Okay?
Linda Farrell: When I first started working with Reese, I was just trying to get him to know 'v,' because my assessment had told me 'v' was confusing. I don't work on all of the confusing letters. I work on one or two confusing letters at a time. I work on one letter if he just can't remember the name. And I ... when I first started working with Reese, I thought that he could not remember the name of 'v.' So I have, I get a stack of index cards. Maybe I get 12. Maybe I get 14. Maybe I get eight. Half of those will be the letter that we're working on, one letter. The other half will be letters that he is very confident with, so he doesn't have to think about those, so that I go ... what's the name of this letter? What's the name of this letter? As I did that, it was real easy for him to say 'v, v, v.'
Linda Farrell: Let's do 'v.' Linda Farrell: What's the name of that letter? Linda Farrell: What's at the bottom of the 'V'? Reese: Point. Linda Farrell: You got it. Say 'v.' Linda Farrell: Okay. What's that letter? Reese: 'S. V. E. V. C. V. T. V. X.' Linda Farrell: Let's try these one more time. Think you can go through them again? Reese: There's a lot of 'v's. Linda Farrell: [laughs] Once Ms. Farrell saw that Reese knew the name of the letter 'v,' then she worked on helping Reese discriminate between the letters 'v' and 'y.'
Linda Farrell: My job is to figure out a way to make them not confusing. For him, they all looked like they were the same shape. So I have to think, okay, as I was working with him, I saw that he confused 'v' and 'y.' He'd already told me, oh, they both have these and they look, this has a point here and a point here. So my job is to get him to look at the letter and give him a way to verbalize the difference between the shapes of the letters. And I had never done this before with 'v' and 'y,' but I looked and I said well, 'v' has a point at the bottom, and 'y' doesn't have a point at the bottom. This goes through my mind: 'y' doesn't have a point at the bottom. What's at the bottom is a line. Okay, so I'll make that difference.
Linda Farrell: This is a 'v.' Reese: And 'y.' Linda Farrell: You got it. Now, there's a line at the bottom of a 'y.' What's at the bottom of a 'y'? Linda Farrell: A line. What's at the bottom of 'v'? Reese: Point. Linda Farrell: Okay. Say 'v' has a point, 'v.' Reese: 'V' has a point. Linda Farrell: 'V' Linda Farrell: Say 'y' has a line. Reese: 'Y' has a line. Linda Farrell: 'Y' Linda Farrell: Okay. Now, point to the point and say 'v' has a point, 'v.' Reese: 'V' has a point, 'v.' Linda Farrell: Say 'y' has a line, 'y.' Reese: 'Y' has a line, line. Linda Farrell: Say 'y' has a line, 'y.' Reese: 'Y' has a line, 'y.' Linda Farrell: Gotta point to the line. Reese: 'Y' has a line, 'y.' Reese: 'V' has a point, 'v.' Linda Farrell: Okay. Now we're gonna ... every time I show you a letter you have to say that. And then you have to say it. Okay, you ready? Okay, here we go. Reese: 'V' has a point, 'v.' 'V' has a point, 'v.' 'V' has a point, 'v.' 'Y' has a line, 'y.' 'Y' has a line, 'y.' 'Y' has a line, 'y.' 'Y' has a line, 'y.' Linda Farrell: Okay. Now I want you to try saying them without saying, 'v' has a point, 'v.' Just say the name of the letter. Go slow. Okay? Reese: Okay. I might go quicker and quicker. 'Y.' Linda Farrell: Okay. Now. You have to look down and point and tell me ... Linda Farrell: What does 'y' have? Linda Farrell: A line. What does 'v' ... Linda Farrell: It is.
Linda Farrell: I started in this lesson by just getting him to know 'v.' But that wasn't going to work because he still wanted to call it a 'y' sometimes. So I needed to set up the contrast. And you saw that it worked as long as he said, 'v' has a point, 'y' has a line. 'V' has a point, 'v.' 'Y' has a line, 'y.' I stopped the scaffolding too quickly, because I went back, and he looked at it and he just saw two lines and he went 'y.' We need to get, whenever we do a scaffold where we're comparing two letters that look similar and we're saying this one has a point at the bottom and this one has a line, he has to do that enough where it is automatic for him to say it and know that letter. And he has to look at it, because what we want him to do is subliminally when he stops saying it, being looking at that and thinking it, and then eventually he doesn't have to go through the thinking 'v' has a point. It just automatically becomes 'v.'
Linda Farrell: Two high fives! Reese: Ha! I missed one. Linda Farrell: Let's do another one then!
Linda Farrell: Once he got good at 'y' and "v," just those two contrasting, then I would put three 'y's, three 'v's and six letters that he already knows, so that he would have to think. We're making it just incrementally more difficult for him to have to remember, until he just automatically looks at that letter and it's a 'v.' And that one's a 'y.' And it does happen. Sometimes it happens with practice 25 times. Sometimes it happens with practice 250 times. And sometimes it's a thousand times. But it will happen.
Linda Farrell: Two high fives. That was really, really good. We'd like to thank the wonderful students and families at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. We hope that sharing these experiences will help other children who are learning to read. Special thanks also to Kelly Cleland, Julie Donovan, Joanne Harbaugh, and their outstanding colleagues at Windy Hill Elementary ... and to Leanne Meisinger at Calvert County Public Schools. We are deeply grateful to Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project.
Produced by Noel Gunther

Edited by Christian Lindstrom

Graphic Design: Tina Chovanec

Camera: Richard Chisolm

Audio: Dwayne Dell
For more information about teaching reading, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org
Reading Rockets is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C.

© 2019, WETA, Washington, D.C.

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Reading expert Linda Farrell works with Reese to master the name of every letter. She helps Reese sing the alphabet song clearly and with no mistakes. She teaches him to look carefully at letters as he names them.

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Literacy terms

Multisensory instruction: Instruction that engages more than one sense at a time to help students learn. A multisensory activity can include seeing, talking, hearing, moving, and touching.

Onset and rime: The onset is the initial consonant sound or sounds in a syllable that precede the vowel, such as /tr/ in trip, /sk/ in skirt, /b/ in boat, and /shr/ in shrunk. The rime is the part of a syllable that contains the vowel sound and all subsequent sounds in the syllable, such as /ip/ in trip, /irt/ in skirt, /oat/ in boat, and /unk/ in shrunk. Not all words have onsets (e.g. ice, oak, aim, eve, ooze).

Phoneme: The smallest individual sound in a language that changes meaning. For example, the word shock has three phonemes: /sh/, /o/, and /k/. Change the first phoneme from /sh/ to /l/ to get lock; change the middle phoneme from /ŏ/ (short o) to /ā/ (long a) to get shake; and change the last phoneme from /k/ to /p/ to get shop.

Phonemic awareness: The ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. An example of how beginning readers show they have phonemic awareness is combining or blending the separate spoken sounds of a word to say the whole word: /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat. Phonemic awareness is subset of phonological awareness.

Phonological awareness: The ability to recognize and manipulate parts of spoken words. The levels of phonological awareness, from simplest to most complex, are: syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes.

Transcript

Blending Sounds in Syllables with Autumn, Kindergartner
Linda Farrell: Autumn, I'm so glad you're here for this lesson. We are going to work on syllables ... Autumn: And, and letter sounds. Linda Farrell: ... and some letter sounds. Reading expert Linda Farrell has helped thousands of children across the country. Today she'll be working one-on-one with Autumn, who is in kindergarten at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. Ms. Farrell will be helping Autumn with the pre-reading skills that have to do with sounds, what's known as Linda Farrell: Autumn, I'm gonna give you two parts of a word, and you're gonna tell me what the word is. Watch this: /tay/, /bul/. What's the word? phonological awareness Linda Farrell: You're so good I can't even teach you that. You already know syllables. . Autumn needs to understand that most words are composed of individual sounds - like /c/, /a/, and /t/ - and then she needs to learn how to combine those sounds to form a word, like Linda Farrell: Alright. Let's talk about first sounds. This is a bat. Linda Farrell: /b/ is the first sound. This is a ball. cat. Ms. Farrell starts by seeing if Autumn can blend two or three spoken syllables into words. Ms. Farrell is making sure that Autumn can isolate the first sound in a word, what's called the onset. If Autumn can do that consistently, then she's ready to start blending onset and rime. Linda Farrell: Alright. We are now gonna put together two parts of a word again. I'm gonna see if you can tell me what it is. Autumn: Syllable.
Linda Farrell: You got it. Let's try this one: /com/, /pu/, /ter/.
Linda Farrell: Watch this. This is /s/, /un/. What's this? Linda Farrell: What's this? Linda Farrell: What happens if I put it together? Linda Farrell: /m/ Linda Farrell: /eik/ Linda Farrell: What is it when I put it together? Linda Farrell: /eik/ is this part! Watch me. What's this part? Autumn: /m/, /eik/ Linda Farrell: This is /eik/. Can you say /m/, /eik/? You point to each one. Linda Farrell: This part's /eik/. This part is /eik/. Watch this. /mmmmmmmm-eik/. For a lot of children, blending onset and rime is much harder than blending syllables. And that makes sense, says Ms. Farrell.
Linda Farrell: Autumn was a master at that. She could do that beautifully. The next level is onset/rime. And that means ... can you take the first part of the word, everything before the vowel sound and then take the vowel sound and everything after and put those together and make a word? So that would be /s/, /alt/. What's the word?
Linda Farrell: Okay. You do it! Go /mmmmmm/, /meik/. Autumn: Okay. /mmmmm/, /meik/. Linda Farrell: Okay. So what's this part? Linda Farrell: What's this part? Linda Farrell: What's the word? Linda Farrell: Okay. Let's try this one. /sss/. Got it? Linda Farrell: /ik/ Linda Farrell: Say /ik/. Ms. Farrell uses blank pieces of felt to represent each of the sounds. The felt helps Autumn think about parts of words and how she can blend them together, as she'll need to do once she's reading. Linda Farrell: Okay. Watch me. Let's do this. /ssss/. Touch it. Autumn: /ssss/ Linda Farrell: /ik/ Linda Farrell: Now watch this: /sssssssssss-ik/. Autumn: /ssss-sit/
Linda Farrell: This is hat.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Now what's the word? This is /s/, /ik/. Touch and say. Autumn: /s/, /ik/. /si/, /b/? Linda Farrell: What was the word?
Linda Farrell: Okay, this is mouse.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Let's try this. Go /siiiii/.
Linda Farrell: We just did syllables! We just did syllables! We're gonna do something called onset/rime right now.
It's all part of a process of helping Autumn understand that words are made up of component sounds. Linda Farrell: Let's do this one. Are you ready? Okay. This is /raaaaaa-t/. You do it. Linda Farrell: You got that one so fast! Tell me the parts again. Linda Farrell: Oh, my gosh. Should we try another one? Okay. /shaaaaa-p/.
Linda Farrell: Syllables are very easy to hear. You can feel syllables. They have acoustic clues for you: /com/, /pu/, /ter/. They break cleanly. When I go and I do /sh/, /irt/, I don't really say /sh/, /irt/. I say shirt. It's one acoustic clue. Some people's brains just don't get that automatically: Oh, I can break up a syllable into two parts? And we have to teach them. So the way we teach them is by taking the beginning, onset, and rime, and we ask them to blend it.

Linda Farrell: Can you say ... you're saying sit. Say sick.
Linda Farrell: You got it. Let's try this one. Okay. Got another one. You ready? /maaaaaa-p/. Wait a minute. /maaaaaa-p/. You touch each one and tell me the sounds. Linda Farrell: Get that /p/ at the end. Can you say /p/ at the end? Linda Farrell: Now go /maaaaa/, /p/.
Linda Farrell: Sit would be /s/, /it/. We're gonna try this a different way. We're gonna go like this.
Linda Farrell: What's the word? Linda Farrell: And I'm gonna ask you something. If I show you a picture right here, can you find that? Yes! It's right there. Say the word.
Linda Farrell: Now when we learn that children have trouble blending the first part of a word, onset, with the rest of the word ... we took the small felt that was onset, it would be /s/, /ik/. The big felt was /ik/. I moved those around and I took the big part of the word and blended it with the small part of the word. So instead of /sik/, I tried to do /siiiii/, /k/. We're giving the child a /siiiii/ ... they can blend a continuant sound - a vowel is always continuant - into any consonant. It doesn't matter what consonant it is. So /siiii/, /k/.
Linda Farrell: This is /maaaa/. Autumn: /maaaaaa/, /p/.
Linda Farrell: Strawberry starts with an 's' and shop starts with an 's.' Let's try this again. Okay. Here we go.

Linda Farrell: Autumn, as a pre-reader, is already exhibiting some signs of things we see in readers, and that is she's a guesser. When she doesn't know an answer, she's very quick to just say something. What's /s/, /ik/? Sit. And she just wants to get there real quickly. And sometimes we think, well, is she really guessing or is she, oh, my gosh, is she guessing or is she just really almost there? And then when she went, "Strawberry!" ... that confirmed that she's just saying the first thing that comes to her mind. And she's tired. We've been working on the same skill for a while, and her guesses get less and less close to what the reality is. With many children you'll see guessing happening. And we have to first break the guessing habit, and that's another thing that our routine would say. If you aren't sure of the answer, say, "I need help." Because we want children to be confident of their answers, and if they're not, to ask us for help.
The key, says Ms. Farrell, is to give children the time they need to fully master each skill. That includes having the teacher model the skill and having students repeat what the teacher says. That reinforcement allows students a chance to gradually master a concept that initially might be hard.
Autumn: Okay. /maaaaa/, /p/. Mom! /p/
Linda Farrell: Okay? We're gonna try one more. Are you ready to try one more? Let's do this. Okay. /s/. Linda Farrell: /op/ Linda Farrell: That was so fast. It's time for our lesson to end, so let's go back to class, okay? Autumn: Okay. Linda Farrell: Thank you. We'd like to thank the wonderful students and families at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. We hope that sharing these experiences will help other children who are learning to read. Special thanks also to Kelly Cleland, Julie Donovan, Joanne Harbaugh, and their outstanding colleagues at Windy Hill Elementary ... and to Leanne Meisinger at Calvert County Public Schools. We are deeply grateful to Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project.
Linda Farrell: It is. Show me the parts in mop.

Linda Farrell: Autumn was obviously still learning this. Sometimes she could to do it, and sometimes she can't. We want to make sure that Autumn has mastered all the pre-reading skills before we ever ask her to read, before we ask her to blend letter sounds ... /s/, /i/, /t/ into "sit."

Linda Farrell: If I'd had more time with her, I would have done about five words with her: "This is /mooo-n/. Do what I do." ... and try to get her brain just to feel what it feels like. What I do know is that Autumn will master onset rhyme. When she has that, because she will know beginning sounds and ending sounds and she understands that you can break a syllable apart, blending phonemes will not be difficult for her at all.

Linda Farrell: In working with students like Autumn who are so good at one level with a skill and then at the next skill level need a lot of practice, it's important to remember that we're working incrementally, we don't go from what they know to what they don't know to what they don't know, to what they don't know, to what they don't know. We're always trying to stay in teaching on the verge between what they do know and what they don't know. We want to keep their brains open to learning, which means I can learn, which is why I would go back to syllables, maybe start every lesson with blending a few syllables, just making them harder, more than two syllables. Maybe three and four. She's really good at those. And then move to something that's easy for her in onset/rime and then get a little more difficult. So it's incremental. Autumn will be a reader.

Produced by Noel Gunther
For more information about teaching reading, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org
Edited by Christian Lindstrom

Graphic Design: Tina Chovanec

Camera: Richard Chisolm

Audio: Dwayne Dell

Reading Rockets is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C.

© 2019, WETA, Washington, D.C.

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Blending Sounds in Syllables with Autumn, Kindergartner

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This episode focuses on phonological awareness. Reading expert Linda Farrell helps kindergartener Autumn learn to blend two parts of a syllable (onset and rime). Watch how Ms. Farrell gives Autumn explicit practice with onset and rime - a core phonological awareness skill that helps kids recognize and blend sound chunks within syllables.

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Mastering ‘Silent e’ and Becoming More Fluent with Michael, Third Grader

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Reading expert Linda Farrell helps Michael master the ‘silent e’ pattern to help him become a more accurate and ultimately more fluid reader. She begins with making sure that Michael can distinguish between short and long vowel sounds in spoken words, then teaches him a multi-sensory way to recognize the short vowel and ‘silent e’ long vowel patterns in written words. Ms. Farrell emphasizes the need to practice each skill to the point of mastery.

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Transcript

Reading Multisyllable Words with Xavier, Third Grader
Xavier: I think, he - he's kind of bad. Linda Farrell: Oh. Dog Man is? Xavier: Yeah - at his job. Linda Farrell: He sure is. He chews the table leg. Oh my gosh. Reading expert Linda Farrel is working with Xavier, a third grader at Windy Hill Elementary in Calvert County, Maryland. She'll be helping him learn how to read multi-syllable words.
Xavier: ... going to study Flippy's brain.

Linda Farrell: When we visit classrooms, it's a big issue: "The kids do well with small words, but they can't read big words." So I'll ask a student to read. And they look at a word and it's volcanic and they read volcano. Or it's fanatic and they read fantasy. So they guess the most common word that has that configuration that that word looks like it has. What they don't know is how to break a word into syllables so that you're not reading a big word that you have to memorize, but you're just going, "Oh, there's a little word, a little word, a little word.
Linda Farrell: I'm gonna have you read some nonsense words. They all have short vowels. So, could you just read these three nonsense words. Linda Farrell: Good. Alright. What are these three? Linda Farrell: Your, uh, this is pretty easy, isn't it. Yeah. This is too easy. We're done with that one. Okay? Now I'm gonna teach you about reading two-syllable words. This is kinda fun.
Linda Farrell: We started with nonsense words with Xavier because often syllables are nonsense words ... that when you combine them they become real words. So teaching nonsense words is not an exercise in futility. It is preparing children to read multi-syllable words.
Ms. Farrell now knows Xavier can read one-syllable words with short vowels. Next she checks to make sure he knows what a syllable is, because breaking long words into syllables is the key to the strategy she'll be teaching him.
Linda Farrell: I just remembered something. I have to make sure you know what a syllable is. Okay. So look at me. My name is Linda. It has two syllables in it. Lin. Da. Linda. So what's your name?
Linda Farrell: How many syllables in your name? Xavier: Four. Linda Farrell: Okay. Let's stomp them.
Xavier: /Ex/, /ay/, I mean, /ex/, /zay/, /vee/, /er/. Xavier.
Linda Farrell: You got it.
Linda Farrell: How many syllables in computer?
Linda Farrell: Yes. You got it. So you know what a syllable is. Alright. Cause that's really important if we're gonna read these big words. So if I look at this word, and I want to know how to read that, the first thing I have to do is figure out how many syllables are in it. And I can do that by figuring out what the vowels are. Do you know what the vowel letters are? Xavier: 'A, e, i, o ,u.' Linda Farrell: You got it. Those are the vowel letters. So here's what I know. Every syllable has a vowel in it. So in order to figure out how many syllables there are, I have to count the vowels. So can you tell me ... how many vowel letters do you see in that word? Linda Farrell: Yep. Are they together or apart? Xavier: Apart. Linda Farrell: They are apart. If I have two vowels - letters, and they're apart, I'm going to have two syllables. So I'm gonna draw two lines right here, and I have to have a vowel letter in every syllable. So can you break that word into two syllables for me? Linda Farrell: Now this is a nonsense word, so we're gonna read it. What's the first syllable? Linda Farrell: What's the word? Linda Farrell: So read it again. Linda Farrell: And the word is ... Linda Farrell: That's a nonsense word. I just made it up. I literally just made that word up right now. I've never even seen that word before. But we now know what to do if we have a word that we don't know. So let's try another word. Linda Farrell: Oh! You got the first two syllables - you got the first syllable right. How many vowels do you see? Xavier: Three. Linda Farrell: Together or apart. Xavier: Apart. Linda Farrell: Okay. Linda Farrell: Okay. Read each syllable. Xavier: /Vol/, /cay/ ... Linda Farrell: Hmmm. What's that middle syllable? Xavier: ... /can/, /ic/. Linda Farrell: Touch each syllable and read it. Xavier: /Vol/, /can/, /ic/ ... Linda Farrell: Mm-hmm. Linda Farrell: Wait. Wait. What's that? Linda Farrell: Yeah. Let's do it again.
Xavier: /Vol/, /can/, /ic/. Volcanic.

Linda Farrell: You just read volcanic. So what are the syllables in volcanic?
Xavier: 'O' ... Linda Farrell: Those are the vowels. What's the first syllable? Xavier: /Vol/, /can/, /ic/.
Linda Farrell: I'm gonna ask you to do something. I'm erasing this. Okay. So say volcanic.

Linda Farrell: How many syllables in volcanic?
Xavier: Three.
Linda Farrell: Okay. I would like you to please see if you can spell each syllable in volcanic. So draw three lines right up here.

Linda Farrell: Do you think you can spell volcanic? What's the first syllable?
Linda Farrell: What's that syllable? What'd you just spell? Linda Farrell: Okay. Next one. Linda Farrell: Now write the whole word.
Linda Farrell: Oh my gosh. You just spelled volcanic. You couldn't even read it and now you can spell it. That is pretty good. Do you want me to see if I can get a really hard one for you?

Linda Farrell: In teaching Xavier word attack skills, it's very important that we choose words with short vowels that have only one vowel all by itself. So you'll see we're not going to have words with 'silent e,' we're not going to have words with vowel teams. So we need two questions that we can ask Xavier that can help him break a big word into syllables so that all it is is little small words that he has to put together to read a big word. The two questions are ... how many vowels do you see? Are they together or apart? And what we teach him is that ... if you see three vowels and they're apart, you're going to have three syllables, because every syllable has a vowel. And then we teach him to draw a line for each syllable, write each syllable on a line, and then read each little word and then put them together.
Linda Farrell: Let's see if we can try this one. Linda Farrell: How many vowels did you see? Xavier: Three. Linda Farrell: Okay. Could you underline them please? Xavier: I mean four. Linda Farrell: Okay. Four vowels. Are they together or apart? Xavier: Apart. Linda Farrell: So how many syllables? Xavier: Four. Linda Farrell: Okay. Linda Farrell: Could you move that 'n' over there? Okay. Linda Farrell: Okay. So read each syllable. Xavier: /Con/, /tic/ ... Linda Farrell: What's that? Xavier: /ti/, /tin/ Linda Farrell: What's this? Linda Farrell: /t/, /i/. What is it? Linda Farrell: Okay. So it's ...
Xavier: /Con/, /ti/, /nin/, /tul/. Continental.

Linda Farrell: You just read continental. Are you ready for another one?
Xavier: Mm-hmm. Linda Farrell: Okay. Here we go. Let's try this one. Linda Farrell: How many vowels do you see? Xavier: /o/ and /i/, /e/ Linda Farrell: Okay. So how many? You can underline them if you want. Linda Farrell: Why don't you start here and go this way. Yeah. Linda Farrell: Okay. So how many? Xavier: Four. Linda Farrell: Together or apart? Xavier: Apart. Linda Farrell: Okay. Linda Farrell: Do you wanna try to read it without breaking it into syllables? Try it.
Xavier: Accosh - accomplishment.
Linda Farrell: What was the word?
Linda Farrell: It's accomplishment. You are right.
As Xavier grasps the strategy, you can see him thinking through the two questions: How many vowels? Are the vowels together or apart? And he's able to read big words without writing out the syllables. Linda Farrell: What's the word?
Linda Farrell: Wilmington! It's the name of a city ...

Linda Farrell: Xavier does a great job of learning how to attack a word. After this lesson he has a strategy to help him break words into syllables and read them. He will need lots of lessons. We start with short vowels, then we move to 'silent e,' then we move to vowel teams. So it's explicit and it's systematic when we're teaching him this. Xavier responded beautifully to reading these long words.
Linda Farrell: We're gonna do one more. It is ... Linda Farrell: You got it! That was a good one to end on. High five! Yes! We'd like to thank the wonderful students and families at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. We hope that sharing these experiences will help other children who are learning to read. Special thanks also to Kelly Cleland, Julie Donovan, Joanne Harbaugh, and their outstanding colleagues at Windy Hill Elementary ... and to Leanne Meisinger at Calvert County Public Schools. We are deeply grateful to Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project.
Produced by Noel Gunther

Edited by Christian Lindstrom

Graphic Design: Tina Chovanec

Camera: Richard Chisolm

Audio: Dwayne Dell
For more information about teaching reading, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org
Reading Rockets is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C.

© 2019, WETA, Washington, D.C.

Extra tips from the session with Xavier

1. Learning Multisyllabic Words with 'Silent e' and Vowel Teams

After Xavier learns how to read words with one vowel all by itself in each syllable, the next thing we do is we teach him 'silent e,' so that if he gets a word like porcupine that has 'silent e' at the end, we teach him - we add a new question. And it is: do you see a 'silent e' at the end? So then we say, "How many vowels do you see?"

And he'll say, "Four."

"Are they together or apart?"

"They're apart."

"Do you see a 'silent e' - yeah - at the end?"

"Yes."

And then he sees a 'silent e' at the end, and you know that that 'silent e' stays in the syllable with the vowel before it. So of course they have to read one syllable words with 'silent e' before they can read multi-syllable words with 'silent e.' It's just another question. So then we read some of those.

Then the next step is to read words with vowel teams. So let's say the words is refrain. "How many vowels do you see?"

"Three."

"Are they together or apart?"

"One is apart, and two of the vowels are together."

Well, we teach you that when two vowel letters are together, they stick together in the syllable. So you're only going to have two syllables in that word. But of course, in order to read refrain, you have to be able to know that 'a-i' spells /ay/, so you would have to be able to read one syllable words with vowel teams before you go to two syllable or three syllable or four syllable. It's very simple. It's not - there aren't any really rules that we teach. It's how do you look at a word and break it up.

2. Sounding Out New Multisyllabic Words

If they saw the word 'r-o-b-i-n' and they, I said, "How many vowels do you see?"

"Two."

"Together, apart?"

"Apart."

"See a 'silent e'?"

"No."

"How many syllables?"

"Two."

"What's the word?"

"/roe-bin/."

"Could be /roe-bin/. You decoded it perfectly. Flex that first 'o' to a short 'o' instead of a long 'o.'"

So the kid goes /rah-bin/. Oh, robin. And if the word's in his vocabulary, he'll go - "Oh! Robin." And if the word robin isn't in his vocabulary, he'll go /rah-bin/, /rah-bin/. And you know it's not in his vocabulary, and you say, "That word's /rah-bin/. It's like a bird. What's that word?" " Robin."

3. Mastering Reading Accuracy

Maryland third grader Xavier is sharing one of his favorite books with reading expert Linda Farrell. Ms. Farrell is going to help him focus on reading every word accurately.
Linda Farrell: Can you read some of this to me? Can you read?
Xavier: Look. We're heroes because we save the world from Flippy. This - it says here that scientists are going to study Flippy brain.
Linda Farrell: Get the 's' on that. Linda Farrell: What's this word right here - this one right here? Linda Farrell: Yeah. Read that whole thing again.
Xavier: It says here that scien- scientists are going to study Flippy's brain.
Linda Farrell: Keep going.
Xavier: Dog Man, I have a important job for you.
Linda Farrell: What's that word? Linda Farrell: Keep reading again. Xavier: Dog Man, I have a, an important job for you.
Linda Farrell: Can you read that - an important.
Linda Farrell: Read it again.
Xavier: ... important. Dog Man, I have an portant job ...

Linda Farrell: Okay. We're gonna do this. Read this with me. An.

Linda Farrell: Important.

Xavier: Important.

Linda Farrell: Now do it. So read An.

Linda Farrell: im

Linda Farrell: por

Linda Farrell: tant

Xavier: tant
Linda Farrell: Okay. Now, read it again.
Xavier: Dog Man, I have an important job for you.
Linda Farrell: Keep going.
Linda Farrell: One of the things I notice is that teachers often will let an inaccurate reading slip by if the meaning isn't changed. Ah, it's close enough. Move on. And that is setting students up for poor comprehension.
Take for example a sentence like, "The horse got a cold." If a student leaves out the article a and reads it, "The horse got cold," the meaning changes significantly. Linda Farrell: Wait. Who's what?
Linda Farrell: That one little word that seems so inconsequential, a, made a difference in meaning. "The horse got cold" and "the horse got a cold is different." We never know when that's going to make a difference in comprehension. We have to build good, strong reading habits for students. And that means as a teacher, it's my job to help my students develop accurate reading habits so that they don't miss a question on a comprehension test because they misread a sentence. They left off an 's.' They left off, they left out an article. They added an article. They read present tense instead of past tense. They read - they read a contraction incorrectly. All of those can lead to poor comprehension. And we need, in kindergarten, first and second grade and even third grade, to be making sure that our students read accurately. It's our responsibility.
Linda Farrell: Yeah.
Xavier: Who wants to protect the scientists? Who's a good boy protector?
Linda Farrell: And what's that word?
Xavier: Who's a good boy - good protector.
Linda Farrell: Okay. I'm gonna tell you that 'v' is - that 'e' is silent. So what does that say? Linda Farrell: You got it. So read that again.
Xavier: Who - who wants to protect an, and survive?

Xavier: Surva - suh-verve?
Linda Farrell: And what does he do? Does he save people? Xavier: Yeah. He helps people. These are ...
Xavier: Who wants to protect and serve?

Linda Farrell: We're teaching students, our children, that every letter does make a difference and that when you come to an unfamiliar word, you have to pay attention to every letter. And then when you read that word two or three times, it then becomes a word that you've seen before and you just read it because it's part of your vocabulary and you've seen that spelling before.

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Reading Multisyllable Words with Xavier, Third Grader

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Reading expert Linda Farrell shows Xavier how to read and spell unfamiliar multisyllable words with one vowel letter in each syllable. First she makes sure that Xavier has three prerequisite skills: being able to read one-syllable nonsense words, knowing how to count syllables in spoken words, and naming the vowel letters.

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Transcript

Mastering Short Vowels and Reading Whole Words with Calista, First Grader
Linda Farrell: What do we call that vowel sound? You say ... Calista: Short 'o.' Linda Farrell: You got it! Calista is in first grade at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. She's an early stage reader who sounds out letters accurately. And she can blend those letters together to form words. Linda Farrell: Calista, could you please read this column. Reading expert Linda Farrell is helping Calista take the next step toward fluent reading ... reading each word as a whole rather than one sound at a time. Their time together will include work on short vowel sounds, blending and manipulating sounds, reading whole words, and fluency. Ms. Farrell starts by making sure Calista has a strong foundation in her short vowel sounds. Linda Farrell: We're gonna learn some motions. Can you hold an apple in your hand? And when I ask you the short 'a' sound, you're gonna say, /aaa/. Say it. Linda Farrell: Now watch me. /Aaaaaa-pul/. You do it. Calista: /Aaaaaa-pul/ Linda Farrell: Okay. That is going to remind you of the short 'a' sound. That's our motion, so say, /aaa/. Linda Farrell: And when I ask you what the short /a/ sound is, you're gonna go /aaaa/. Do it. Calista: /aaa/ Linda Farrell: For short 'e,' go like this. Watch me. Go /eeeeeh-j/. Calista: /eeeeh-j/
Linda Farrell: So we want to start out by making sure she's solid with her short vowel sounds. So that's the first thing we did. And she did know her - when I said, "What's short 'a'?", she knew it. She had to think a little bit. So what we did is we want her to - when she can't remember the vowel sound real easily, we want to not have to give it to her. We want her to have a scaffold to learn it. So we taught Calista the motions that go with the vowel sound, so that if she can't remember a vowel sound - what is the short 'o' sound? - then all she has to do ... I can go like this and remind her, or she can go, oh, it's /ah/, it's octopus.

Linda Farrell: I tell you what we're gonna do. We are gonna go to short 'o.' Are you ready? Okay. Here we go. /Aaaaahc-tuh-pus/.

Calista: /aaaaahc-tuh-pus/
Linda Farrell: Now we're not gonna say the /k-tuh-pus/ part. We're just gonna say /aaah/. Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: What's the short 'o' sound? Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: And make the motion. Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: What's the short 'a' sound? Calista: /aaa/ Linda Farrell: Short 'o'? Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: Okay. Now we're gonna learn short 'u.' You ready for short 'u'? /Uuu-p/. Do it. Calista: /uuu-p/
Linda Farrell: And the first sound in up is /uuu/.
Calista: /uuu/ Linda Farrell: What's the short 'u' sound? Calista: /uuu/ Linda Farrell: Short 'a'? Calista: /aaa/ Linda Farrell: Short 'o'? Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: Short 'u'? Calista: /uuu/
Linda Farrell: The vowel motions that we teach are purposefully motions. They aren't static, because if I say /a/, /eh/, /i/, /ah/, /u/, you can hardly hear the difference between those sounds. /A/, /eh/, /i/, /ah/, /u/. And children who have phonological awareness difficulties, which is the biggest one of the - it is the biggest problem in reading issues - they don't hear the vowel sounds easily. Listen to this: /aaaa/, /eeeeh/, /iiiii/, /aaah/, /uuuu/. They sound different. So we want to encourage the children not to say /a/. We want them to say /aaaa/; therefore, the motion that we use - which is holding an apple and then move it across the front of your body, left to right, motion of reading, /aaa/, and then /pul/ is what the rest of the word is, but we only say the first sound - everything encourages them to draw out that sound.
Linda Farrell: Now we're gonna learn short 'i.' Are you ready for short 'i'? Calista: Mm-hmm. Linda Farrell: Okay. Watch this. I went stomping ... I went hiking, and I stomped and tromped in some poison ivy, and, boy, do I /iiiiiii-ch/. Do it. Do this. Calista: /iiiii-ch/ Linda Farrell: /Iiiiiii-ch/. Do it. Calista: /iiiii-ch/
Linda Farrell: Now, you have to smile real big when you say itch. Go /iiiiiiiii-ch/.
Calista: /iiiiiiii-ch/ Linda Farrell: Do it again. Short 'i' sound. Calista: /iiiiiiii-ch/
Linda Farrell: Okay. And itch is the guide word. I made a mistake. I should have told you that /i/ is just like this: /iii/. We don't even say the /ch/ part, just do this: /iii/.
Calista: /iii/ Linda Farrell: What's the short 'i' sound? Calista: /i/. /iii/. Linda Farrell: Make it go /iiiiii/. Calista: /iii/ Linda Farrell: What's the short 'a' sound? Calista: /aaa/ Linda Farrell: Short 'i'? Calista: /iii/ Linda Farrell: Short 'i'? Calista: /iii/ Linda Farrell: Short 'a'? Calista: /aaa/ Linda Farrell: Short 'o'? Calista: /aaah/ Linda Farrell: Short 'u'? Calista: /uuu/ Linda Farrell: You know your short vowel sounds!
Linda Farrell: Calista was very confident with her vowel sounds. She knew them. I would still have worked on them a little bit more, but she was confident enough for me to move on to the next step. So the next step with a kid who's reading sound by sound isn't really intuitive. It's often a phonological problem. It isn't a problem with the letters. The kid knows the letters. I know the letter sounds. I can blend the letter sounds into a real word. What they aren't doing is thinking the sounds in their mind. They're turning that word - if it's hug, they look at it and they go /h/, /u/, /g/. And they are never getting the full visual picture of that word. To them it's always an 'h-u-g,' a /h/, /u/, /g/. Not hug. So they haven't moved to where they can read the whole word without breaking it into phonics. And that's a step that we're going to have to teach her to do, which is one of my favorite things to do, because it's just, they just go from being really slow readers to just being normal readers once they can get this phonological representation.

Calista: /l/, /i/, /p/, lip

Linda Farrell: Okay. What's the first sound in lip?
Calista: 'l' Linda Farrell: 'L' is the name of the letter. What's the sound?
Linda Farrell: What's the next sound in lip?
Calista: 'i' Linda Farrell: 'I' is the name of the letter. What's the sound?
Linda Farrell: Okay. And when I ask you, you point to it, okay? So what's the first sound in lip?

Linda Farrell: What's the next sound in lip?

Linda Farrell: And the last sound in lip?
Linda Farrell: And what's the ...
Calista: lip

Calista: /s/, /i/, /p/, sip
Calista: You take away this one and add this one.
Linda Farrell: Which one did I take out? If this is sip, take out ...
Calista: The /s/ and add the /t/. Calista: Hmm.
Linda Farrell: So let's touch and say tip.

Calista: /t/, /i/, /p/, tip

Linda Farrell: Now touch and say Tim.

Calista: /t/, /i/, /m/, Tim
Linda Farrell: Which one's different? Calista: The last one.
Linda Farrell: So what do I take out of tip to change tip to Tim?
Calista: The last one. Linda Farrell: And what sound do I take out? Calista: 'p' Linda Farrell: 'P' is the name of the letter. What's the sound?
Linda Farrell: Okay. Take it out. And what do I put in to make it Tim?
Calista: 'm' Linda Farrell: 'M' is the name of the letter. What's the sound?
Calista: /t/, /i/, /m/, Tim

Linda Farrell: When we work with sound-by-sound children, we make sure that they know the difference between letters and sounds and that they can manipulate sounds. Once they can blend and segment sounds confidently, we move to manipulating. How do we do that? We work with colored tiles. They don't have letters on them, because we want the child to have no distraction with letters. What we want is the child to be thinking about sounds.

Linda Farrell: Touch and say tap.

Calista: /t/, /a/, /p/, tap
Ms. Farrell gives Calista plenty of quiet time to think about which sounds are changing.
Linda Farrell: Let's check that because ... one thing you did right is there's always only one tile that changes. Let's touch and say tap.

Calista: /t/, /a/, /p/, tap

Linda Farrell: Touch and say tape.

Calista: /t/, /ay/, /p/, tape
Linda Farrell: Which one's different? Calista: Hmm. Middle.
Linda Farrell: Yeah. What sound do you take out of tap?
Calista: 'a'
Linda Farrell: 'A' is the name of the letter. What sound do you take out of tap?

Linda Farrell: Okay. Take it out. And what sound do you put in to make tape?
Calista: /t - ayp/ Linda Farrell: Touch and say.
Calista: /t/, /ay/, p/, tape
Linda Farrell: What sound was that?
Linda Farrell: It was /ay/. Okay. So you put in the sound /ay/. If I want to change tape ... sorry, yes ... tape to take, which one do I change?
Calista: This one.
Linda Farrell: Yes. What sound do I take out of tape?
Calista: 'p' Linda Farrell: What sound?
Linda Farrell: Yeah. Okay. And what sound to I put in to make it take?

Linda Farrell: Now this time, when I ask you to make a change, keep your mouth closed and think about it. Okay? Okay. So don't open your mouth. You can think the sounds in your head. So we've got take to make. Okay. Look down. You can look down. Take to make. Can you say take to make?
Linda Farrell: Okay. Which one changes? Keep your mouth closed. Don't ... you have to think the sounds, okay?
Linda Farrell: Okay. So take out /t/. And what are you going to put in for make? What sound?
Linda Farrell: Okay. Close your mouth, and think about which one. When you know, touch it. Calista: [points to the letter]
Linda Farrell: Okay. What sound comes out of make?

Linda Farrell: Yep. What sound goes in for mate?
Linda Farrell: Okay ...
Linda Farrell: One of the things Calista does is I say, "What's the first sound?" and she gives me the name of the letter. And we've got to get sound-by-sound children to think in terms of ... there are letter sounds, and there are letter names, because the name of the letter, the first letter in phone is 'p,' but the first sound in phone is /f/. And if she doesn't get the difference automatically and quickly, she'll always be struggling with reading. It's easy to teach. It's no big deal. And I think that you see Calista make great strides in her reading.
Now we're at the point where Ms. Farrell will push Calista to a higher level of reading - from reading words sound by sound to reading whole words. Linda Farrell: Could you please read this column?
Linda Farrell: Students who read sound by sound see a letter, make it a sound, see a letter, make it a sound, see a letter, make it a sound. So this is what's happening. What that keeps her from being able to do is develop a visual imprint of words and word patterns on her brain. And you never look at the word as a whole. We're trying to get Calista to look at the word as a whole, as opposed to looking at it letter, by letter, by letter.
Linda Farrell: Now what I'd like you to do is I want you to go back, and this time keep your mouth closed before and think the sounds and don't open your mouth until you know what the word is and can read it. Okay? Linda Farrell: Keep going. Calista: Add. Pal. And. Mud. Linda Farrell: Okay. Phew. You got pretty good there, didn't ya, closing your mouth. You can sense the wheels turning in Calista's mind as she works silently to sound out the letters and put the sounds together into a word. Next comes work on fluency. Linda Farrell: Let's start right here.
Calista: Can. The. Lad.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Now go back and read it. Again.
Calista: Can. The. Lad.

Linda Farrell: Now can you go back and read it, Can the lad? Okay. Read it.
Linda Farrell: Okay.
Calista: Be. In. The. Mud.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Read it like you'd say it.
Calista: Be in the mud.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Now read the whole sentence.
Calista: Can the lad be in the mud.
Linda Farrell: Okay. Can you read that one?
Calista: Kim was hot. And got a fan. Kim was hot and got a fan.
Linda Farrell: Okay. We're gonna go and read a couple of sentences now. Those were phrases, and they turned into sentences. Could you please read this sentence?
Calista: Gus. Got. Mud. On. The. Rug.
Linda Farrell: Okay. And now we're gonna go read a passage. Okay. What's the title? Linda Farrell: Okay?
Calista: Don was a lad. Pip was a pup. Don and Pip had a run. The sun was hot.

Linda Farrell: She was getting faster as she closed her mouth. She made more mistakes than she would make if she read sound by sound. She didn't make that many mistakes, but she did make more mistakes. But that's okay, because that's what happens when you start changing a habit, is you go backwards a little bit. She'll eventually, and I think fairly quickly, be a much faster reader and a much more proficient reader.
Linda Farrell: Do you ever read a book that you like? Calista: Mm-hmm.
Linda Farrell: Calista made a lot of progress in this lesson, and she is on her way to being a top-notch reader.
We'd like to thank the wonderful students and families at Windy Hill Elementary School in Calvert County, Maryland. We hope that sharing these experiences will help other children who are learning to read. Special thanks also to Kelly Cleland, Julie Donovan, Joanne Harbaugh, and their outstanding colleagues at Windy Hill Elementary ... and to Leanne Meisinger at Calvert County Public Schools. We are deeply grateful to Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter, and Nicole Lubar of Readsters for their invaluable contributions to this project.
Produced by Noel Gunther

Edited by Christian Lindstrom

Graphic Design: Tina Chovanec

Camera: Richard Chisolm

Audio: Dwayne Dell
For more information about teaching reading, please visit www.ReadingRockets.org
Reading Rockets is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C.

© 2019, WETA, Washington, D.C.

Extra tips from the session with Calista

1. Letter Names vs. Letter Sounds

Linda Farrell: Some children manage to read and they don't know the difference between the letter name and a letter sound and they are strong readers and I don't care. When a student struggles with reading, that's often something that's very difficult for them. They think in terms of letter names only. And when you're a beginning reader, then they're just trying to memorize letters.

And if I teach Tim is 't - i - m,' three letters ... but time is 't - i - m -e,' four letters, and I ask a student who is not strong in knowing the difference between a letter name and a letter sound, "How many sounds in time? Show me how many sounds in time." And they'll put four. They'll put four letters - four tiles down there, and I'll say, "Well, tell me the sounds." "/T/, /i/, /m/, /eh/." That student understands how time is spelled. They know that word is time. And they have not a clue why that word is time and the other word is Tim.

So when I get a student who's a sound-by-sound reader or who misreads vowel sounds - they read Tim as time or time as Tim; often they read hop as hope, hope as hop - it's very important that before I ever start to try to teach them to read that they understand that there's a letter and there's a sound, because then I can anchor when I get to teach them that kit is 'k i t.' Then they know /k/, /i/, /t/. Now how many sounds in kite? /K/, /eye/, /t/ ... three. Three sounds in kite. Great. Now let me show you how kite is spelled. This 'i' sound is spelled with two letters: this 'i' and this 'e.' And now suddenly they go, "Oh, I get how it works." Some kids get ... I happen to be a kid ... I thought the short 'a' sound was /ah/ because that's what the doctor has you say.

I could read, but, I tell you, I couldn't teach reading knowing that, because I hadn't - somehow the patterns, I intuited them, many people do - but when you don't intuit them, you have to be taught explicitly. One of the things that's very frustrating is that there are many programs that go real fast, and they don't teach kids things to mastery. And then we don't find out who's struggling until they get to third grade, and now they're way behind.

And we need to make sure that in first grade Calista masters what's a letter, what's a sound. Otherwise, it's going to get in the way of her reading. It already is, because already she's thinking in terms of letters - and she can do sounds. She can go, /h/, /u/, /g/, hug. But then I say, "What's the first sound?" and she goes 'h.' Well, she's not going to be able to understand that 'th' together spells /th/, two letters, one sound.

So it's just a fundamental that we need to teach all children. It wouldn't have hurt me to learn it. It wouldn't have hurt anybody to learn that there is a sound and there is a letter. And we will keep children from struggling if we teach that to everyone.

2. Stretching CVC Words
Linda Farrell: We're gonna learn to do some stretching. Have you ever stretched sounds before? Calista: Mm-mm.
Linda Farrell: Let me show you how it goes. If I'm going to stretch the word pot, I go like this: Pot. /P/, /ah/, /t/, pot. You do it.

Linda Farrell: And I'm gonna ask you what's the vowel sound in pot? And you are gonna say ... stretch pot. Stretch pot again.
Calista: /p/, /ah/, /t/ Linda Farrell: What's this sound right here? Linda Farrell: So the vowel sound is /ah/. What's the vowel sound? Linda Farrell: Make the motion. Linda Farrell: And I'm going to ask you, what do we call that vowel sound? And you say ... Calista: Short 'o.' Linda Farrell: You got it. Ready? So when I say "Ready," you go "Ready!" Calista: Ready.
Calista: /p/, /e/, /t/, pet
Linda Farrell: Vowel sound? Linda Farrell: And make the motion. Calista: /eeeh/ Linda Farrell: And what do we call that vowel sound? Calista: Short 'e.' Linda Farrell: Ready? Calista: Ready.
Calista: /s/, /u/, /m/, sum
Linda Farrell: Vowel sound? Calista: /u/, /uuu/ Linda Farrell: And what do we call that vowel sound? Calista: Short 'u.' Linda Farrell: Okay. You really know your vowel sounds now. You got it.

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Mastering Short Vowels and Reading Whole Words with Calista, First Grader

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Reading expert Linda Farrell works with Calista, an early stage reader, on short vowel sounds, blending and manipulating sounds, reading whole words, and fluency. Ms. Farrell starts by making sure Calista has a strong foundation in short vowel sounds by teaching her hand motions to remember those sounds more easily.

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Assessment Tools: High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities

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These High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities Self-Assessment Tools are designed to help preservice and in-service teachers reflect on and assess how well they are implementing high-leverage practices (HLPs) for students with disabilities. Teachers and teacher candidates can self-asse…

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What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do

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Early Childhood Mathematics for Preschool and Primary Students

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Early Childhood Mathematics for Preschool and Primary Students

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Working With Paraeducators: Tools and Strategies for Planning, Performance Feedback, and Evaluation

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Working With Paraeducators: Tools and Strategies for Planning, Performance Feedback, and Evaluation

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Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM) 

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Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM) 

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AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an evidence-based practice (EBP) with learners on the spectrum from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

Download an overview of the Components of AFIRM to learn about modules, resources, and professional development options.

Visit the Learn with AFIRM section to find out more.

To learn more about the updated EBPs, check out the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice website.

Introduction to Autism

Selecting an Evidence-Based Practice

AFIRM for Paraprofessionals: Simulated E-Learning

These simulated learning modules include brief overviews, video examples, and activity-based scenarios to learn foundational EBPs.

Reinforcement: Introduction & Practice

Prompting: Introduction & Practice

Supporting Peer Interactions: Introduction & Practice

Time Delay: Introduction & Practice

Visual Cues: Introduction & Practice

AFIRM for Toddlers

AFIRM for Toddlers are a set a of modules developed in collaboration with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center for early interventionists working with toddlers, families, and early care providers.

AFIRM for Toddlers Introduction

Behavior Supports for Toddlers

Naturalistic Interventions in the Child Care Setting

Parent-Implemented Interventions in the Home Setting

Reinforcement

Prompting

Visual Supports

Available Evidence-Based Practice Modules

The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice (NCAEP) identified 28 EBPs based upon a systematic review. The EBP modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process for planning for, using, and monitoring an EBP with learners with autism from birth to 22 years of age.

Augmentative & Alternative Communication

Antecedent-Based Interventions

Ayres Sensory Integration®

Behavioral Momentum Intervention

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention

Direct Instruction

Differential Reinforcement

Discrete Trial Training

Exercise

Extinction

Functional Behavioral Assessment

Functional Communication Training

Modeling

Music-Mediated Intervention

Naturalistic Intervention

Peer-Mediated Instruction & Intervention

Parent-Implemented Intervention

Prompting

Reinforcement

Response Interruption/ Redirection

Self-Management

Social Narratives

Social Skills Training

Task Analysis

Technology-Aided Instruction & Intervention

Time Delay

Video Modeling

Visual Supports

Available Supplemental Modules

Several EBPs identified in the previous review (Wong et al., 2014) were recategorized or reclassified in the most recent review by the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence & Practice (see Steinbrenner et al., 2020, p. 30 for details). The four modules below will remain available for AFIRM users as supplemental materials:

Picture Exchange Communication System

Pivotal Response Training

Scripting

Structured Play Groups

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AFIRM Modules AFIRM Modules are designed to help you learn the step-by-step process of planning for, using, and monitoring an evidence-based practice (EBP) with learners on the spectrum from birth to 22 years of age. Supplemental materials and handouts are available for download.

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Revisiting Expectations for Students with Disabilities

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Revisiting Expectations for Students with Disabilities

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National Council of Educational Outcomes Brief Number 17 • May 2019

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This module discusses the importance of differentiating three aspects of instruction: content, process (instructional methods), and product (assessment). It explores the student traits-readiness level, interest, and learning preferences-that influence learning (est. completion time: 3 hours).

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2022 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students

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This module discusses the importance of differentiating three aspects of instruction: content, process (instructional methods), and product (assessment). It explores the student traits-readiness level, interest, and learning preferences-that influence learning (est. completion time: 3 hours). Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

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This resource introduces users to progress monitoring in mathematics, a type of formative assessment in which student learning is evaluated to provide useful feedback about performance to both learners and teachers (est. completion time: 2 hours).

Note: Because the overall progress monitoring process is almost identical for any subject area, the content in this module is very similar to that covered in the module Progress Monitoring: Reading. The main difference is that this module highlights information related to progress monitoring for mathematics.

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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This resource introduces users to progress monitoring in mathematics, a type of formative assessment in which student learning is evaluated to provide useful feedback about performance to both learners and teachers (est. completion time: 2 hours).

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The challenging word that the student is skipping may be contextually important. Therefore, a student cannot look at the meaning of the sentence to help figure out the word they are struggling to decode.

Decoding is an essential component of the comprehension equation. For a student to be a fluent reader, decoding must also be automatic and fluid. Syllable division utilizes direct, systematic instruction for breaking phonetic multisyllabic words into small manageable chunks by identifying the syllable pattern.

Syllable division strategies taught in isolation will provide direct instruction to enable students to transfer those word attack skills when reading text independently. A student can then sound out the word based on the syllable types and patterns. Once a student can decode the word, the brain registers if that word holds meaning.

Not only are these skills beneficial for children who have difficulty reading multisyllabic words, but they are also an essential reading strategy for students with dyslexia.

A syllable is a unit of linguistic structure consisting of a syllabic element, usually a vowel, and any segments associated with it. There are four-syllable division patterns and seven-syllable types. Syllable patterns are taught in the order of how commonly they occur within multisyllabic words. Syllable division strategies are one of the elements contained within Structured Literacy.

Syllable Division: Rules and Patterns

The first syllable pattern and the most common of the four patterns is the first syllable pattern, VC/CV, or vowel-consonant/consonant-vowel. A two-syllable word such as cac/tus follows the VC/CV pattern. Other instructional resources may also identify this pattern as VCCCV or VCCCCV.

The second and third instruction pattern is the VCV pattern or vowel/consonant/vowel. The two divisions that fall within VCV are V/CV and VC/V. The teaching of these two patterns can coincide. Students will need to have some depth of oral vocabulary to identify where to split the VCV pattern words.

The V/CV pattern is the more common of the two patterns and will contain an open syllable as the first syllable. A word such as lo/tus is an example of a V/CV pattern.

When taught together, students can practice with both the V/CV pattern as well as the VC/V pattern. The VC/V pattern will contain a closed syllable as its first syllable, as in the word rad/ish.

Coffee stirrers are a great tool to help students try it both ways before determining the division. If the student doesn't recognize the word with either division, it is the opportune time to enrich the student's vocabulary.

V/V is the fourth pattern of syllable instruction and is the abbreviation for vowel/vowel. It is the least common pattern and occurs when two vowel combinations are divided. For example: words such as me/te/or or vi/o/lin contain vowel / vowel syllable patterns.

The Seven Syllable Types

The seven-syllable types are:

Closed

Open

Magic E

Vowel Teams

Bossy R

Diphthongs

Consonant-le

We can include two additional types in our instructions: the Schwa and Suffixes.

Closed and Open Syllables

The first two-syllable types that are often taught in conjunction with each other are closed and open syllables. A closed syllable contains a single short vowel. We can teach students to recognize that the vowel is a short vowel if a consonant follows it. The consonant is closing in the vowel sound. For example, in the word hap/pen. Both syllables are closed syllables which indicate that they contain short vowel sounds.

The next syllable type that we teach is an open syllable. An open syllable is when the single vowel stands alone and occurs at the end of a syllable. An open syllable produces the long vowel sound of a single vowel. For example, the first syllable in the word lo/tus is an open syllable. The vowel ends the syllable. Here is a wonderful multi-sensory video on teaching this concept done by the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education.

Magic E Syllables

Magic E is the third of the seven-syllable types. One syllable words such as like or take contain the Magic E pattern. The "e" at the end of the syllable jumps over a single consonant sound and tells the first vowel to say its name. The vowel name is also the same as the long vowel sound. In "like," the "e" jumps over the k and tells the "i" to say its name.

Vowel Team Syllables

Vowel teams are when you have a vowel pair that produces the long vowel sound associated with the first vowel in the pair. While the syllable may appear closed because of the consonant, the vowel team indicates to a student that a syllable will contain a long vowel sound. In the word team/mate the first syllable is identified as a Vowel Team, and the second syllable is identified as a Magic E.

Bossy R Syllables

A Bossy R syllable contains an r-controlled vowel pairing. Words that contain the r-controlled vowel patterns of er, ir, ur will often take on the /er/ sound. The /ar/ and /or/ are also categorized under the Bossy R syllable type.

Diphthong Syllables

A diphthong syllable contains a vowel combination that contains a vowel glide sequence. English diphthongs show changes in sound due to tongue movement away from the initial vowel articulation towards a glide position. With some diphthongs, the change is easier to hear than in others. A word such as down/town contains the /ow/ diphthong pattern.

Consonant-le Syllables

Consonant-le is another syllable type and it always appears at the end of a word. The consonant-le pattern differs from Magic E. While both syllable types contain a silent-e at the end the consonant-le syllable pattern includes two individual consonant sounds before the silent-e. There are three types of consonant-le words: Closed syllables with a consonant-le ending such as grum/ble; open syllable words with a consonant-le such as ta/ble; and closed syllable words where the consonant-le in the middle is doubled, or a twin, such as fid/dle.

Additional Syllable Types

As students progress through the syllable types and patterns found in our English language, they will encounter some additional syllable types. One of those is the schwa. The schwa is the most commonly spoken vowel sound in our language. The upside-down e symbol represents it.

The schwa phoneme is referred to as a reduced vowel. It occurs in multisyllabic words and only in unaccented syllables. The schwa phoneme will typically make a short u or short i sound. Encoding words that contain a schwa can be more challenging than decoding.

The Effectiveness of Syllable Division

Using a systematic, structured approach is advantageous for younger students to learn the syllable types in conjunction with phonics instruction. For example, suppose that the students are doing the encoding (spelling) of one syllable Magic E words. In that case, layering in the decoding of multisyllabic words with that same pattern will enhance our students reading decoding skills within the text. The student can spell with one syllable as we teach them to read that same syllable pattern with multisyllabic words. This makes for an easier transition into encoding two-syllable words with that Magic E pattern.

As we transition students into more independent practice with syllable division strategies, we can introduce centers, games, and other interactive activities.

Syllable division strategies can unlock the world of reading for older students who struggle to decode words. Older students may have a robust oral vocabulary, and once they can decode the word, they can put that word into the context of their reading.

As we continue to explore language structure with our students, we can instruct students in chunking morphemes within words. We can move from syllable division to identifying prefixes, suffixes, and bases contained with words. This will allow students to transition from decoding syllables to decoding and learn morphemes within words. This instruction will enhance students' vocabulary and comprehension.

About the Author

Shari Schukraft is a Level 4 Master Instructor with the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. She has been providing teacher instruction in the Orton-Gillingham methodology with IMSE for 13 1/2 years.

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education/English and a Master's in Education with a Reading Specialty both from Indiana University. She has taught High School English and 5th Grade as well as tutored students of all age levels.

References:

International Dyslexia Association (2018). Effective Reading Instruction for Students with Dyslexia. https://dyslexiaida.org/effective-reading-instruction/

O'Grady, Dobrovolsky, Aronoff (1997). Contemporary Linguistics. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

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The Importance of Teaching Syllable Division & Decoding Strategies

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Decoding is an essential component of comprehension, and syllable division strategies can help students who struggle to decode words.

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Highlighting how multi-sensory learning looks in the classroom and different options for how to instruct.

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Multi-Sensory Learning: Types of Instruction and Materials

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Multi-sensory instruction incorporates the use of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile modalities in the components of learning to read.

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IRIS | Secondary Reading Instruction (Part 2): Deepening Middle School Content-Area Learning with Vocabulary and Comprehension Strategies

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* Note: If you have not done so already, consider completing part one before beginning this resource:

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This resource introduces users to progress monitoring in reading, a type of formative assessment in which student learning is evaluated to provide useful feedback about performance to both learners and teachers (est. completion time: 2 hours).

Note: Because the overall progress monitoring process is almost identical for any subject area, the content in this module is very similar to that covered in the module Progress Monitoring: Mathematics. The main difference is that this module highlights information related to progress monitoring for reading.

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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This resource introduces users to progress monitoring in reading, a type of formative assessment in which student learning is evaluated to provide useful feedback about performance to both learners and teachers (est. completion time: 2 hours).

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This module features the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model, which outlines the six steps required to effectively implement any instructional strategy and emphasizes the time and effort required to do so (est. completion time: 1 hour).

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2022 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected]. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. The contents of this Website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

* For refund and privacy policy information visit our Help & Support page.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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SRSD: Using Learning Strategies To Enhance Student Learning

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This module features the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) model, which outlines the six steps required to effectively implement any instructional strategy and emphasizes the time and effort required to do so (est. completion time: 1 hour). Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

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Specifically designed with school administrators in mind, this module offers guidance on how to support and facilitate the development and implementation of high-quality IEPs, including the monitoring of student progress (est. completion time: 2 hours). If you have not done so already, consider completing the following module: IEPs: Developing High-Quality Individualized Education Programs
Note: The content addressed in this module is based on federal law and regulations. State and local education agencies may have additional requirements. The information in this document is not intended to be a replacement for careful study of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its regulations.
Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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IEPs: How Administrators Can Support the Development and Implementation of High-Quality IEPs

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Specifically designed with school administrators in mind, this module offers guidance on how to support and facilitate the development and implementation of high-quality IEPs, including the monitoring of student progress (est. completion time: 2 hours).

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This module details the process of developing high-quality individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities. The module discusses the requirements for IEPs as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with implications of the Supreme Court's ruling in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (est. completion time: 3 hours).
Note: The content addressed in this module is based on federal law and regulations. State and local education agencies may have additional requirements. The information in this module is not intended to be a replacement for careful study of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its implementing regulations.
Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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This module details the process of developing high-quality individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities. The module discusses the requirements for IEPs as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with implications of the Supreme Court's ruling in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (est.

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Playing math games with children can be a fun, developmentally appropriate way to spark understanding of big mathematical ideas. Math games also support children's mathematical habits of mind-and key school readiness skills, such as problem solving, puzzling, and perseverance. When we watch and listen to how children play math games, we learn a lot about the mathematics they already know and what they're ready to learn.

This is the first article in a series about math games and how they support preschooler math readiness.

What are dot card and finger games?

Dot card games are simple and can be played again and again. They use cards that have one to 10 black dots arranged in different configurations-linear (straight line), rectangular, dice pattern, circular, and scattered configurations.

A variety of dot arrangements help children develop different mental images of quantities.

We often ask children to count a line of objects, but circular and scattered arrangements are harder to count one by one! These games support children's ability to subitize-that is, to immediately see how many without counting, a key factor relating to young children's math ability.

Finger games promote children's understanding of early math concepts, from counting to composing and decomposing number (the foundation of addition and subtraction). When children use their fingers to count, they are strengthening their number knowledge and their ability to visualize numbers in their minds. Finger games can be played anytime, anywhere, since your fingers are always with you!

Here are some math games for children to enjoy using dot cards and fingers. Observe children as they play, and use the information in the "Things to notice as children play" sections of each game to learn more about the mathematics supported while children play these games.

Games with dot cards

Now it's time to play! Let's start with dot card games. (See "Dot Card Games: Materials and Teacher Tips.") Create dot card decks and gather the other materials. Check the teacher tips to learn how to challenge players as their math ability grows. And most important . . . encourage subitizing!

Encourage children to quickly "see" how many dots are on the cards-particularly for cards with three or fewer dots. When children subitize and immediately "know" five dots, you might ask, "How did you see five dots so quickly? Did you group them?" Children do not need to count one by one for every card. If children always count one by one, they sometimes become less proficient at subitizing.

Dot Card Games: Materials and Teacher Tips

Materials to create and collect

Dot card sets are available to print at www.ym.edc.org/dotcard. Sets are 2½ x 2½ and 5 x 5 inches. You'll need the following:

Two sets of small dot cards

One set of large dot cards

Blank 5 x 5 cards for children to make their own dot cards (Tip: Use card stock or laminate the cards to make them sturdier)

25 tokens or other counting objects (buttons, coins)

Set of numeral cards 1-10

Tips for playing

Play these games at the math center, during small group time, or at circle time

Try with two to four children at a time

Have children play together in pairs once they've been introduced to the games

Tips for extending the learning

You'll find more than one version of each game.

When children first play, use cards with one to three dots

For later games, introduce cards with four and five dots

When children are ready, add cards with up to 10 dots

Pay attention to the different arrangements of dots on a card (rectangular and dice arrangements are typically easier; linear, circular, and scattered arrangements are harder)

Cover and Copy

Focus on one-to-one correspondence and cardinality.

Ages 3-5 | 5-10 minutes

Game 1: Cover the Dots

Give each child one large dot card and some tokens (usually a few more than they need to cover the dots on the card).
Ask children to count one-by-one as they cover each dot with a token.

Game 2: Copy the Dots

Give each child one large dot card, a blank 5 x 5 inch card, and some tokens (usually a few more than they need).
Have children re-create their dot card using the tokens on the blank card.

Things to notice as children play

In Game 1, putting tokens on dots while counting reinforces one-to-one correspondence. Ask, "How many dots did you cover?" If children can tell you the total, they are beginning to understand cardinality. If they recount when you ask "How many?," they may be still working on understanding cardinality. In Game 2, counting out the tokens to a certain number reinforces cardinality, and re-creating a configuration encourages children to pay attention to orientation and spacing (important early literacy skills).

Match How Many

Focus on subitizing and comparing numbers.

Ages 3-5 | 5-10 minutes

Game 1: How Many Do I Have?

Place three to six dot cards on the table.

Hold up a large dot card.

Ask, "How many dots do I have?"

Let children figure out the number of dots on the card, then match it to one of the cards on the table (the configuration can be different).

As you play, use fewer words (or be silent), and have children simply match the number of dots on their cards to the number on your card.

Things to notice as children play

This game asks children to subitize or count the dots on the teacher's card, then compare the number to their cards to find a match. You can have children show on their fingers or say aloud the number of dots on the teacher's card before they find a match.

Dot Card Suggestions and Questions

Suggestions for play

Start with fewer cards on the table at one time, so children aren't overwhelmed with choices

Place tokens in a small, open container, so children have access to them, but they are still contained

Read Ten Black Dots, by Donald Crews, to link math and literacy

General dot card questions

Can you show me how many with your fingers?

Do you know how many without counting one by one?

How could we do it a different way?

What is one more? What is one less?

What strategy did you use? or What did you do when you got stuck?

Comparing Numbers

Focus on comparing numbers and vocabulary.
Ages 3-5 | 5-10 minutes
For these games, place three to six dot cards on the table or give each child three to six cards.

Game 1: Same? One More? One Less?

Hold up a dot card.

Ask children, "Can you find a card that is the same as mine?"

Ask children, "Can you find a card that is one more than mine?"

Ask children, "Can you find a card that is one less than mine?"

Game 2: I'm Thinking of a Number . . .

Say, "I'm thinking of the number . . . 2! Do you have a card with two dots?" (Just say the number, don't show a card).

Children point to (or hold up) their cards with the same number of dots (two dots).

Ask children, "Can you find a card with one more? With one less?"

Game 3: Match My Number!

Hold up a written numeral-for example, 3.

Ask, "Can you find a card with the same number of dots?"

Ask, "Can you find a card with one more? With one less?"

Things to notice as children play

Talking about more, less, and same is critically important for building children's math vocabulary and their understanding of the number line-especially knowing which numbers come before and after each other. When you show children a dot card, you are focusing their thinking on subitizing and recognizing quantity. When you say the number aloud, you are focusing on recognizing number names. When you show children a number card, you are focusing on recognizing numerals.

ENGAGE FAMILIES IN MATH!

Subitize at home. After dinner, grab a small handful of cereal and scatter the pieces on the table. Up to how many pieces can you recognize without counting? It's more fun for adults than you might think.

Fingers instead of dots!

These finger games address the same math concepts as the dot card games. Children can have fun practicing their math skills in a new format. All that's needed are fingers!

Finger Games

Focus on subitizing and on composition and decomposition of numbers.

Ages 2-5 | 1-5 minutes

Game 1: Fingers, Fingers

Say, "Hold your hands behind your back."

Together, chant, "Fingers, fingers, 1, 2, 3. How many fingers do you see?"

Using two hands, hold up three fingers. (Start with the typical ways of showing 1-5 on your fingers.)

Children can say three or show three with their fingers.

Keep playing with different numbers of fingers, focusing on 1-5 and slowly moving up to 10.

Vary how you show each number on your fingers.

Game 2: Show Me . . .

Hold up any number of fingers.

Ask children to show you the same number on their fingers but in a different way.

Game 3: One More, One Less

Hold up any number of fingers on your hands.

Ask children to show you one more than you're showing or one less.

Game 4: How Old Are You?

Ask a 4-year-old, "How old are you? Are you this age?" Hold up four fingers on one hand.

Then ask, "How old are you? Are you this age?" Hold up two fingers on one hand and two fingers on your other hand. (Children usually answer, "No!")

Try this with other ages, too!

Things to notice as children play

The critical learning in this game is that numbers can be composed (or made) in different ways. You can make 5 with five fingers on one hand and zero on the other, or with four and one, or with three and two. These different combinations all make five. This helps children recognize that smaller numbers are part of larger numbers (e.g., 3 and 1 are two parts of 4).

ENGAGE FAMILIES IN MATH!

Make copies of the finger game instructions to send home with families. Print and send home math mini-books-find them at NAEYC.org/math-at-home.

Early Math Concepts Related to Numbers and Counting in the Dot Card and Finger Games

Cardinality. Children may count accurately (with one-to-one correspondence) but not yet recognize that the last number tells them the total amount. After children count a set of objects, ask, "How many do you have?" If they state the total number, they show an understanding of cardinality. If they recount the set, they may not understand cardinality yet. You can support cardinality by saying the total number after counting: "1, 2, 3. We have three pennies!" Another part of cardinality is counting out a specific number of objects ("Give me two tokens"). When counting out, children have to remember the number of tokens needed, count correctly, and know to stop when they reach that number.

Composing and decomposing number. This refers to recognizing that numbers (or sets of objects) can be combined or separated to make other numbers. Children learn that a whole is made up of smaller parts and those parts are smaller than the whole. (If there are 4 paintbrushes and 3 are being used, only 1 paintbrush is left.) Preschoolers can recognize that smaller numbers are "hiding inside" larger numbers: 1 and 3 are hiding inside 4 (so are 2 and 2).

Numeral recognition. In preschool, children begin to connect what they are counting and how they are counting to written number symbols. They begin to understand how a quantity (number of blocks) relates to the number word (two) and to the written numeral (2). As children play dot card and finger games, you can bring these ideas together by pointing to a number line, number chart, or written numerals in your classroom. Encourage children to see written numerals as symbols to help them express what they are thinking and to easily communicate with others (writing 5 is quicker than drawing five blocks).

One-to-one correspondence. When children have mastered one-to-one correspondence, they connect one number word to one object. For example, a child counts three cubes as "One, two, three," touching each cube only once and saying only one number word for each cube. Young children often say numbers and touch objects at different rates, going through the right actions (reciting and touching) but not yet in a coordinated way. Sometimes they say their words too quickly and sometimes they move their finger too fast. Support children by slowing down and modeling how each object needs one touch and one number word, and no objects should be skipped. Say, "You might have missed one. Can you check?"

Reciting number words in the correct order. Some children know the number words but may not say them in the correct order (1, 2, 6, 4, 5, 10). Others may skip a certain number (1, 2, 3, 5, 6-always skipping 4). The dot card and finger games give children opportunities to practice saying the number list (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .) while counting dots on the cards or the fingers on their hands.

Subitizing. This means instantly seeing how many in a small quantity. The word subitizing comes from the Latin word meaning suddenly. Children usually recognize 1 to 2 dots or fingers without counting "One, two." But there are limits to what we see automatically. For larger quantities, we may cluster or chunk objects into smaller groups in order to know how many. In general, 8 dots are too many to see immediately as 8, but if they're arranged so we can easily see them as two groups of four, and if we know that two 4s make 8, we instantly see 8. Circular and scattered objects are harder to subitize.

Photos © EDC

This information has been adapted from Games for Young Mathematicians, a program of research in early mathematics at the Education Development Center (EDC), supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and Heising-Simons Foundation. For more math information and games, visit http://youngmathematicians.edc.org.

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Play Games, Learn Math! Explore Numbers and Counting with Dot Card and Finger Games

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Playing math games with children can be a fun, developmentally appropriate way to spark understanding of big mathematical ideas. Math games also support children's mathematical habits of mind-and key school readiness skills, such as problem solving, puzzling, and perseverance.

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Sand or shaving cream writing

Air writing (also called sky writing) reinforces the sound each letter makes through " muscle memory." It can also help reinforce commonly confused letter forms like b and d. Kids use two fingers as a pointer (keeping elbows and wrists straight) to write letters in the air. They say the sound each letter makes as they write it.

Encourage kids to imagine the letter as they write it. They can also pretend they're writing in a certain color.

Letters cut out of sandpaper can help kids retain a tactile (touch) memory of letters and their sounds. Kids trace each letter with their fingers while saying the sound of the letter out loud. They can feel the shape of the letters as they write.

Kids say each letter's sound as they lay it down. Once they've built the word, they read it out loud.

Read it, build it, write it

You can use this technique to teach sight words to one or more kids at a time. Kids each have a piece of paper with three boxes on it, labeled "Read," "Build," and "Write." They also have cards with sight words, magnetic letters (or tiles), and a marker.

Have kids read the sight word that's in the "Read" box together with you. Then have them build the word in the "Build" box, using their letters. Finally, have kids practice writing the word in the "Write" box.

Take the word bat. Kids tap an index finger to their thumb as they say the b sound. They tap their middle finger to their thumb as they say the short a sound. And they tap their ring finger to their thumb as they say the t sound. Then they put the sounds together to say bat.

Story sticks can help kids who struggle with reading comprehension visualize the elements of a story. Use a different color craft stick to represent each element. Yellow sticks might ask the question, "Who are the characters?" while blue sticks ask, "What is the setting?"

While reading together, hand kids a stick and ask them to answer the question on it. Or ask kids to highlight the elements of a printed story using the proper colors.

During shared reading, kids can use printable books. Printable books leave a space for kids to write in sight words or draw pictures to match sentences.

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.

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Multisensory instruction can help kids with reading issues like dyslexia learn to read. Here are a few examples of multisensory reading techniques teachers use.

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This module overviews instructional and testing accommodations for students with disabilities, explains how accommodations differ from other kinds of instructional adaptations, defines the four categories of accommodations, and describes how to implement accommodations and evaluate their effectiveness for individual students (est. completion time: 2 hours).

A Professional Development Certificate for this module is available.

Work through the sections of this module in the order presented in the STAR graphic above.

Related to this module

Copyright 2023 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

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Accommodations: Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities

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This module overviews instructional and testing accommodations for students with disabilities, explains how accommodations differ from other kinds of instructional adaptations, defines the four categories of accommodations, and describes how to implement accommodations and evaluate their effectiveness for individual students (est. completion time: 2 hours). A Professional Development Certificate for this module is available.

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High Leverage Practices Self-Paced Learning Modules

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High Leverage Practices Self-Paced Learning Modules

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Developed by the Council for Exceptional Children and the CEEDAR Center, high-leverage practices are 22 essential special education techniques that all K-12 special education teachers should master for use across a variety of classroom contexts. Learn more about these practices in the guidance document High-Leverages Practices in Special Education.

This interactive alignment tool, developed in collaboration with CEEDAR, identifies which IRIS resources provide information on HLPs.

The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 37203 [email protected]. The IRIS Center is funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Grant #H325E220001. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sarah Allen.

Copyright 2024 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved.

* For refund and privacy policy information visit our Help & Support page.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Developed by the Council for Exceptional Children and the CEEDAR Center, high-leverage practices are 22 essential special education techniques that all K-12 special education teachers should master for use across a variety of classroom contexts. Learn more about these practices in the guidance document High-Leverages Practices in Special Education.

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Total Participation Techniques To Engage Students (Quick Reference Guide)

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Engaging Students In Every Classroom (Quick Reference Guide)

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This module describes how teachers can incorporate vocabulary and reading comprehension skills instruction into content-area lessons and will introduce you to a variety of effective practices-including the use of graphic organizers-to help students better understand what they read (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).

When you have completed the module, be sure to visit part two (below):

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Secondary Reading Instruction (Part 1): Teaching Vocabulary and Comprehension in the Content Areas

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This module describes how teachers can incorporate vocabulary and reading comprehension skills instruction into content-area lessons and will introduce you to a variety of effective practices-including the use of graphic organizers-to help students better understand what they read (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).

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Webpage with links to downloadable activities and resources for teaching alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and language and vocabulary.

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Pre-Kindergarten | Florida Center for Reading Research

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Teacher Resource Guide | Alphabet Knowledge | Phonological Awareness | Language & Vocabulary

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Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices in Grades 6-8

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Are you ready to take your teaching to the next level? Taking Action: Implementing Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices in Grades 6 8 offers a coherent set of professional learning experiences designed to foster teachers understanding of the effective mathematics teaching practices and their ...

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Putting Essential Understanding of Expressions and Equations Into Practice in Grades 6-8

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Putting Essential Understanding of Expressions and Equations Into Practice in Grades 6-8 [Zandra De Araujo, Barbara J. Dougherty, Fay Zenigami] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Putting Essential Understanding of Expressions and Equations Into Practice in Grades 6-8

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Tasks and Competencies in the Teaching and Learning of Algebra

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Tasks and Competencies in the Teaching and Learning of Algebra provides a conceptual approach that will encourage students learning algebra to employ a variety of thinking processes and strategies and, most importantly, will enable them to truly understand the concepts that underlie the problems ...

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Teaching Reading Sourcebook, Third Edition

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How to Use Assessments to Inform Instruction (Quick Reference Guide)

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Questioning Strategies to Activate Student Thinking (Quick Reference Guide)

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Giving Students Effective Feedback (Quick Reference Guide)

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Gradual Release of Responsibility in the Classroom (Quick Reference Guide)

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Inclusion Dos, Don’ts, and Do Betters (Quick Reference Guide)

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Usually ships: 4-10 daysStock Number: QRG116082 S25Noted inclusion expert Toby J. Karten details the essential do’s, don’ts, and do betters for creating an inclusive classroom where all students are supported and receive the most effective instruction.

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HLPs in Special Education Laminated Guide Collection

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This is a set containing a series of six laminated guides about high-leverage practices. Each 6-page guide is a practical classroom tool showing specific examples about how to implement HLPs.

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The Highly Engaged Classroom: The Classroom Strategies Series (Generating High Levels of Student Attention and Engagement)

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The Highly Engaged Classroom: The Classroom Strategies Series (Generating High Levels of Student Attention and Engagement) [Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, with Tammy Heflebower] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Highly Engaged Classroom: The Classroom Strategies Series (Generating High Levels of Student Attention and Engagement)

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Differentiation in the Elementary Grades: Strategies to Engage and Equip All Learners

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Differentiation in the Elementary Grades: Strategies to Engage and Equip All Learners [Doubet, Kristina J., Hockett, Jessica A.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Differentiation in the Elementary Grades: Strategies to Engage and Equip All Learners

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Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners

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Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners [Doubet, Kristina J., Hockett, Jessica A.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Differentiation in Middle and High School: Strategies to Engage All Learners

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Free pdf download.

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High Level Practices in Special Education Classrooms| CEEDAR

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Free pdf download.

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This website was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A220002. David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.

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This page provides miscellaneous resources regarding high-leverage practices in Special Education.

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High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms

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Amazon.com: High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms: 9780367702304: McLeskey, James, Maheady, Lawrence, Billingsley, Bonnie, Brownell, Mary T., Lewis, Timothy J.: Books

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Specially Designed Instruction - by Anne M. Beninghof

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Specially Designed Instruction - by Anne M. Beninghof

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Specially Designed Instruction: Beninghof, Anne M. + Free Shipping

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Mathematics Instruction and Tasks in a PLC at WorkTM (Develop Standards-Based Mathematical Practices and Math Curriculum in Your Professional Learning Community) (Every Student Can Learn Mathematics)

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Mathematics Instruction and Tasks in a PLC at WorkTM (Develop Standards-Based Mathematical Practices and Math Curriculum in Your Professional Learning Community) (Every Student Can Learn Mathematics) [Timothy D. Kanold, Jessica Kanold-McIntyre, Matthew R. Larson, Bill Barnes, Sarah Schuhl, Mona Toncheff] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

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Book: High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching – By Jim Knight

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Book: High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching – By Jim Knight

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Book: Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction – By Jim Knight

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Book: Instructional Coaching: A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction – By Jim Knight

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Book: Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support, & Challenge All Learners – By Paula Kluth 

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Book: Universal Design Daily: 365 Ways to Teach, Support, & Challenge All Learners – By Paula Kluth 

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Book: Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotion – By Allison Posey

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Book: Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotion – By Allison Posey