# data[].attributes.body
This is a slide from our Session 2 Powerpoint presentation retrieved from Blackboard. It explains how the multi-sensory approach prescribed through the Orton-Gillingham method can allow for additional access points for students who are struggling to solidify their letter-sound understanding and other foundational skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Start at 3:06. This provides a great example of how using creative, multi-sensory approaches can help to strengthen phonemic awareness and start to build a phonics foundation in kinesthetic learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Recipe for Reading Lesson Steps 1-3 with Comment

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 4 Powerpoint, slide 5 from Blackboard. This further emphasized how students require a multitude of scaffolding approaches that take into account the 5 senses. Visuals, verbal prompts and cues, physical supports, auditory supports, and even tactile methods can positively affect a student's ability to engage with and retain information from texts.

# data[].attributes.body
This was retrieved from the Session 2 Powerpoint, slide 14. This site provides more depth to the Orton-Gillingham intervention and how it can be differentiated for a variety of learners. The emphasis on the multi-sensory and repetitive nature of the approach helps to create a fun albeit predictable way for students to engage with reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
, or another language-based learning disability, you may be looking for the best reading intervention program to support your child's learning needs. With so many programs available, it is often difficult to determine which one is the best choice for your learner, and often skillful educators make use of components from more than one program. We prefer a systematic, multisensory, content-driven and If your child is struggling with a reading disorder, such as balanced literacy approach that follows an Orton-Gillingham sequence with integrated opportunities for comprehension work (verbal and written), spelling and word work, and handwriting instruction. dyslexia

Some of the most successful and commonly used programs to support struggling readers and students with language-based learning disabilities are Orton-Gillingham, Preventing Academic Failure, Wilson Fundations, and Lindamood-Bell. Orton-Gillingham was the first program developed for 1:1 reading intervention in the 1930s by Dr. Samuel Orton and Dr. Anna Gillingham. Preventing Academic Failure and Wilson are both based on the Orton-Gillingham sequence. Lindamood-Bell is not.

Orton-Gillingham

Orton-Gillingham is known for being direct and explicit, multi-sensory, and systematic in its approach to reading intervention and building phonemic awareness, developing advanced phonological understandings, and integrating word study and vocabulary development. Orton-Gillingham can be used with students of any age, and it is recommended to be delivered in a 1:1 or small group setting. The OG lessons are very structured, sequential, and cumulative, always building upon past lessons to review and reinforce previously learned skills and concepts. The lessons are also diagnostic and prescriptive, allowing them to be very individualized based on the successes and errors of the learner. Through multi-sensory techniques and repetition, students overlearn new skills and concepts to build automaticity and confidence.

Preventing Academic Failure

, is an Orton-Gillingham based reading intervention program designed for whole group instruction. It was developed by Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Perlman at Preventing Academic Failure, or The Windward School, which has locations in White Plains and Manhattan. Although it is often used with a whole group in the classroom, PAF can also be modified for use in a one-on-one or small group setting. Preventing Academic Failure is most typically used with students in grades K-3, but that's only if early intervention has been put in place; often students aren't identified for targeted intervention until grade 3, 4 or 5, which is terribly unfortunate and unnecessary.

Because it's based on the Orton-Gillingham program, PAF also uses a multi-sensory approach , but it's significantly differentiated from a traditional OG approach in that it systematically integrates phonics instruction , spelling, handwriting, and reading comprehension. Skywriting is one multi-sensory activity that PAF focuses on to support students' spelling needs. By using gross motor movements to form the letters while spelling words aloud, the children are more actively engaged in the process using verbal, visual and kinesthetic modalities.

During each PAF lesson , when a new sound or rule is taught, dictation is used to practice spelling words or sentences including words that focus only on that new rule. This dictation exercise allows students to not only practice their new spelling rule, but to work on their handwriting skills as well. As students develop stronger spelling and decoding skills, students can then improve their reading comprehension skills through PAF's carefully scaffolded texts.

The program believes that "only when reading is accurate and fluent can students then develop meaning." At the end of each lesson, students read stories in Merrill Readers to reinforce decoding words with the sounds they have just learned, as well as to develop and strengthen their reading comprehension skills.

For writer's workshop, PAF is complemented by Judith Hochman's Teaching Basic Writing Skills .

Click to visit The Windward Teacher Training Institute site.

The phonetic sequence in Wilson is also aligned with the principles of Orton-Gillingham, and it offers a variety of programs for different ages and learners, including: Fundations , , and the Wilson Reading System .

The Wilson programs are designed to fit within the tiers, or levels, of the Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. All three programs support students with learning and language-based disabilities through multi-sensory instruction and differentiated pathways, but these programs aren't as fully integrated as PAF with regard to scaffolded texts mapped to each lesson.

Fundations is used for prevention and early intervention for grades K-3 and focuses on phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, and sight words. Just Words is typically used for intervention in grades 4-12 for students who need greater support with decoding and spelling skills. The Wilson Reading System is a more intensive program for learners in grades 2-12. This program focuses on teaching the structure of the English language to students with language-based disabilities, such as dyslexia, who have severe language deficits and are not making progress with their standard classroom curriculum.

Lindamood-Bell

Lindamood-Bell is comprised of five reading programs and one math program for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning challenges as well as students with general learning challenges or autism. These five programs include: Seeing Stars, Visualizing and Verbalizing, Talkies, LiPS, On Cloud Nine Math.

Lindamood-Bell's reading programs are not based on Orton-Gillingham principles but rather focus on the sensory-cognitive functions that support reading, including symbol imagery and concept imagery, both of which involve creating mental pictures. Instruction is typically implemented 1:1 but can be adapted for small groups or classroom settings.

Though not an exhaustive list by any means, Orton-Gillingham, PAF, Wilson, and Lindamood-Bell are especially popular programs to support struggling readers, and there are components from each program that would benefit ALL learners. While many practitioners discuss or recommend programs with a purist approach in mind, we recommend not fixating on a single approach because it's not entirely that simple, particularly when instruction is being delivered at home in a 1:1 setting.

Each learner is different and reading intervention needs to be targeted to meet specific needs at specific times. Motivating and engaging each learner must be carefully factored in as well. In our experience, it's best to coordinate support between home and school with skillful teachers , experienced in a variety of programs and intervention techniques, making professional judgments based on a palette of instructional approaches and strategies rather than rigidly following a scripted curriculum. That said, these judgments should be based on evidence-based research, and we prefer a systematic, multisensory, content-driven approach that follows an Orton-Gillingham sequence.

If you suspect your child has a reading challenge, don't wait to organize targeted support . Engage your child's classroom teacher in conversation and seek the school's input, but don't ignore your parental hunch. There are a variety of classroom assessments that can help to determine current levels of performance and needs. These are different from formal assessments used by psychologists to make diagnoses as part of a comprehensive evaluation .

It's a lot for parents to consider, which is exactly why we partner with parents so closely. Our leadership team can help you figure out the right next steps taking longer term school planning into consideration, curate a program for your child, and then organize in-home support while also collaborating with your child's school team and/or related service professionals as appropriate. Please our office to discuss your child's reading and writing needs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Brad Hoffman, Nicole DeMartino, and Laurie Gross

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
or another language-based learning disability, you may be looking for the best reading intervention program to support your child's learning needs. With so many programs available, it is often difficult to determine which one is the best choice for your learner, and often skillful educators make use of components from more than one program.

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 4 Powerpoint. This provides a breakdown of Phonemic Awareness and Phonics, two areas that can be strengthened and connected through multi-sensory approaches in many learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
All the best things in life start with a strong foundation. A good garden needs good soil, a good party needs a good playlist, and a good introduction to literacy needs the five pillars of reading. The building blocks of reading, as defined by the National Reading Panel, include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Together, these five pillars make up the components of successful reading instruction by shaping learners' brains one step at a time, to learn to read and understand the written English language. Built to these five pillars and supporting scientifically backed reading research (or the Science of Reading), our engaging Reading Eggs and Exact Path programs (including targeted K-2 enhancements) are the perfect tools to guide your youngest readers through their literacy journey.

Structuring an effective and research-based literacy and language arts block is the first step to laying a good foundation for your student's literacy skills. It's no easy task, but with the FREE Reading Workbook from Edmentum, you'll learn how to select the best approach for your classroom and explore the different components of a successful literacy teaching strategy. The workbook includes several pages dedicated to helping you incorporate these five components of literacy into daily reading instruction. But, before you dig into that resource, let's take a closer look at what these five pillars are and how they work to build the foundation of an effective literacy instruction strategy.

1. Phonemic Awareness

What it is: The ability to hear, identify, manipulate, and substitute phonemes-the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning-in spoken words

What it means: Teaching phonemic awareness means instructing students to identify and manipulate the approximately 44 phonemes in the English language. It doesn't require students to be able to read or even see printed letters to grasp this concept; it's all about the sounds that word parts make. Essentially, students begin by learning individual phonemes, then joining phonemes, and finally, building words.

Why it matters: Phonemic awareness is a strong predictor of long-term reading and spelling success. By using effective teaching strategies, phonemic awareness can be successfully taught during your literacy block. As you're planning instruction, it's also important to recognize that phonemic awareness development must be quickly followed by the introduction of phonics. Research shows that teaching sounds along with letters of the alphabet helps students better understand how phonemic awareness relates to their reading and writing.

2. Phonics

What it is: The ability to understand that there is a predictable relationship between phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (the letters that represent those sounds in written language) in order to associate written letters with the sounds of spoken language

What it means: This is where students begin to "crack the code" on reading. Phonics instruction teaches students how to build relationships between sounds and letters or letter combinations and how to use those relationships to build words.

Why it matters: While the English language is full of irregular spellings and exceptions to phonetic rules, phonics teaches students a system for remembering how to read words so that they are able to read, spell, and recognize words instantly.

3. Fluency

What it is: The ability to read text accurately, quickly, and expressively, either to oneself or aloud; the NAEP Oral Reading Fluency Passage Reading Expression Scoring Rubric helps represent the learning progression of this skill

What it means: Fluency is the ability to read as well as one speaks and to make sense of what is being read without having to stop or pause to decode words. Fluency is different from memorization, which can occur when students interact with the same text so frequently that they can repeat it without reading. Actual fluency is developed with the repeated, accurate sounding out of words.

Why it matters: Developing fluency is critical to a student's motivation to read. When students struggle to sound out letters and words, reading can become a laborious and exhausting task, and students may begin to perceive reading as a negative activity. As students begin to acquire words more easily, they should also practice dividing text into meaningful chunks, knowing when to pause and change intonation and tone. With regular guidance and feedback, students begin to recognize these cues during reading and develop deeper comprehension.

4. Vocabulary

What it is: The growing, stored compilation of words that students understand and use in their conversation (oral vocabulary) and recognize in print (reading vocabulary)

What it means: Vocabulary is very closely tied to reading comprehension, and it can be absorbed or learned both orally and through print. Most vocabulary is learned through everyday listening in conversations, reading aloud, or independent reading. In fact, studies show that there are direct links between how many words children hear spoken at home and how well they excel in 3rd grade. This is because children are unconsciously building their oral vocabularies all the time.

Why it matters: In order to comprehend reading, a student must know what the words mean that he or she is reading. Beginning readers use their oral vocabulary to make sense of words they see in print. If a student encounters an unfamiliar word while reading, his or her reading is momentarily interrupted until the new word is added to his or her mental vocabulary. Direct instruction of explicitly taught vocabulary, as well as word-learning strategies, can help build a flourishing vocabulary and improve reading fluency and comprehension.

5. Comprehension

What it is: The ability to understand, remember, and make meaning of what has been read-this is the purpose for reading

What it means: Students with developed reading comprehension abilities can predict, infer, make connections, and analyze what is being read. If you want to think of reading like a watering can, then the four preceding pillars are the different parts that make up the watering can, like the handle, spout, and body of the can itself. Comprehension is the water. Without it, you still have a watering can, but an empty watering can won't help your flowers grow. Comprehension allows the flowers of literacy to bloom as it gives meaning and purpose to what is being read.

Why it matters: Even before children become independent readers, they can begin practicing and developing comprehension skills when books are read aloud to them. Students who comprehend what they read are both purposeful and active readers. They use metacognitive strategies to think about the purpose of what they're reading and monitor their own understanding as they read. This allows these students to isolate and verbalize where they have a lack of understanding, which, in turn, opens doors for them to apply specific strategies to attain that understanding.

The five pillars of reading are vital to literacy instruction, but they are still only one component of your larger reading instruction strategy. For an in-depth guide on how to evaluate the many facets of structuring an effective, research-based reading and language arts block, and for help selecting the appropriate technology tools to support your approach, download our FREE Reading Workbook.
This blog was originally published February 2018 and has been updated by Jiana Khazma.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
[The Five Pillars of Reading] Breaking Down the Elements of Successful Literacy Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
All the best things in life start with a strong foundation. A good garden needs good soil, a good party needs a good playlist, and a good introduction to literacy needs the five pillars of reading.

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from the Session 5 Powerpoint, slide 6. This helps to illustrate how visual props can be utilized to provide students with tactile and visual supports for their ability to engage with a reading lesson, re-tell and explain story sequencing, and demonstrate comprehension.

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 6 Powerpoint. Activities like this can help to uncover background knowledge by using thought-provoking visuals. These activities can be further expanded with tactile and auditory elements as well, such as providing cotton balls or sounds of wind blowing grass, to help immerse the student in the task. Building schemas are important for students to be able to internally represent the details they pull from the texts and continue to read with fluency.

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 6 Powerpoint, slide 12. Realia is a great way for teachers to provide a kinesthetic and visual support to help build student connections. Particularly with ESL students, this method can help to strengthen vocabulary and text-to-meaning connections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you're a teacher, chances are that you've used realia at some point in your classroom and you may not have even realized it! Whether you've held up a real object to elicit a vocabulary word from students or brought in a special item from home to grab your students' attention, you've used realia. If you are beginning to learn how to teach kids English, looking for a way to spice up your online classes, or trying to find fun activities for adult learners, using realia is a great technique to help your students learn!
If you're new to teaching, you'll want to get initial training and qualification with a TEFL certificate. You can explore our online TEFL courses to get started!
What is realia?

Simply put, realia refers to authentic objects from real life that one uses in the classroom to teach a specific concept. Realia can be both physical and virtual, as long as it is something used in the real world (rather than created specifically for an ESL class).

Why use realia in the classroom?

Realia for ESL can make the learning experience more memorable and create connections between objects and vocabulary words or other language concepts. This can make it easier to recall information. For in-person classes, it adds a kinesthetic element for people who learn better with hands-on activities. For online classes, it provides a visual aid to engage students. Additionally, realia is more dynamic than a written word or flashcard used to teach a concept.

What are some examples of realia?

Realia can incorporate what's already in your classroom, such as a desk, chair, or poster. Or, it can be something you've brought from outside of class, like a collection of colorful brochures, a stuffed animal, tickets, or souvenirs you got while traveling. While any of these will work for both an in-person class or an online class (for the latter, simply hold the objects up to your screen), you can also make use of virtual realia in the online classroom. Virtual realia refers to authentic resources found online, such as advertisements, photographs, menus, receipts, or maps. Similar to using props to teach English online, incorporating realia into the virtual classroom engages students and makes for a livelier class.

How is realia useful to English teachers?

Realia reinforces language skills and appeals to both visual and kinesthetic learners of all ages. Most teachers use realia to demonstrate the meaning of vocabulary words. Think of the difference between teaching students the words for fruit versus showing them the real thing and having them guess the name. It's especially helpful when teaching students whose native language (L1) you don't speak.

How can I use realia in the ESL classroom?

ESL realia can be incorporated into a ton of fun activities that can liven up your in-person or virtual classroom and get students excited about learning English. Here are ten to get you started!
Watch an excerpt from the BridgeUniverse webinar, "Using Traditional and Digital Realia When Teaching English Online," to learn more about how realia can engage learners.
Realia activities for young learners

1. Recreate the realia

Young students love arts and crafts, and getting them to make their own version of a newspaper, train ticket, or other realia that you've shown them is a great way to solidify the lesson. It helps make vocabulary memorable and gets students to apply what they've learned. Plus, this one can be done in both an in-person class and an online class.

2. Scavenger hunt

You can hold a scavenger hunt both inside and outside of the classroom to review a number of subjects such as nature or classroom objects. To use as a game for younger kids or beginner learners, ask them to find an item for each color or shape. This activity gets students moving and teaches them to differentiate between vocabulary words, but it also allows you to assess who has a firm grasp of the lesson and who may need additional help. It's also a great activity for the virtual classroom, as students can quickly find objects around their own homes.

3. Following directions

One of my favorite ways of using realia is to give students directions to carry out with the objects. For instance, if you're teaching prepositions, have students take out the items from their pencil bags, and give directions like, "Put the pencil under the eraser" or, "Put the eraser in the pencil bag." Or, for a lesson on comparing objects say, "Hold the pencil higher than the eraser." It's a great way to make students active participants in the lesson. Again, this game can easily be played in both the physical or virtual classroom.

4. What is it?

Fill a bag with realia and have students take turns trying to guess what one of the objects is by putting their hand in the bag and feeling it. They can use vocabulary to describe the object to their classmates as they guess. This game can be adapted to the virtual classroom by hiding an object in a bag or under a cloth. Students can look at the shape and listen to you describe the object (e.g., it's heavy, it's round, etc.) while they try to guess what it is.

5. Ask students to bring in their own realia

Get to know students better by asking them to bring in several items from home that they feel represent them. If you're teaching online, students can hold objects up to their cameras instead. Have them present these items to the class and explain why they chose each object. For a variation of this activity, have classmates guess how the objects represent their fellow students. Students love to share things about themselves and are usually excited about activities that involve getting to talk about their own lives.
Teaching ESL virtually? Bridge's Micro-credential course in Games and Activities for the Online Classroom (Young Learners) has plenty of tips to make your class more fun.

Realia activities for teens and adults

6. Act out a scene

No matter what concept you're teaching, acting out scenes and roleplaying is a wonderful way to help students memorize the material and encourage speaking skills through an easy activity. Try using realia to inspire the students and really get them invested in the role they're playing.

For example, if you're teaching a lesson focused on ordering food at a restaurant, bring in some food items and a menu and have students take turns acting out a scene in which one student is the waiter and another is the customer. Realia will help them generate lines and guide them to review essential vocabulary.

Students can act out situations in the virtual classroom as well. Tell them to bring certain items to class ahead of time, and then have them use the objects to create a dialogue with another student(s). If the teaching platform you're using allows it, enlarge the camera feeds of the students currently acting so the rest of the class can easily see who is speaking.

7. Incorporate realia into a writing prompt

To make writing assignments come to life, bring in random objects and place them at the front of the classroom. Have students write a short story (either with or without a prompt) incorporating all or a certain number of the objects. This activity gets students to think outside of the box and reflect on how they can use the vocabulary they've learned in everyday life. It's another great one for both the physical and virtual classroom as well, as you can simply hold the objects up to the screen if you're teaching online.

8. Island survival

Bring in a handful of items and divide students into small groups. Have each group discuss which three things they would choose to have with them if they were stranded on a desert island. Have them explain why they chose each object and how they would use it. You can modify this activity by changing the number of items students can pick or by having them discuss how they could use each item you brought in. If you're teaching online, simply turn the game into an individual activity and hold the objects up in front of your camera to show them. Students can take turns sharing their thoughts.

9. Price guessing game

Set up a row of objects (either on a desk at the front of the classroom or on a table in front of your webcam) and have students try to guess what each of the items costs. Reveal the real prices at the end of the activity. This is a great game to play to practice numbers and shopping vocabulary (e.g., how much does it cost, is it expensive, etc.). You can alter this activity to have students try to organize the objects from the least expensive to the most expensive, which can help with giving commands, vocab related to directions, and more (e.g., "Move the basketball to the left of the T-shirt"). You can also choose a theme - like groceries or clothing - for the objects in order to target specific vocabulary.

10. Memory

If you're in a virtual classroom, quickly pass objects by the screen, one after the other. See if students can recall which objects they saw and whether they can name them in the correct order. If you're in a physical classroom, you can set the items out on a desk and hide each object under a cloth or paper bag. Then, lift the bag/cloth for a few seconds to reveal the object. If you're wondering how to teach vocabulary, this is a great activity, as you can choose items from a specific theme/category (food, sports, objects that are different shapes or colors, etc.).

To learn about more games and activities to incorporate into your classroom, check out our Specialized Certification courses in Teaching English to Young Learners and Teenagers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Fun Ways to Use Realia in Your ESL Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Realia, or real objects you use when teaching, can be incorporated into a ton of fun activities that can liven up your ESL classroom and get students excited about learning English.

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 6 Powerpoint, slide 13. Chunking is a method that visually helps students to organize and retain information. In order to avoid a cognitive overload of information, chunking is

one method that allows for students to be able to use their knowledge of relationships and connections to better organize information for retention. There is flexibility in the method for chunking that can be differentiated based on the type of learner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chunking in Instructional Design - Training Wizard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Chunking in instructional design is the process of logically grouping topics to a meaningful unit that's easy to absorb and retain for the learner.

# data[].attributes.headline
Building Comprehension through Lyric Analysis

# data[].attributes.subject
Building Comprehension through Lyric Analysis

# data[].attributes.body
Retrieved from Session 6 Powerpoint, slide 16. This activity was conducted in class and provided a great example of how music and lyrics can be used to promote critical thinking in students while also accessing their historical and relevant background knowledge. For students who benefit from auditory supports for engagement, listening to the song first and scaffolding by providing the lyrics on screen or in print to the students can be a useful method.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this resource to be helpful and interesting as it utilizes methods that help to build anticipation and allow students to make predictions with real objects. Using realia in this way allows for students to use their auditory, visual, and tactile systems to engage with the concepts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Fun Idea to Use Realia with Young Learners

# data[].attributes.body
This article, which links to the PDF of the full report, details how multi-sensory approaches can help to build off of individual student strengths to allow them to continue to progress in their reading and comprehension.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ERIC - ED432388 - Multisensory Approaches and Learning Styles Theory in the Elementary School: Summary of Reference Papers., 1999

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Multisensory approaches and learning styles theories have been found to be effective in developing strategies to teach diverse learners in the elementary school setting. This paper examines how learning styles theory is related to multisensory approaches to teaching, describes a multisensory approach and the reading styles method, and discusses how educational programs using these approaches have been effective in improving student achievement.

# data[].attributes.body
This article provides an overview of the many considerations and possible areas for differentiation with an Orton-Gillingham lesson plan. Using multiple sensory mediums for students to practice phonograms and other concepts is an easy way to allow for students to expand their understanding of vowel sounds, syllables, prefixes, and suffixes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you were to observe a lesson from an Orton-Gillingham based program such as Wilson, SPIRE or Barton, they would have similarities, but also plenty of differences. The same is true of a non-program-specific Orton-Gillingham lesson plan that follows the Orton-Gillingham approach. The exact lesson sequence may differ depending on where the teacher was trained, the student that they are working with, and what specific skills are being taught. However, there are certain lesson components that you are likely to see in some form or another.

I typically think of an Orton-Gillingham lesson as comprising 5 main sections. It is important to note that although there may be some variability in the OG lesson from teacher or tutor, these are the components you are likely to see in some combination. There will be opportunities to read and write using new skills and a variety of multisensory techniques to activate visual, auditory and kinesthetic systems. So if you are new to the Orton-Gillingham approach and wondering what it involves, this post is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more. Let's begin!

Part One: Drills, Review & Explicit Instruction

Overall, this section of your lesson is brief, lasting at the most 10 minutes.

1. Phonogram Review Almost all lessons begin with some sort of rapid phonogram card drill to review sound symbol correspondence. This may take longer as the stack of known phonograms becomes extensive, but a typical review may be about 5 minutes long. Particular attention is paid to vowels and tricky phonograms. Typically, there is some sort of procedure for error correction. I will have a student trace the tricky phonogram 3 times on the table repeating the letter(s), keywords and sound and then return the card to the back of the pile, so it will reappear once again in the drill. Find Phonogram drill cards for this portion here.

2. Blending Drill Some lessons include a brief 2-3 minute blending drill using the phonogram cards, in which the student decodes and blends a randomly generated series of syllables. These are not necessarily real words, but do follow the expected rules of spelling etc. This gives students a chance to apply rules like the FLOSS rule in a hands on activity.

3. Introduction This portion of the lesson is the teaching of the new concept such as a new phonogram, a new sound for a known spelling pattern, or a new spelling generalization. Typically, this is brief, lasting only 3-5 minutes, but utilizing visual, auditory and tactile pathways. Many teachers use a guided discovery method of introducing new learning, guiding the student through specific questioning and examples to be able to identify and verbalize the new concept themselves. For example, the student might be asked to identify what sound they hear in 3 words. Then looking at those words in writing, they may be asked to identify and mark the letters that make that sound. Finally, the student may trace in multiple textures the phonogram while reciting the keyword and sound. Often, this component of the lesson will also include a brief review of related concepts such as syllable types, long and short vowel sounds, or base words and affixes.

Here can find out more about multisensory ideas to use during this portion.

This part of the lesson is very closely related to the teaching of the new concept. It is the application of that concept through the reading of a series of words and sentences that use the new pattern, as well as review words targeting skills that need particular practice. The length of the word list and number of sentences is very much individualized for each student and their strengths and needs. As needed, time is taken for error correction routines including tracing and discussion of unknown vocabulary. Typically, we read through the word lists and sentences twice to build fluency.
For younger students, this is very often where I will insert a game in place of a second reading. It livens up the practice and often gives opportunities for even more repetitions of the selected words.
For a time-saving tool, consider using Word List Builder for word list creation and more!
What I think of as the writing portion of the lesson has 3-4 parts and lasts up to 20 minutes. This is a part of the lesson that often necessitates extra attention to following specific procedures without shortcuts. Students and teachers alike have a tendency to skip steps in the procedure, particularly if a student is doing well.

1. What Says? This is basically a reverse phonogram drill. The student is asked what says a specific sound and he or she writes down everything that they have learned that makes that sound. So, for long vowels, students quickly have a lengthy list of possibilities. Typically, short and long vowel sounds are reviewed as well as the new concept and review concepts. 10-15 sounds per lesson is typical. I have students read back the sounds they have written.

2. What Means? This is the morphology cousin of the "what says" component. Instead of sounds, the teacher asks students what prefix or suffix or root has a particular meaning. Any new morphological units are practiced as well as those recently introduced. Otherwise, rotating through taught morphemes with 5 or 6 per lesson is usually adequate. These morphology resources may help you with this portion.

3. SOS (Simultaneous Oral Spelling) This is the word dictation portion of the lesson. It typically includes repeating the word, sounding the word out using finger tapping, spelling the word orally using finger tapping, writing the word while saying the letters, and then reading the completed word. I use 4-5 words that use the new concept and 5-6 review words. I also have students read back the words they have written. For more information on how to implement the SOS strategy you can read my SOS spelling strategy blog post or try this SOS spelling strategy freebie.

4. Dictation The final portion of the writing section is sentence dictation. This is an opportunity for students to apply their learning (both new and old) to writing a complete dictated sentence. This frequently combines not only the new concept, but also spelling generalizations and phonograms that the student has learned in the past. It is important that the tutor takes into consideration different spelling possibilities and has a plan regarding how to reduce confusion where more than one spelling choice exists. I will often give students a general hint at the beginning of a sentence such as "This sentence uses all vowel team spellings." Students are asked to repeat the sentence, write it independently, and then proofread using the COPS (or similar) procedure. Students very quickly take on responsibility for self-correcting errors of capitalization and ending punctuation. Frequently, I will ask students to identify a problem word if there is an error. Students usually know if a word is not quite right. Being able to identify which word does not appear to be correct is a valuable skill to carryover into the classroom. It will help the OG student identify when to use resources such as personal dictionaries or spelling guides. The dictation pages in the Orton-Gillingham materials will help you and your students keep the dictation process organized. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Orton-Gillingham-Materials-Multisensory-Phonics-Approach-1344257

For more ideas, " What's In My OG Notebook?" may help.

This is arguably the most important part of the Orton Gillingham lesson. Think about it. What is the end goal for these kids? TO BECOME READERS! A full 15-20 minutes is ideally devoted to this portion of the lesson. Students have an opportunity to read out loud and apply their decoding skills to continuous text. At the early levels, this is decodable text using as close to only skills that the student has been taught as possible.
These Orton-Gillingham decodable reading passages are great for fluency practice.
There is a focus on accuracy with a goal to break the guessing habit and get students using their decoding skills and strategies. At least one of the reading selections should include the new concept. Typically, I address comprehension during this time through informal dialogue and conversation.

This is probably the hardest part of the lesson to plan for and make decisions about on the fly. There is wide variability in which activities are included. The first activities listed here tend to be more common. These activities are very much time-dependent and based on individual student needs.

1. This includes practice with both reading and writing of specific sight words. Most of the time, these are limited to words that are not decodable using what the child has been taught and therefore are truly sight words at this point. Here is a Learned Words resource if you are looking for ideas. This learned words routine will explain the routine I follow.

2. Specific activities to promote phonemic awareness such as phoneme segmentation with manipulatives or sound sorts. Here are Phonemic Awareness activities if you are looking for ideas.

3. Activities to work on fluency such as repeated reading, contrast cards, or speed drills. These Orton-Gillingham decodable reading passages are great for fluency practice.

4. Handwriting Practice and Instruction There is a great deal of debate about how much time and effort to put into handwriting remediation. A reasonable goal is to focus on efficiency and legibility rather than precise accuracy.

5. This would include basic concepts such as parts of speech.

For More Information

TPT is having a sitewide sale! Enjoy up to 25% off everything in my store with promo code FEBSALE21.

I'd love to share a tool that will cut some of that lesson planning time down for you.

is a time-saving, web-based tool that is going to streamline the lesson planning process for you.

Since it's all web-based...

You can use Word List Builder anywhere.

Try the mobile or desktop version.

No need to bog your hard drive with lots of files or clunky software that becomes outdated.

Updates to the site are done automatically for you.

Search for words with a highly unique search engine by spelling patterns, syllable types and division and morphological patterns

Create folders to save the words you searched.

Export the words from a folder into a template: Create word lists, word cards, phrasing templates for fluency practice and games.

Adjust for font size, font type and formatting

Save the templates you create.

Print and use what you made right away!

In this part one tutorial video, I show you how to set up a folder and begin searching for words. I have a tutorial for Word List Builder Part Two and Word List Builder Part Three.

You can catch them on the Word List Builder site or on The Literacy Nest YouTube Channel.

Sign up for a 21-day FREE trial of Word List Builder. Simply create an account, login and you're on your way!

Calling all Orton-Gillingham tutors and therapists! I have a directory of qualified educators on my site for parents to search. Join or search when you click on " Word List Builder" at the top. When you are there, click on " Find A Tutor" or go HERE. You may register to enter your contact information in the directory for only $10 a year. Families may search the directory for free!

A HUGE thank you for your continued support of me, my store and my website! It is greatly appreciated!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Does An Orton-Gillingham Lesson Look Like? - The Literacy Nest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What Does an Orton-Gillingham Lesson Look Like? If you were to observe a lesson from an Orton-Gillingham based program such as Wilson, SPIRE or Barton, they would have similarities, but also plenty of differences. The same is true of a non-program-specific Orton-Gillingham lesson plan that follows the Orton-Gillingham approach.

# data[].attributes.body
Many of the activities detailed in this article are great for activating multiple sensory systems at once. Creating opportunities to incorporate movement and tactile materials can allow for a variety of learners to create lasting memories that will encompass many foundational skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Multi-sensory (or multimodal) instruction can be broken down into four pathways:

Auditory (Sense of Hearing)

Visual (Sense of Sight)

Tactile (Sense of Touch or Fine Motor Movement)

Kinesthetic (Body Movement or Gross Motor Movement)

Typically, one of these modalities is usually predominant in each student. Some prefer to use their hands when learning, while others might need to see a visual representation of an image or picture to grasp the concept.

As Dr. Samuel Orton indicated in his research, brain dominance has a substantial impact on learning to read. Both hemispheres of your brain act and react, think and process, and solve problems in very specific ways. Each is quite different from the other, and one is usually dominant.

When a lesson utilizes all four learning pathways, it capitalizes on student strengths and strengthens their weaknesses. By using lessons that engage multiple modalities, educators have a much better chance for students to grasp a concept on initial instruction.

While some still think the Orton-Gillingham reading approach only belongs in special education or reading intervention programs, we have seen firsthand the type of impact it can have on all students.

Multi-Sensory Activity Examples

Students learn at different paces. However, by using multi-sensory strategies, students are given multiple opportunities through various delivery styles to reach their full learning potential.

Here are five multi-sensory activities that you can implement in your classroom today!

Read it, Build it, Write it

This multimodal activity is perfect for teaching Red Words, or irregular words (i.e., 'said' or 'does'). For these words that don't fit the expected spelling patterns, students need to be able to master them and identify the irregularities.

In this activity, students are given a sheet of paper with three boxes on it, labeled "Read It", "Build It," and "Write It." Each student is also given flashcards that have Red Words already written on them, magnetic or block letters, and a writing tool.

The students and the teacher will read the irregular word that is in the "Read It" box. With the teacher's help, students can identify what makes the word irregular. Identify what is unexpected in the spelling pattern. From there, your students will use magnetic letters to build the word they just read in the "Build It" box. Once they've successfully built the word, the student writes it in the "Write It" box.

Writing in Sand/Shaving Cream

This multi-sensory technique incorporates visual, auditory, and tactile pathways to reinforce letter-sound correspondence.

Using cookie sheets, plastic trays , tables, paper plates, or other mediums, teachers can have sand prepared or shaving cream ready ahead of time. The teacher calls out a known sound. The student repeats the sound, then uses their pointer and middle fingers to write the letter that makes that sound while verbalizing the letter name and sound (/b/ b says /b/). By using their fingers to write, they are accessing thousands of nerve endings that transfer patterns to the brain.

If you choose to use this strategy for whole words instead of letters, make sure you are choosing phonetic words that follow expected spelling patterns.

Air Writing

This is a similar activity to writing in sand or shaving cream but uses gross motor (and is less messy!) Air writing, also called sky writing, helps reinforce the letter and sound that each letter makes through muscle memory.

When air writing, have students stand and air write with their dominant arm. Students should move from their shoulder to promote large muscle movement. Tell your students to visualize the letter in a specific color. As students air write, have them verbalize the letter name and sound.

Arm Tapping

This activity is aimed at helping students master irregular words through multi-sensory review.

To begin this activity, have a stack of cards that contain the words your students are studying. One-by-one, state the word and hold the card in front of you with your non-dominant hand. Make sure the card is at the eye-level of your students as they need to be focused on seeing the words.

Always have students arm tap left to right using their dominant hand. Right-handed students place their right hand on their left shoulder. Left-handed students place their left hand on their right wrist. Say each letter of the word while you tap down your arm using your flat hand. When students have tapped out each letter, state the whole word again while sweeping left to right (shoulder to wrist or wrist to shoulder). Think of it as underlining the word.

Blending Boards

Blending boards are used for students to practice segmenting sounds and blending the sounds into syllables. This helps prepare students for decoding multisyllabic words. Our IMSE blending boards can hold up to three large card stacks that feature individual letters, as well as blends and digraphs.

These are placed in CVC (consonant vowel consonant) order on the board. The teacher places a hand over each card while students state each sound. Then the teacher sweeps a hand over all of the letters while students state the word or syllable.

If students struggle with the CVC pattern, try using the VC pattern. Starting with a continuant sound versus a stopped sound will also help struggling students.

Additional Resources

The possibilities are endless when you bring multi-sensory strategies into your classroom. The strategies we listed are just the tip of the iceberg. For more insights and strategies, visit the links below:
IMSE believes that all children should be able to read. To achieve this end, IMSE wants to bring Orton-Gillingham to all educators to give children the best literacy instruction possible. Learn more about what you can do to improve literacy for all using the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education's Orton-Gillingham training. Please connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to get tips and tricks from your peers and us. Read the IMSE Journal to hear success stories from other schools and districts, and be sure to read the OG Weekly email series for refreshers and tips.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Multi-Sensory Activities in the Classroom: 5 Activities to Use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students have different learning pathways, and one of the best ways to meet the needs of each student is to use multi-sensory instruction in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Orton-Gillingham for Dyslexia & Dysgraphia

# data[].attributes.subject
Orton-Gillingham for Dyslexia & Dysgraphia

# data[].attributes.body
This video provides many examples of multi-sensory approaches that can benefit al learners, but specifically those with dyslexia. I particularly liked how the whiteboard, a material familiar to almost all teachers, was able to be used in a variety of ways from the blending lesson to the phonics lesson to incorporate different tactile and visual supports for the student.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Multisensory Techniques for Dyslexia & Dysgraphia || Collab with Chaos and Grace || Orton-Gillingham

# data[].attributes.body
This resource provides a multitude of examples of how to engage a student's body while also helping to strengthen their understanding of reading concepts. 'Whole Body Spelling' and 'Phonics with Hockey Sticks' are two activities that I consider to be fun and functional ways for students to practice their phonological understanding.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Reading tends to be considered a quiet-time activity, where kids will sit still and focus on the book in front of them. But for kids who just can't help but fidget, or those who learn better when they're active, reading activities work best when they involve plenty of movement. These kinesthetic reading activities teach the ABCs, sight word skills, spelling, rhyming, and even reading comprehension. Every one of them gets kids up and out of their seats, giving them some much-needed exercise and a chance to move while they learn.

1. Get a kick out of sight word soccer.

Grab some cones and label them with your class's current sight word list. Then have kids dribble the ball from one cone to the next, stopping to read the words along the way. You can also call out words for them to aim for.

Learn more: Coffee Cups and Crayons: Sight Word Soccer

2. Play hide and seek with animals and letter sounds.

What a fun way to learn letter sounds! You can play this one indoors or out. Hide small animal figures (or cards with animal pictures) around the room or playground. Write out the letters of the alphabet and send kids off to find the animals and set them by the correct letters.

Learn more: The Letters of Literacy

3. Look for letters and words on the go.

Help kids practice reading by observing the world around them. Mark letters (or phonics combos, or sight words) around the edge of a paper plate and cut between. Take a walk around the school and have students fold down each letter or word as they find it written somewhere.

Learn more: No Time for Flashcards

[contextly_auto_sidebar]

4. Make whole-body letters.

Anyone who's ever danced the "YMCA" at a wedding knows how fun this is. Get kids to create letter shapes using their bodies. Then try putting them into groups to spell whole words from their spelling lists. Be warned, though: reading activities like this one are sure to bring on plenty of giggles.

Learn more: First Grade Smiles

5. Try the Spell-Your-Name workout.

Hit the link below for the free printable that provides an exercise activity for every letter of the alphabet. Then, challenge kids to do a workout by spelling their name or words from this week's spelling list.

Learn more: 730 Sage Street

6. Host a StoryWalk®.

This reading activity can benefit more than just your own class! In a StoryWalk®, pages from a book are spread out along a walking trail. Kids (and their parents) can take a walk and read the story as they go along. Communities have gotten into the act by providing permanent outdoor signs in parks, but you can do it on your playground with laminated pages stapled to stakes. Visit the link below to learn how to get started.

Learn more: StoryWalk® at Kellogg-Hubbard Library

7. Shoot phonics sounds with hockey sticks.

There are plenty of great reading activities for sports lovers. Use hockey sticks to shoot a puck (or beanbag) toward each phonics sound as it's called out. This works for sight words too.

Learn more: Learn Play Imagine

8. Hop up a sidewalk word ladder.

Teach rhyming skills and introduce word families with some sidewalk chalk. As kids hop up the ladder (or jump forwards or backwards, or twirl, or any activity you like), they read the words out loud for practice.

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me

9. Stretch and learn with Sight Word Twister.

Grab an old twister mat and label it with sight words (or letters or phonics sounds) and let kids stretch and sprawl as they try to get the correct hand or foot on the right word.

Learn more: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

10. Use a Spelling Spinner for vocab practice.

Spelling words over and over can get a little dull. Print the free Spelling Spinner from the link below to mix things up. Kids spin the spinner, then do the appropriate activity as they spell the word. If they get it right, spin again to spell the next one.

11. Jump around on an ABC grid.

Create an ABC grid using sidewalk chalk, or make one indoors using painter's tape on the classroom floor. As you call out letters or words, kids jump from one to the next, using a free space if they need a little help to get there.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

12. Have a running dictation relay race.

Kinesthetic reading activities work with older kids too. Post a reading passage on one side of the room and break kids into teams. The first runner heads to the poster, reads the first sentence, then runs back and dictates it to a writer at the table. If they forget, they'll have to run back and do it again! Continue on, giving each teammate a turn at all activities.

Learn more: The Comprehensible Classroom

13. Find and match the rhyming words.

On your next dollar store run, grab some hula hoops and paper plates. Write a series of rhyming family words on the plates, then hide them around the room or playground. Kids run to find them, bringing them back to the appropriate hoop.

Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards

14. Throw a guided reading beach ball.

You can find these pre-made inflatable balls and cubes online, or make your own. They're fantastic for a variety of reading activities with both fiction and non-fiction books.

Learn more: Conversations in Literacy

15. Jump and grab sight words.

We all know kids love to see how high they can jump, so reading activities that incorporate the chance to do just that are sure to be a hit. Hang sight words from the ceiling on cards, coffee filters, or paper plates. Call out a word and see who can be the first to find it, then jump, grab, and pull it down.

Learn more: Hands On As We Grow

16. Weave a spelling web.

This one will take a bit of prep work, but kids will simply love trying to balance their way across the spider web lines as they grab the letters they need to spell each word.

Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards

17. Skip along on sight word hopscotch.

Play sight word hopscotch outside with sidewalk chalk or indoors with colorful cards. (Be sure to tape down the cards if you're playing inside.)

Learn more: Mrs. Kadeen Teachers

18. Bounce a ball and retell a story.

Bouncing a ball makes reading activities for comprehension a lot of more fun and interactive. Students review the main story aspects like setting, narrator, and plot as they bounce a ball along the path.

Learn more: E is for Explore!

19. Run an alphabet obstacle course.

We love using pool noodles in the classroom! Mount these alphabet "beads" on wood craft sticks stuck into the ground. Then send kids off to run them in alphabetical order one at a time. For early learners, keep the sticks in order. For older kids, mix them up and spread them out. Add to the challenge by having them yell out a word that starts with the letter at each, or perform an exercise relating to the letter (touch their ankle for A, bounce up and down for B, etc.).

Learn more: The Educator's Spin on It

20. Dribble and learn with sight word basketball.

Here's another reading activity for the sports enthusiasts. Dribble your way around from sight word to sight word as they're called out, with a chance to shoot and score at the end.

Learn more: Coffee Cups and Crayons: Sight Word Basketball

21. Play word family ball toss.

Use ping pong balls and buckets to practice word families and rhyming. Kids will have a blast tossing the right words into the buckets. Make sure they're reading them out loud before they throw.

Learn more: I Can Teach My Child
Want to inspire more readers? Try putting up one of these 25 terrific reading bulletin boards in your classroom. Many schools are seeing the value of focusing on student wellness. Use our free Wellness Way printables to create a space for kids to move, recharge, and regulate their mood. Looking for more ideas from teachers like you? Join the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
21 Kinesthetic Reading Activities to Get Students Up and Moving

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These kinesthetic reading activities teach the ABCs, sight word skills, spelling, rhyming, and reading comprehension with plenty of exercise and movement.

# data[].attributes.body
This recently published article helps to detail how the NYC public system is making conscious efforts to pivot towards a phonics-based curriculum in order to address the inequities in education for students with disabilities, specifically dyslexia. In addition to an extensive screening protocol being unfolded, there will also be a further emphasis on using Orton-Gillingham prescribed methods and working to train teachers in intensive trainings in these methods.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The mayor, who has dyslexia himself, would open two new schools, train teachers and direct schools to use phonics-based lessons as a way to address a literacy crisis in the city.

Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday outlined the details of a plan to serve children with dyslexia in New York City public schools. Credit... Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday the details of a plan to turn around a literacy crisis in New York City and, in particular, to serve thousands of children in public schools who may have dyslexia, an issue deeply personal to the mayor, who has said his own undiagnosed dyslexia hurt his academic career.

School officials plan to screen nearly all students for dyslexia, while 80 elementary schools and 80 middle schools will receive additional support for addressing the needs of children with dyslexia. The city will also open two new dyslexia programs - one at P.S. 125 Ralph Bunche in Harlem and the other at P.S. 161 Juan Ponce de Leonin the South Bronx - with a goal of opening similar programs in each borough by 2023.

Officials also plan to train all teachers, and will create a new dyslexia task force. School leaders are requiring school principals to pivot to a phonics-based literacy curriculum, which literacy experts say is the most effective way to teach reading to most children.

"Dyslexia holds back too many of our children in school but most importantly in life," Mr. Adams said during a press briefing Thursday morning, adding that it "haunts you forever until you can get the proper treatment that you deserve."

New York is facing a literacy crisis: Fewer than half of all third to eighth graders and just 36 percent of Black and Latino students were proficient on the state reading exams administered in 2019, the most recent year for which there is data. Research suggests that the coronavirus pandemic has only worsened those outcomes.

The lack of easily accessible academic support for children with dyslexia has been an issue that has been top of mind for the mayor. He has said his own dyslexia went undiagnosed for years because his mother didn't have the necessary information to get him screened. He recalled "not wanting to come into school every day because I just couldn't keep up."

Developing a universal dyslexia screening program in the city's schools was one of the few specific policy prescriptions the mayor offered during his campaign. He has devoted $7.4 million in his proposed budget for addressing dyslexia and other literacy issues.

"We are going to have the largest, most comprehensive approach to supporting students with dyslexia in the country," Mr. Adams said.

The new policy was met with applause by a group who has called for reading reforms in the city.

"The plans announced today could have a transformative impact if implemented well," Kim Sweet, the executive director for Advocates for Children of New York, said in a statement, adding that the group looked forward to working with education officials to ensure that "all children learn to read, no matter where they go to school."

It is difficult to say how many children have dyslexia in the city because the department hasn't been able to systematically identify them, said Carolyne Quintana, the deputy chancellor for teaching and learning. But she noted that national figures estimate that one in five children have dyslexia.

Currently, getting support for children with dyslexia or other learning disabilities can be onerous.

Parents, school principals or other school officials must first refer a child for a dyslexia evaluation, to which parents must consent. The education department then has 60 days to complete an initial assessment. After, officials determine whether the child needs special education services and develop an individualized program.

Many families with greater financial means often opt out of the time-consuming process and into private tutoring instead. Advocates and families say low-income and Black and Latino families have more difficulty getting their children identified and accessing services.

"Screenings are expensive, they cost hundreds of dollars, many families can't afford it, particularly in Black and brown, multi-language communities, those communities that are struggling economically," Mr. Adams said.

Naomi Peña said she has four children with dyslexia, and is one of several parents who helped launch the Literacy Academy Collective, an advocacy group.

"I know all too well the pain of trying to advocate to support my children to read," Ms. Peña said through tears on Thursday morning. "I was desperate to find support, my only option was costly tutoring programs all because my children's learning styles could not be met in a classroom."

Under the new plan, all children in kindergarten through second grade will be screened for literacy three times per year. Acadience Learning, an educational company, will provide the screenings. Children in grades three through 10 will also be screened three times per year, but principals will get to choose from three screener options, said Ms. Quintana.

If a child consistently performs below benchmarks, they will be recommended for a secondary screening, which will look for dyslexia and other language-based disabilities, said Ms. Quintana.

Once children are identified as at-risk, they will be recommended for a neuropsychology evaluation. Some schools have partnered with a nonprofit group, Promise Project at Columbia University Medical Center, to help low-income families afford the assessment, which can sometimes cost thousands of dollars.

The students will then receive either additional support at their current schools or enroll at one of the two new programs, which will open this fall.

The additional support includes more intensive instruction steeped in the Orton-Gillingham approach, which teaches reading with more hands-on methods that break down words into smaller, more digestible parts. District-based coordinators will work with all schools to adjust instruction and provide intervention for those students.

The Literacy Academy Collective will be piloting second and third grade classrooms at P.S. 161 in the fall, and each class will have 15 to 18 students from that school, said Ruth Genn, one of the co-founders of the nonprofit. The goal is to eventually open a separate school and work with children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Lab School for Family Literacy will be running the program at P.S. 125, where two grade levels - either first and second or second and third - will each have a separate class for struggling readers. Teachers of those classes will be trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach in a 10-day intensive program.

Schools Chancellor David C. Banks said the department would look to these schools for lessons learned as it expands dyslexia programming to other boroughs.

"They will be labs of innovation for us," Mr. Banks said.

The full-day programs won't be the first in the city. The Bridge Preparatory Charter School, which opened in Staten Island in 2019, is the state's first and only public school created to help children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. City officials have worked closely with the school's officials to learn more about the programming.

The chancellor and other education officials have also spent time studying the methods used at the Windward School, a private school with campuses in both New York City and White Plains that primarily serves children with dyslexia. Ms. Quintana said teachers from the Windward school would be training teachers from other schools in helping children with dyslexia.

Under the new plan, school officials will require principals, who can choose their curriculums, shift toward a reading program that is based in reading science. Many currently use one developed by Lucy Calkins, an academic at Teachers College, Columbia University, that has repeatedly come under fire.

Officials will require principals to choose from a handful of phonics-based curriculums to include as part of their comprehensive reading programs, such as Fundations, Really Great Reading and Preventing Academic Failure, said Ms. Quintana.

Mr. Adams and Mr. Banks - both Black men who attended the city's public schools - have said that addressing the city's reading crisis, especially eliminating racial disparities in literacy outcomes, is a top priority. The mayor often talks about reading in relation to the school-to-prison pipeline, noting that around 30 to 40 percent of prison inmates have dyslexia.

State officials have also been brainstorming ways to help children with dyslexia.

Assemblyman Robert C. Carroll, who represents the 44th District of Brooklyn, co-wrote a bill that would direct the state to form a panel of experts to develop guidelines for universal screening, evidence-based curriculum interventions and training programs for teachers.

Mr. Carroll said he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was in the first grade and then attended two specialized schools.

"Having that individualized, evidence-based curriculum that was sequential, multi-sensory and rooted in phonics allowed me to become a successful student and reader and writer," he said. The bill passed the State Assembly on Wednesday, and is now awaiting action in the Senate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mayor Adams Unveils Program to Address Dyslexia in N.Y.C. Schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The mayor, who has dyslexia himself, would open two new schools, train teachers and direct schools to use phonics-based lessons as a way to address a literacy crisis in the city.

# data[].attributes.headline
Connections to Multiple Intelligences Theory

# data[].attributes.subject
Connections to Multiple Intelligences Theory

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great article that connects current research to multi-sensory approaches to strengthen reading skills. Additionally, the article goes further by also explaining how multi-sensory learning is connected to the Multiple Intelligences Theory and the many subcategories within that theory. The emphasis on uncovering, understanding, and then targeting students' strengths in order to build further skills and comprehension is vital to how we educate students from phonemic awareness to phonics and beyond.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the most important challenges that educators face is how to teach early or struggling students literacy skills. While students meet academic milestones at different paces, incorporating certain strategies in your classroom can help you prepare as many students as possible for reading readiness. And recent developments in reading curriculum suggest that multisensory learning is one of the most effective methods for doing so.

Multisensory activities are based in whole brain learning, which is the belief that the best way to teach concepts is by involving multiple areas in the brain. By adding auditory or visual components to reading assignments, like illustrations or online activities, you can help students develop stronger literacy skills. Multisensory reading strategies also tie into more established educational methods, particularly Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, which is explained further below.

Interested in using multisensory learning to help students in your classroom develop stronger reading skills? Discover the science behind whole brain learning and how you can incorporate multisensory activities into your school curriculum.

Which Reading Skills Should Students Learn in Early Elementary?

Before students even enter elementary school, they're already learning skills that will lead to reading readiness later on. These foundational reading skills like print or letter recognition will prepare them to develop literacy as early as kindergarten or first grade. The earlier that essential reading strategies for elementary studies are introduced into their curriculum, the stronger their long-term reading skills will become later on.[1]

Reading and pre-reading skills that are connected with early literacy development include:[2]

Phonological and phonemic awareness

Vocabulary

Reading comprehension

Print recognition

Alphabetical recognition and decoding

Alphabetical decoding in particular is a key skill for developing reading fluency in early elementary.[3] This skill refers to the knowledge and application of letter-sound relationships, which helps students learn to recognize and sound out different words. Without the ability to translate letters into sounds, students cannot develop more advanced skills later on.

Multisensory Learning: What It Is and Why It Works

To understand why multisensory learning is one of the most effective student engagement strategies, it's important to understand how our minds work. The human brain has evolved to learn and grow in a multisensory environment.[4] According to the whole brain learning theory, all brain functions are interconnected for this reason.[5] We remember how to do things best when the directions we're given engage multiple senses.

The definition of multisensory learning, then, is using the neuroscience behind how we learn to teach lessons that engage two or more senses. Most educators add audio or visual multimedia into their assignments, but multisensory learning can also include tactile, smell, and taste-related materials.[6] As long as the activity engages multiple areas of the brain, it can help students develop stronger memories around how to do it.

You could, for example, have students form alphabet letters out of clay or hand out chocolate Easter eggs while learning springtime vocabulary words.[7] As long as the sensory materials are in some way related to the subject being taught, they can help students learn important concepts. Many students rely on some senses more than others so varying your multisensory activities can help you make sure you reach all children in your classroom.

Literacy in particular is an inherently multisensory skill that benefits from differentiated reading instruction. This is because reading involves both recognizing written words and translating them into their corresponding letter sounds.[8] For struggling students or those with reading disabilities, particularly dyslexia, multisensory learning can help them learn to use all of their senses while reading a book and rely on their strengths.[9] Whether using it for classroom instruction or remedial assignments, multisensory learning can help all students develop or strengthen their literacy skills.

Educational Research Proves Multisensory Instruction Strengthens Reading Skill

The benefits of multisensory learning have been verified by contemporary research in cognitive science. A 2018 study using fMRI technology, which measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, found that children with the strongest literacy skills had more interactivity between different regions in their brain.[10] This suggests that reading is a whole-brain skill and that future developments in literacy instruction should use a multisensory approach.

One emergent literacy skill that multisensory learning can help teach is connecting print letters with the oral alphabet. Educational researchers have found that multisensory activities can teach students to associate letters or words with sounds faster.[11] As mentioned earlier, this is one of the foundational reading skills that, if you can nurture in young students, can promote strong emergent literacy. Using multimedia activities to engage students is a great way to help students reach their reading potential.

For older grades, multisensory activities can also help teach more complex reading skills like critical thinking or advanced reading comprehension.[12] You could, for example, take turns reading pages from a novel or textbook aloud as a class to engage their auditory and visual senses. Even little activities that involve multiple senses can teach students to use their entire brain while reading or writing.

What this research points to most of all is that there isn't a "one size fits all" method of teaching literacy. Different students respond to different activities, and the best way to reach all of your students is through multisensory learning. Pay attention to what is or isn't working for your students, and try to find an activity that clicks for struggling readers.[13] With practice and the right strategy, any student's reading skills can improve.

How Multisensory Learning Connects with the Multiple Intelligences Theory

The strategies behind multisensory learning are supported by decades of research, particularly Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. This theory, which was developed by Harvard professor Dr. Howard Gardner, states that the traditional notions of learning and intelligence are too limited. Gardner proposes that people can have proficiencies in different kinds of intelligences, and that teaching students in a way that matches their intellectual strengths can help them grasp tough subjects.

Children as young as four- or five-years-old have already developed strengths and weaknesses corresponding to Gardner's intelligences.[14] These eight intelligences as defined by Dr. Gardner include:[15]

Linguistic intelligence: the ability to understand, read, and write words

Logical-mathematical intelligence: the ability to think conceptually and solve abstract problems

Spatial intelligence: the ability to visualize in thought and analyze images

Musical intelligence: the ability to understand and manipulate pitch, rhythm, and timbre

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to control your body movements or objects in your grasp

Naturalistic intelligence: the ability to recognize and care for plants and animals

Interpersonal intelligence: the ability to understand and care for the needs of others

Intrapersonal intelligence: the ability to analyze your own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs

When teaching reading strategies and other academic skills, schools rely heavily on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences.[16] But reading strategies for struggling readers or young students can be more effective if you incorporate some of their strengths. Teachers who use several different types of intelligence strategies to teach academic skills often notice that their students understand concepts better and retain more knowledge down the road.[17]

To use multiple intelligences in the classroom, try linking your lesson plans to at least two different types of intelligences and sensory strategies. You could, for example, teach your students a song about the alphabet. Not only would this pair musical and linguistic intelligences, but it would also engage your students' auditory and visual senses while learning about letters. Making the most of multisensory learning and the multiple intelligences theory is a great way to help all of your students learn in a way that plays to their strengths.

How to Boost Student Engagement with Multisensory Reading Activities

Using multisensory activities to teach reading skills can help engage students in your lessons, particularly if you're teaching struggling or reluctant readers.[18] Depending on the student, you can try a variety of fun reading activities that involve multiple senses.

Try these five reading strategies to teach literacy skills with the best elements of whole brain learning:

When reading a book as a class, try putting on an audio recording or watching a clip of a storyteller performing it [19]

Have students build vocabulary words using letter magnets as a tactile activity [20]

Instead of always assigning students print books to take home, try giving audiobook or video assignments as well [21]

Have students make their own illustrations to accompany vocabulary words or simple sentences that they write

Teach students to sound out words while pointing at each letter to solidify a link between sounds and print letters [22]

Sources:
The Libra Foundation. Why is Early Literacy Important? Retrieved from raisingreaders.org: https://www.raisingreaders.org/understanding-early-literacy/why-is-early-literacy-important/.[1]

The American Institutes for Research. Learning to Read with Multimedia Materials. Retrieved from ctdinstitute.org: https://www.ctdinstitute.org/sites/default/files/file_attachments/CITEd%20-%20Learning%20to%20Read%20with%20Multimedia%20Materials%20FINAL.pdf.[2]

Blomert, L., and Froyen, D. Multi-sensory learning and learning to read. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 77(3), September 2010, pp. 195-204.[3]

Shams, L., and Seitz, A.R. Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 60, November 2008, pp. 411-17.[4]

Başar, E. The theory of the whole-brain-work. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 60, March 2006, pp. 133-38.[5]

Minnesota Literacy Council. Multisensory Activities to Teach Reading Skills. Retrieved from mnliteracy.org: https://mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/multisensory_techniques_to_teach_reading_skills.pdf.[6]

Ibid.[7]

Blomert, L., and Froyen, D. Multi-sensory learning and learning to read. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 77(3), September 2010, pp. 195-204.[8]

International Dyslexia Association. Multisensory Structured Language Teaching Fact Sheet. Retrieved from dyslexiaida.org: https://dyslexiaida.org/multisensory-structured-language-teaching-fact-sheet/.[9]

Smith, G.J., Booth, J.R., and McNorgan, C. Longitudinal Task-Related Functional Connectivity Changes Predict Reading Development. Frontiers in Psychology, 60, September 2018.[10]

The American Institutes for Research. Learning to Read with Multimedia Materials. Retrieved from ctdinstitute.org: https://www.ctdinstitute.org/sites/default/files/file_attachments/CITEd%20-%20Learning%20to%20Read%20with%20Multimedia%20Materials%20FINAL.pdf.[11]

Ibid.[12]

Minnesota Literacy Council. Multisensory Activities to Teach Reading Skills. Retrieved from mnliteracy.org: https://mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/multisensory_techniques_to_teach_reading_skills.pdf.[13]

Gardner, H., and Hatch, T. Educational Implications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Educational Reader, 8(8), November 1989, pp. 4-10.[14]

Davis, K., Christodoulou, J., Seider, S., & Gardner, H. The theory of multiple intelligences. In R.J. Sternberg & S.B. Kaufman, Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence, 2011, pp. 485-503.[15]

Ibid.[16]

Ozdemir, P., Guneysu, S., and Tekkaya, C. Enhancing Learning through Multiple Intelligences. Journal of Biological Education, 2006, 40(2), pp. 74-78.[17]

The American Institutes for Research. Learning to Read with Multimedia Materials. Retrieved from ctdinstitute.org: https://www.ctdinstitute.org/sites/default/files/file_attachments/CITEd%20-%20Learning%20to%20Read%20with%20Multimedia%20Materials%20FINAL.pdf.[18]

Shams, L., and Seitz, A.R. Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 60, November 2008, pp. 411-17.[19]

Minnesota Literacy Council. Multisensory Activities to Teach Reading Skills. Retrieved from mnliteracy.org: https://mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/multisensory_techniques_to_teach_reading_skills.pdf.[20]

Shams, L., and Seitz, A.R. Benefits of multisensory learning. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 60, November 2008, pp. 411-17.[20]

Ibid.[21]

Center For Effective Reading Instructions and International Dyslexia Association. Phonics Instruction: the Value of a Multi-sensory Approach. Retrieved from readingrockets.org: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/phonics-instruction-value-multi-sensory-approach.[22]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Multisensory Learning is an Effective Strategy for Teaching Students How To Read - Waterford.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the most important challenges that educators face is how to teach early or struggling students literacy skills. While students meet academic milestones at different paces, incorporating certain strategies in your classroom can help you prepare as many students as possible for reading readiness.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teacher Led Activities for Reading Skills

# data[].attributes.subject
Teacher Led Activities for Reading Skills

# data[].attributes.body
This article provides a great first-hand account from an educator who has worked with English Language Learners and many other learners in multi-sensory approaches to develop their foundations in literacy. There are a litany of examples provided and additional opportunities for differentiation embedded within each activity.

# data[].attributes.body
This page links to the full text of the study. This article helps to explain how individuals are consistently operating by having multiple sensory systems at once and thus educators stand to see more profound results by also going further to activate multiple sensory systems at once as well. It suggests that multi-sensory learning, as opposed to unisensory learning, is beneficial for almost all students regardless of learning differences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Benefits of multisensory learning - PubMed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Studies of learning, and in particular perceptual learning, have focused on learning of stimuli consisting of a single sensory modality. However, our experience in the world involves constant multisensory stimulation. For instance, visual and auditory information are integrated in performing many ta…