Why are there two ways to write /w/?
Why are there two ways to write /w/? Is that a <w> or <wh>? How often have you heard that from your student? How do you explain the difference? Do they really sound different? Let’s take a deep dive into...
Thoughts From My Notebook
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Too many rules and exceptions!
As the Science of Reading pushes awareness of how to teach reading and spelling, people are jumping on the bandwagon. Publishers also see an opportunity to make money, so they are cranking out a “phonics-based “ curriculum with all the...
Don't let a scope and sequence dictate your decodable book choice!
Like everything in education, the pendulum swings; this time, it brings to light decodable readers' importance. For better or worse, I am on a few FaceBook pages about the Science of Reading and, of course, Orton Gillingham. I see everyone...
Yes, I know it isn't a suffix...
Before I get bombarded with comments, yes, I know <tion> is not a suffix, and yet I teach it as a whole unit. Yikes! I can sense so many of you want to jump to the comment section to set...
How about these two softies?
Let's talk about soft c and g! I am not a linguist or a word historian; I am just curious about the English Language structure. I spend late nights reading obscure books and chasing google rabbits down deep holes. I...
i before e except after c?... does that work for you?
Is the <i> before <e> rhyme really accurate or consistent? Why are there so many different sounds for these two vowel pairs? How do I teach <ie> and <ei>? These are questions I frequently hear from OG practitioners. ...
Life in the time of Corona, or rather, it’s ok if I wear pajama bottoms with my cute blouse, right?
In mid-March 2020, as I headed into spring break, I never considered we wouldn’t be going back. And just like that, the thing I loved most about my job was no longer my reality. I cherished my one on one...
Why teach syllable accents?
I don't hear syllable accents, do you? Have you ever wondered how many of your students are unable to discern the stressed syllable from the unstressed syllable? Teaching syllable accents seems to be a prevalent activity in classrooms and many...