From Isolated Sounds to Blending CVC from Orton Gillingham Coaching

There are reasons it’s hard for students to go from isolated sounds to blending. It’s not just incomprehension, it has to do with moving from doing one task, making one sound, to now doing three things, blending three sounds. It’s a jump for younger kids and includes cognitive processes, memory and phonemic awareness. This video goes through the process of why students may struggle and activities you can use to help. Full Article available.

Struggling to Blend Letters to Words, Help is Here

My Student Can Isolate Sounds but Struggles to Blend CVC Words There are reasons it’s hard for students to go from isolated sounds to blending. It’s not just incomprehension, it has to do with moving from doing one task, making one sound, to now doing three things, blending three sounds and thinking about how those fit together. It’s a jump for younger kids and includes cognitive processes, memory and phonemic awareness. Even kids with dyslexia and executive functioning challenges can get there. It requires repetition and patience. Helpful Activities to CVC Blending #1 Phoneme Work First, make sure they can hear the sounds of...

6 Easy Steps to Spelling Better: SOS Spelling Technique

6 Easy Steps to Spelling Better: SOS Spelling Technique Spelling can be a challenge for both kids and adults but throw in a word that makes no sense phonetically, (especially when you are teaching phonics!), and it can throw students for a loop. Simultaneous Oral Spelling (SOS Technique) can be a spelling-lifesaver. It’s used in multi-sensory learning approaches like Orton Gillingham. Multisensory Approach Multisensory means we want students to hear what they see and spell what they hear. To do this, we use lesson plans including auditory, visual and kinesthetic parts. In an approach like Orton Gillingham, we start with phonemic awareness,...

How to Teach Consonant LE Syllable Pattern from Orton Gillingham Coaching

Orton Gillingham Coaching: Teaching Consonant LE Syllables, Tools & Strategies In Orton Gillingham we learn to use Syllable Types to label syllables. Eventually, this leads to syllable division. Consonant + LE is the fifth syllable pattern you teach in Orton Gillingham in the REVLOC system of syllable patterns. Consonant + LE Syllable Pattern The Consonant LE Syllable pattern is a Consonant with an LE, in words like cuddle and title.  It is always found at the end of words. In labeling syllables, Consonant LE is labeled as L – the L in revLoc. Initial Terms Needed to Get Consonant LE A student must know...

Easy Steps to learning Syllable Division Types, an Overview from Orton Gillingham Coaching

This article is to provide an overview of syllable division rules. A birds-eye view into why we are learning REVLOC and how to utilize syllable labeling. What is syllable division? Most of my videos so far have been going over syllable types REVLOC, but I want to give an overview of why we are teaching REVLOC in the first place. Syllable division is a way to break down words into more digestible pieces for easier reading and spelling. Syllable Types Review – REVLOC There are six syllable types in REVLOC and the word REVLOC is the order in which one syllable type is dominant...

Making Sense of the Consonant Reading Deck from Orton Gillingham Coaching

YouTube Video on Making Sense of the Deck from Orton Gillingham Coaching: https://youtu.be/XJaIKgd1g5o What is a reading consonant? A reading consonant is when you ask what sound(s) letter or letter combinations make. For example, b says /b/, it only makes that one sound. But, g can make two sounds, /g/ and /j/ as in gem.   In comparison, spelling a sound, for example, is when you ask a student, what letter or letters makes the sound “s” and a student will say, s, c, sc, and ps all make the sound “s.” What’s Up with This Deck? The Pile For the purpose of making sense...

Teaching R-Controlled Vowels from Orton Gillingham Coaching

To Watch on YouTube please visit: https://youtu.be/IQ5Xb5dkCSc Teaching R-Controlled Vowels I’ve talked about syllables in my past posts, but within syllables, and before teaching a syllable type, you might have noticed I also teach the vowel type. For example, you wouldn’t start with a closed syllable before talking about short vowels in depth. Teaching short vowels we use drill cards, vowel strips, writing activities with sand or tracing on sand paper, we have a student listen to a sound we are saying and write that short vowel on a paper. Then we graduate to putting those vowels with our consonants and reading...

Orton Gillingham Coaching: Activities for Teaching the Sounds of -ed

Teaching the Sounds of the Suffix -ed Most people know the sound -ed is a suffix, but unless a person has been taught or thought about it, many may not realize that -ed says three sounds: /ed/ (as in the name Ed), /d/ and in loved, and /t/ as in kissed. Drill Cards in Two Places The -ed drill card is in two places. First, it’s in the Consonant Reading Deck, used as a phonogram drill.   It’s not so much about -ed being a suffix at this point, as a letter combination with three sounds.   The /ed/ sound is also used after...

Orton Gillingham Coaching: Teaching Open Syllables, Tools and Strategies

Video on Strategies and Teaching, with 7 activities, Open Syllables Teaching Open Syllables, Tools & Strategies Open Syllable is the third syllable pattern you teach in Orton Gillingham in the REVLOC system of syllable patterns. Open Syllable Pattern The Open Syllable pattern is CV or V – Consonant, Vowel (or just Vowel). The open vowel at the end of the syllable makes the vowel long, or “makes the vowel say its name.” Initial Terms A student must know what a vowel and consonant are to be able to grasp the concept of syllables. By this point, you will already have taught Closed and Magic E patterns.*

Orton Gillingham Coaching: Consonant Sound Spelling Tools & Strategies

What Is Sound Reading and Sound Spelling? Sound Reading asks, what does this letter say? Sometimes it says one sound and sometimes it says multiple sounds. Examples: What does S say? S says, /s/ and /z/ as in sun and rose What does F say? F says /f/ as in fan Sound Spelling asks, what letter or letter combinations make this sound? Examples: What letters say, /s/? The letters S and C say /s/, as in sun and city, and more advanced, SC, keyword scissors and PS, keyword psychic (or psalm) What letters say, /f/? The letters that say /f/ are f and ph, as in fan...