READING COMPREHENSION
From Emerging Readers to College-bound Students, the Need to Read Persists
Reading is the single most effective human activity for transforming information into knowledge. We teach all facets of reading, from phoneme awareness and decoding, to vocabulary development and comprehension. Our signature programs are research-based and proven to be effective.
WHICH PROGRAM IS RIGHT FOR YOUR STUDENT? CONTACT US TO DISCUSS
We want to provide the best possible reading programs for your child and for all our students, K-Adult. To achieve this, we offer researched-based multisensory reading, spelling, and writing programs based on the Orton-Gillingham Method.
This method, developed in the early 1930s by Anna Gillingham and Dr. Samuel Orton, features a unique approach to teaching the phonemic structure of written language to individuals with reading deficiencies. Gillingham and Orton aimed to create a sequential, structured reading system that built upon itself.
We use these programs with a wide variety of learners, from children as young as 5 to adults. Interestingly enough, we see as many emergent readers as we see adolescents who have scored in the “teens” on the ACT reading section. Client goals may differ due to age or circumstance, but the desired result is the same—every student wants to improve reading fluency and speed while maintaining adequate comprehension. So, that’s what we help our students achieve!
We offer a decoding program called, The Wilson Reading and Spelling System (WRS). As part of its multisensory approach, WRS uses a unique system of decoding and encoding. Students are taught to break down and blend syllables based on the six syllable types. The WRS is designed for students who are reading and/or spelling below their expected grade level. This program will greatly benefit:
Students diagnosed with a Reading Difference
Students unable to decode accurately
Slow, labored readers who lack fluency
Students who often guess at words
Students able to speak and understand English, but not read or write it
Students who may have “gaps” in their reading abilities
SCHEDULE
Sessions are usually longer than with other programs based on the Orton-Gillingham method, and they typically last 90-120 minutes. These include exercises like letter-sound recognition, reading comprehension, and spelling.
Like other programs, WRS builds skills over time in a particular order. Its curriculum is broken into 12 steps or units.
ENVIRONMENT
Multisensory instruction is used throughout each session. Examples include manipulation of word parts, tapping, or scooping phrases. Questioning techniques are also used throughout the lesson. These specific questioning strategies check understanding, review, and correct errors.
All students are engaged in each lesson with continuous individualized teacher-student interaction.
Another program we offer is a reading comprehension program called Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking Program (VV). Reading comprehension is profoundly affected by imagery or lack thereof. Students with weak reading comprehension do not image well. They are forced to reread material numerous times in order to recall facts. Moreover, students that struggle to use imagery to comprehend, frequently cannot infer, predict, or evaluate information. VV stimulates concept imagery, attention skills, memory, and cognitive development.
The last program we offer is called Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing (LiPS). This program is a true linguistic program geared toward students that may have an underdeveloped auditory conceptual function. Research shows that auditory conceptual function is directly related to literacy skills. LiPS teaches students how to manipulate phonemes by process of discovery, feeling the movements of the mouth, and watching these movements in the mirror. Teachers train students to manipulate sounds in words using colored blocks, pictures of mouth postures, and movable alphabet tiles. This program’s tasks are taught in small progressions and at a level more basic than most reading programs.
We use these programs with a wide variety of learners, from children as young as 5 to adults. Goals may differ due to age or circumstance, but the desired result is the same: every student wants to improve reading fluency and speed while maintaining adequate comprehension. So, that’s what we help our students achieve!