Hello! When students first see a word with three consonants between the vowels, it can look a little intimidating. But VCCCV words are much easier to divide once you know what to look for. In OG, we often call these Ostrich words to highlight the three-consonant pattern. The key with VCCCV division is knowing when consonants need to stay together. So, how do you divide an Ostrich word? Step 1: Underline the vowels or vowel sounds.Step 2: Code the word VCCCV, starting with the first vowel.Step...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
What if a student knows the patterns or rules you've taught, but still stumbles during reading or when trying to use the words in context? Would you slow down and work toward automaticity with those earlier concepts, or keep moving through your scope and sequence while working on fluency along the way? I think there's room for both. I'd probably slow down a little, but I wouldn't necessarily stop moving forward. First, I'd want to know: Does the student really know the rule and apply it to...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Happy Summer! I don't know about you, but summer always seems to go faster than I expect. If you've been meaning to fit in some literacy practice but haven't found a rhythm yet, there's still plenty of time. That's exactly why I created the 2-2-2 Summer Plan. Instead of trying to squeeze in full lessons several days a week, the idea is to keep skills active with a routine that's realistic for busy summer schedules: ✔ 2 days a week✔ 20 minutes a day✔ 2 types of practice If you'd like to learn...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi friends! Planning Orton-Gillingham lessons can sometimes feel harder than the actual teaching. What should always be included?How much review is enough?How do you keep lessons organized without trying to cram everything into one session? A new article was just added to the site: New Article: Planning OG Lessons The article covers: lesson flow review and dictation oral reading pacing small group flexibility helping lessons feel more connected and less scattered ☀️ Summer Learning Sale...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi! If you read my last email, you saw the 2–2–2 plan: 2 days a week 20 minutes 2 types of practice The question is: what does that actually look like with a student? Here’s one example. Let’s say you’re reinforcing the FLOSS rule. Day 1 (20 minutes) Sound & Word Work Choose a small set of sounds (for example: 5 consonants and 2 short vowels) Review those sounds and connect them to letters (and keywords, if necessary!) Dictate 5 words and 2 short phrases or sentences (be sure the student...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hello! Summer tends to shift things. One week you’re on a roll, and the next week someone’s at the beach, at camp, or just done. I’ve had summers where I planned to keep everything going… and by mid-July, it was clear that wasn’t happening. So instead of fighting that, I’ve been using a simple structure that keeps things moving and helps with student (and parent) burnout. 2 days a week20 minutes each day2 types of practice That’s it. If you want to see how this looks (and what to use), I put...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hi there, I wanted to share one more thought on b and d confusion, because this comes up a lot. And here’s what I’ve noticed: It’s usually not the letters themselves. Students may know b.They may know d. But when they start reading and writing more independently, that’s when the confusion shows up. Where things tend to break down The confusion isn’t just about the letters themselves. b and d are mirror images, which makes them easy to mix up. And once students begin reading and writing more...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hello! If you’ve worked with youger kids, you’ve probably seen it… b and d getting flipped. It’s one of those things that shows up, and it can stick around longer than you’d expect. This isn’t something to handle differently from the start. In a structured literacy approach, we teach b first, then d later, according to the scope and sequence. The confusion usually shows up after students begin reading and writing more independently, and that’s when we step in and give a little extra support....
6 months ago • 1 min read
Hello! Some words just do not play fair. You teach the rules. You practice decoding. You work through spelling patterns. And then along comes a word like said, was, or one that seems to ignore everything. That is where the SOS Technique can really help. SOS stands for Simultaneous Oral Spelling, and it is a simple, multisensory way to help students learn tricky sight words by seeing, saying, hearing, tracing, and writing the word all at once. In this week’s article, I walk through: what SOS...
7 months ago • 1 min read