Pete was formally diagnosed as severely dyslexic. He reads well but his spelling is a huge embarrassment to him.
Stop Saying ‘Sound it Out’
There are two phrases we ask That Reading Thing tutors to avoid: ‘Sound it out’ and ‘Break it down’.
Why? Because our students have heard these phrases their whole school lives and have no idea what they mean.
Long and Short Vowels
Here’s my rationale for not using the terms ‘long’ and ‘short’ in the remedial setting of That Reading Thing.
Why not to teach syllable types
Dyslexia tutors who are trained in programs like OG are showing an interest in linguistic (speech to print) phonics which has led to more frequent questions about TRT’s approach to syllables.
Decodable text for teens and adults
We’re often asked what decodable readers we recommend and the answer is usually ‘none’. Most TRT learners, even those who are working slowly through the Foundation levels, are not beginning readers.
Words ending tion
Learning to read and spell words ending tion is a powerful confidence builder in the early levels of That Reading Thing.
Bomb Comb Tomb
What can bomb, comb, tomb tell us about English and how it works as a code for reading and spelling?
Correcting b/d reversal
The tendency to reverse b and d is a huge embarrassment for older students who struggle to get the mirror image letters straight. On dyslexia discussion boards, the question keeps coming up, ‘How do we help our dyslexic students stop reversing b and d?’
Pacing your lesson
A TRT tutor emailed with the following: “I have been working with _______ who is ______ years old.
(fill in your own student name and age) I think he has been through several literacy programs, each with their own instructional methods.”
Ghoti Spells Fish (no it doesn’t)
Ghoti spells Fish. This thing still shows up on social media and still makes me sigh heavily for two reasons.