Latest Posts:

silent-e card deck games

Looking for a way to get some extra practice in for students who need to work on whether the word says tap or tape, fin or fine? Try this deck of cards with short a, a-silent-e, short i, and i-silent-e words. Here are some suggested activities: Card Sort – pull out just the short-a and … Continue reading >

multi-sensory syllables workshop

Thanks to everyone who attended my workshop at the Children’s Dyslexia Center in Belleville, IL on incorporating multi-sensory components into working with syllables and syllable types! One of the cornerstones of the Orton-Gillingham methodology is to incorporate multi-sensory activities into the lesson. This is especially important when working with abstract terms like … Continue reading >

vowel team twister

Looking for a kinesthetic approach to practicing long vowels with vowel teams? I had been working with one of my students on “walking” vowel teams (two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking). He did fine with reading them, but when it came to saying “what spells” the long … Continue reading >

spelling rule drawing sheet

Help your students remember the spelling rules you teach them by having them create their own spelling rules drawing sheet. Not only does the activity help reinforce the rule as you teach it, but your student will then have something they can refer to if they need additional support putting … Continue reading >

syllable type recipes

Understanding that syllables come in different types – closed, open, silent-e, r-controlled, vowel team, consonant-le – is an important part of analyzing words. But have you ever had a student who just never quite gets what you mean when you ask what the “syllable type” is? Here’s a strategy I use that helps bring … Continue reading >

kinesthetic silent-e practice

I have a student who is very much a kinesthetic learner. We are just starting to tackle silent-e, and while he knows and can articulate what the silent-e means, putting it into practice when reading words on the page is a whole other challenge. While working with him on a-silent-e vs. … Continue reading >