Some kids will pick up reading quickly no matter what.
Like magic! Things just seemingly “click”!
But due to a variety of factors, about 60% of kids will need systematic, direct instruction to help them turn letters and sounds into words, according to the International Dyslexia Association.
That includes the 10% to 15% of students who may be considered dyslexic – for them, reading will always be slow and laborious without intensive, repetitive instruction.
So how do we best support these students?
There are 2 approaches to reading instruction:
Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy
Back in 2020, after completing the Orton Gillingham training through the Institute of Multi-sensory Education I began implementing structured literacy methods in my teaching at Next Step. Almost immediately I began to see the impact.
Students weren't just making progress, they were sustainably carrying that information forward session to session. They had SUCH a solid foundation.
The difference systematic, structured literacy made was that each child was becoming a ROCKSTAR DECODER!
They were solid! And I was sold on structured literacy as the basis for how I would build, grow and evolve Next Step over the past 5 years.
Starting in the 1990s, many schools began implementing an approach called “balanced literacy,” which was intended to combine the whole language emphasis on meaning-making with some instruction on learning to read words explicitly. While it incorporates some phonics, balanced literacy also teaches kids to rely on tricks like guessing at words based on the picture or the first letter of the word.
(This is not how we instruct at Next Step.)
In contrast, “structured literacy,” is based on more than three decades of scientific research on how the brain learns to read, often referred to as the “science of reading.” Structured literacy holds that many children don’t pick up reading naturally – they need to be explicitly taught how to connect sounds to the printed letters themselves, a process called “decoding.”
(This IS how we instruct at Next Step.)
A systematic approach to reading instruction has helped Next Step students become solid decoders and as a result; CONFIDENT READERS!
If ROCKSTAR READER feels like a fit for your child's reading goals - Next Step has opened fall enrollment in both our private literacy and small group sessions this fall based in the Science of Reading.
If you are interested in connecting further or ready to register your child to join Next Step Education this fall, reply to this e-mail for next steps!
Enrollment spots are limited and are filling up!
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