You don't have to be a teacher to change your child's life with literacy.
How do you teach someone to read?
Many of us never ask this question until we are faced with helping someone who is struggling with reading, spelling, or both.
Language comes naturally to children, as does walking. One of my students equated reading with being a third skill we assume someone will eventually "pick up," like walking and talking, when that is not the case for many.
In fact, reading is not an innate human skill, meaning it must be explicitly taught.
The consequences of doing nothing
If you're a parent of a struggling reader, I probably don't have to tell you how frustrating it can be for them to feel behind, or how heartbreaking it is for you to watch them slowly fall through the cracks.
Reading and self-esteem are linked in their formative years, and the cost of waiting for reading to finally "click" can significantly impact a young person's sense of self-worth into adulthood.
Families sometimes hesitate over getting a dyslexia diagnosis due to worry over their child being labeled. My students will tell you that "lazy" and "stupid" are labels, too, and they know which label is better for their self-esteem.
They'll also tell you that there is hope. You do not need a formal diagnosis or a specialized degree to help someone overcome challenges that may seem insurmountable right now.
How to teach reading
Teaching literacy may seem unclear and intimidating, especially if you're not a teacher, or you suspect you may be dyslexic, yourself.
We can break it down into just a few parts:
• Phonetic words, which we can sound out, and which follow a set of rules;
• Non-phonetic words, which do not follow rules;
• How to build words up (encoding) and how to break them down (decoding)
That's it! There are a few more skills involved, like writing (letter formation), writing composition, reading comprehension, and vocabulary, but our task can be straightforward. It might sound like a lot, but the course is plotted and teachable with the right plan: a structured, multi-sensory plan.
...Multi-sensory?
The ace up our sleeve... or in our hand?
Humans have been using their greatest teaching tool––the body––for the last 200,000 years. Multi-sensory learning, that is learning through our five senses, teaches us not to touch fire, which food is ripe and ready to eat, and which animals to avoid (rattlesnakes give our ears their famous warning), to name but a few lessons that ensure our survival.
The truly awesome part about the brain and body's connection via thousands of nerve endings in our fingertips, plus our other four senses, is this:
We can use the body to teach things beyond survival. We can use the body to teach reading and spelling.
Reading... and spelling?
Yes, surprisingly. Who knew the teaching of one impacted the teaching of the other? I'd never thought about it until I learned how teaching structured, multi-sensory literacy could quite literally change kids' lives.
When we try to teach reading without structure or multi-sensory techniques, our best attempt can often mean encouraging students to memorize word shapes. They may correctly guess what some words say on the spot, but they can't spell them, recall them later, or successfully tackle new words on their own. Sound familiar? It's okay. You can help get them on track!
Here's the truth:
By teaching reading and spelling at the same time with multi-sensory techniques, we help them form new pathways in their brain. Now that's cool. The best part? It works.
Our mission, their future
Struggling readers do not have to struggle, and should not. Perfection is never the goal. We aren't expecting lightning-fast reading or flawless writing and spelling. We also can't expect strong literacy skills to arrive magically overnight. They are attainable with the right approach, and the right teacher: You.
Confident reading, as well as strong written and oral communication skills are a necessity in today's world. Just because someone didn't "pick it up" enough on their own to get by doesn't mean they can't learn how to access the same material as everyone else. Let's be honest: "just getting by" is not thriving, it's surviving. Without strong literacy, our children with low-literacy skills are limited by what is available to them as they become low-literacy adults, expected to survive on their own.
To me, strong literacy equals freedom. Freedom to choose their career path, and freedom to live the life of their dreams, is determined by the independence and critical thinking they gain through confident literacy.
Accessibility is at the heart of why we're here. You and your family can thrive if given the right tools, techniques, and a roadmap to follow.
Explore our tools and training
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Phonics Accelerator Course & Community
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Phonics Sound Cards
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