How are these lessons different than a traditional reading lesson?

These lessons stand out because they are grounded in a distinct teaching philosophy that, while not new, remains relatively unknown in the education community. This philosophy draws upon the work of Dr. Dianne McGuinness and has sparked debate regarding its terminology. It has been referred to as “speech to print,” but is now more commonly recognized as “Structured Linguistic Literacy” (SLL). Dr. Marnie Ginsberg developed the Reading Simplified program based on this philosophy. Although I have received training in Reading Simplified, I am not officially affiliated with the program. The training provided me with a clear plan and pathway for teaching beginning and struggling readers.

SLL focuses on four key principles from the very beginning of reading instruction with the goal of helping a student to understand how the alphabetic code works or understanding the alphabetic principle.

1. A phoneme, or smallest sound part of a word, can be spelled by a single letter. C-u-p
2. A phoneme can be spelled by two or more letters. When, thought
3. The same phoneme can be spelled in more than one way. We, grumpy
4. The same letters can represent more than one phoneme. Team, bread, great

SLL focuses on four skills that are necessary for reading fluently.

1. Blending sounds to make words.
2. Segmenting sounds to spell words.
3. Manipulating sounds to be able to correct errors.
4. Comprehending the words on the page.

Because Reading Simplified follows the SLL approach, here are some of the differences you will see in a lesson.

• In beginning reading lessons, letter names are not emphasized; instead, the focus is on the sounds associated with the letters. Letter names will be introduced during handwriting lessons.
• Decodable books are utilized only as long as necessary. Due to the way the brain processes information, explicit instruction is kept brief. Once students grasp the fundamentals of how the code works and have been exposed to common sound patterns, they can begin to apply their knowledge to texts that are progressively less decodable.
• The emphasis is on the individual sounds of words, or phonemes, so activities centered on rhyming or syllable types will not be included. Students will consistently articulate the sounds of words as they write them.
• The approach is not focused on memorizing sight words; rather, it encourages students to sound out all words, allowing them to transform all words into sight words through orthographic mapping.
• The concept of “set for variability,” or flexibility, is introduced when a student mispronounces a word. The teacher prompts the student to consider alternative pronunciations, guiding them to experiment with different sounds they have encountered using the patterns in that word. For example, they may read “hat” as “hate.”
• Students will learn to blend sounds as they read, rather than employing sound-by-sound blending or onset-rime blending. This method aligns with how our brains naturally learn to read and is generally easier for students.
• The focus will not be on phonics rules but rather on spelling patterns, which students will begin to apply in their reading and writing.
• Teachers will introduce the advanced code early on. Once a student comprehends the alphabetic principle and can blend, segment, and manipulate basic code, such as CVC words, the teacher will present the advanced code based on sound patterns. For instance, the first sound pattern introduced is the most common ways to spell the long “o” sound.
• Multisyllable words will be taught once the student can read the basic code and has started to learn the advanced code.

When you combine all these differences, you achieve streamlined instruction and accelerated progress that both students and teachers appreciate. Who wouldn’t enjoy being effective and witnessing positive results?