Fun Clothespin Orton Gillingham Remediation Ideas and More

Incorporating the fun factor can help to make any difficult lesson enjoyable.  I found these cute, little, painted clothespins on Ebay, and I think it will take my lessons to a whole new level.  I have color coded the vowels and consonants as well as the digraphs. There are so many ways I can use these clothespins to enhance my lessons!

It will enhance my lessons for a number of reasons:

• Using these cute, colorful, mini clothespins that measure only 1 1/2 inches by 1/2 an inch will surely engage my learners.
• Opening and closing clothespins also helps to develop fine motor skills.
• Color-coding the letters can help the children differentiate between vowels and consonants.
• Color-coding the letters can also help students discriminate between the different types of syllables.  If you look at the image above, the first two words are closed syllables, the third word is an open syllable, and the final word is a silent-e syllable.
• Placing digraphs on a single clothespin helps the kids to remember that the two letters only make one sound. 

What are some other possibilities?

• You can store them in color-coded, up-cycled pill containers. 
• You can also bring in additional colored clothespins to represent diphthongs (vowel combinations) as well as digraphs.
• You can use large clothespins too.  If you can’t find colored ones, the easiest thing to do would be to make your own.  I have a number of suggestions linked under the next heading.
• You can also use clothespins with whole numbers and integers to help students understand the sequence of the number line and when adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.  
• You can even use clothespins for grammar.  Students can sort nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs etc. onto the correct clothing hanger.  

Other clothespin ideas found on Pinterest:

• Washi Tape Clothespins Tutorial:

        http://www.makelifelovely.com/2013/04/washi-tape-clothespins-tutorial.html?m=1

• Other Clothespin Ideas:

        http://www.pinterest.com/pin/156500155774780549/ 

• Dying Clothespins:

        http://www.pinterest.com/pin/283304632782361405/

• Painting Clothespins:

        http://www.pinterest.com/pin/267049452877129057/

I will be getting bigger clothespins too as they are better at accommodating more than one letter.  This way I can also create activities for prefixes, roots and suffixes.

If you have any comments or some other cool ideas to do with clothespins, please share them below.

If you are looking for other ways to make your Orton-Gillinghman or phonics based program fun and enjoyable, you can review all my reading remediation materials at DyslexiaMaterials.com

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz  

Cognitive Exercises Solve Reading and Math Difficulties

Many young learners struggle with basic reading and math because the cognitive skills required to do these tasks are weak.  Therefore, these children need to strengthen these processing areas before they attempt to learn how to decode words and execute basic computations. 

What are the Core Areas of Cognition Required for Basic Reading and Math?

1.   Sequential processing and memory: The ability to scan, make sense of, and remember information in a sequence or series.

2.   Auditory processing and memory: The ability to listen, make sense of, and remember information that is heard.

3.   Visual processing and memory: The ability to scan, make sense of, and remember visual information and symbols.

4.   Attention to detail: The ability to thoroughly and accurately perceive and consider all the details and then determine the most important piece or pieces of information.

5.   Speed of processing: The ability to perform simple repetitive cognitive tasks quickly and fluently.

6.   Spatial skills: The ability to mentally manipulate 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional figures.

7.   Tracking: The ability to scan text from left to right.

 

Basic Exercises can Help to Remediate Weak Cognitive Areas

Each of the cognitive areas listed above can be strengthened.  However, what is most important is the activities need to be focused and engaging enough to enchant young learners.  From my work with children over the past 15 years, I have recently created two publications that offer fun activities and games that your primary students will be sure to love.  These activities can also be used with older students as a form of cognitive remediation.

Following Directions Primary:

My newest publication, Following Directions Primary, offers a comprehensive, 49 page, digital download that includes process of elimination and coloring activities.  It develops abilities with the use of cute animals and aliens as well as letters, numbers, shapes and arrows. As students develop listening skills, they also enhance linguistic abilities and core cognitive skills.  If you are interested in learning more about this publication you can come to my product page.  You can even download free samples.

Reversing Reversals Primary:

This past summer, I created Reversing Reversals Primary.  This two focuses on strengthening the cognitive foundation needed for reading and math.  It also works on the cognitive areas that impact students with dyslexia such as perception.  This publication, which is available as a digital download, offers 72 pages of activities and a game and teaches all of the cognitive skills with the use of colorful animal images.  If you are interested in learning more about this publication you can come to my product page. You can even download a free samples.

By helping young learners to develop their core, cognitive foundation before commencing with reading and math instruction, you can assure that these students will have the abilities necessary to succeed. Furthermore, you can avoid learning difficulties and allow your young learners to progress with confidence.

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz  

Reading Comprehension Strategies for Stories

Helping your students to develop excellent reading comprehension skills can help them to succeed in academics as well as life.  But simply decoding words is not enough.  Successful readers must remember content, understand inferences, maintain focus and make connections. It is a comprehensive process that requires mindful pre-reading activities, reading activities and post-reading activities.

Pre-reading Strategies

1.     Reading a summary of the chapter helps students to conceptualize main ideas so that they can read deeper and prepare to visualize the content.

2.    Questioning prior knowledge about the topic can help students make connections and it can capture their interest.

3.    Skimming a prior chapter or reviewing personal notes can help to bring back the story line or main idea for the reader.

4.    Predicting what will happen in the story can help to engage learners imaginations and creativity.

Reading Strategies

1.     Underlining important characters, settings and events can help the reader document important details.

2.    Annotating or taking notes in the margins can help students to document their thoughts and focus on important events or ideas.  Symbols such as S for setting and Þ for important event can help students to be mindful of key features and actions.

3.    Pretending to be a movie director and trying to make the characters and setting come alive can help students remain engaged and can improve memory for the story.

Post-reading Strategies

1.     Using a notebook or sticky notes to record 3 to 5 bullets that summarize each chapter can help the reader pull the story together.  In addition, this strategy can also be used to help students to write a summary of the book.  Furthermore, jotting notes can also offer a preview when the student returns to read another chapter.

2.    Drawing a picture or more for each chapter that summarizes the events can help students to develop their visualization capacity.

3.    Creating a timeline as the reader progresses through the story can clarify the structure and the sequence of events.  Colorful drawings can also be added to the timeline to help students imagine important details.

4.    Making marks in the book where there are descriptive sections or character descriptions can be a good strategy for students that have trouble visualizing while reading.  When they reach the end of a page or passage, they can go back and visualize the events and scenes.

I hope you found these strategies helpful.  I would love to hear your thoughts.  If you would like a free handout of these strategies click here.

To learn more about academic strategies as well as other helpful learning tools, consider purchasing Planning Time Management and Organization for Success. This publication offers methods and materials that teach learning strategies, time management, planning and organization (executive functioning skills).  It includes questionnaires, agendas, checklists, as well as graphic organizers.  You will also find advice and handouts for math, memory, motivation, setting priorities and incentives programs.  What’s more, the materials accommodate learners of all ages.  Lastly, I offer a free sample assessment from the publication too, as well as a free video on executive functioning.  To Access this Click Here

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz  

Free Vowel Combination Game

Using games to teach students the vowel combinations or vowel teams can be a wonderful way to entice your students and brings the fun factor into your lesson.  
Here is a free game, Voweleos, that I created that is similar to the game Dominoes.  

            For two to five players (for 3-5 players make two or more sets mixed together).

The vowel combinations can be:

1. Copied onto 3” by 5” index cards that are cut in half horizontally 
2. Written onto rectangular tiles 
3. Printed on card stock and cut  

            Directions: Play on a surface with a lot of cleared space or play on the floor.  Shuffle the deck or tiles.  Decide which player begins and play proceeds in a clockwise rotation.  Each player or team should be dealt ten cards or tiles.  You can play open or closed handed.  Beginners should always play with their vowel combinations visible to everyone, so that the teacher or parent can assist them.  Place the rest of the deck/tiles face down and turn one card/tile over and display it in the middle of the playing field (the beginning card).  The first player must select one of their cards/tiles that makes the same sound as one side of the beginning card/tile and then place it aside the beginning card/tile.  Like dominoes, you can only play off the ends.  If a player cannot make a move, they must select from the card deck or remaining tiles until they can.  The winner is the first one to use all of his or her cards. 

Please note that you can color-code the cards/tiles to remind students the number of sounds that each vowel combination can make: red = 1 sound, blue = 2 sounds, green = 3 sounds.  For example, ai is red because it only makes one possible sound, whereas ea is green because it can make three possible sounds.  If you would like to play this game before you have introduced all of the vowel combinations, you can make two decks of the red cards/tiles and play with the vowel combinations that make a single sound. 

Here is a list of all the playing cards/tiles.

To learn about other reading games, consider purchasing one of my Reading Games publications. These digital downloads offer a large selection of reading card games and board games that are wonderful for any phonics or Orton Gillingham reading program.  Finally, look on the page for a blue button for a free sample of one of my board games too. If you like this game, please share it with your friends and leave a comment below. 

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz  

Early Detection of Dyslexia

Early intervention is key as it can remediate and work around upcoming academic difficulties.  This is a very important approach for students with dyslexia.  Recent reports suggest that dyslexia impacts 5-10 percent of the population.  Now wouldn't it be wonderful if this condition could be detected before children learned to read? Weaknesses could be strengthened and appropriate teaching methodologies could be selected, making the process of reading successful the first time.  This could save the educational system a fortune and these young learners could sail through elementary school with an intact self-esteem.

MIT News Reported, on August 14th, 2013 that research suggests that brain scans may help to diagnose dyslexia.  Differences in the size of the arcuate fasciculus, the brain structure that unites two language processing areas, is now detectable.  To learn more about this and their continued efforts, CLICK HERE. 

I hope you you found this helpful!  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com, www.dyslexiamaterials.com & www.learningtolearn.biz  

Quick Individualized Solutions for Struggling and Dyslexic Readers

There is no single reading program or method that will address all the needs of struggling readers, because each learner has his or her own unique strengths and weaknesses.  In fact, there are many cognitive processing weaknesses that can effect young learners and if you want quick and optimal results, it’s important to pursue a comprehensive evaluation.  A good assessment will help uncover the areas of difficulty.  Then educational professionals, such as an experienced reading specialist or educational therapist can focus on strengthening those specific areas of cognition. 

What Are Some of The Cognitive Processing Areas That Impact Reading?

There are many cognitive processing areas that can impact reading.  Here are the most common:

Tracking: is the ability of the eyes to follow the movement of an object in motion or follow words across the page from left to right.

Visual Synthesis– is the ability to pull the pieces together to create a visual whole.

Visual Closure - is the ability to identify or recognize a symbol or object when the entire object is not visible.

Visual Discrimination - is the ability to discriminate between visible likeness and differences in size, shape, pattern, form, position, and color. 

Visual Reasoning - is the ability to understand and analyze visual information. 

Visual Memory - is the ability to recall what has been seen.

Visual Sequencing  - is the ability to recall the sequence of symbols, letters or numbers that have been seen.

Attention to Visual Details - is the ability to attend to and recognize all the information and fine points presented in an image.

Auditory Discrimination - is the ability to detect differences in sounds.

Auditory Memory - is the ability to remember the details of what is heard.

Auditory Sequencing - is the ability to remember the order of information in which it was heard.

Auditory Closure - is the ability to “fill in the gaps” and decipher a word or message when a part is distorted or missing.

Sound Symbol Association - is the ability to connect a sound with a symbol or letter.

Word Retrieval - is the ability to rapidly and precisely express ideas into specific words.

Receptive Language - is the ability to accurately understand language that is seen or heard.

Mental Flexibility - is the ability to shift our thoughts in order to respond effectively to any given situation.

Comprehensive Reading Programs Work, But Are They The Best Solution?

No one would suggest a whole body workout, if you just had a weak bicep.  Although a whole body workout would help in many ways, it will be a long process and your bicep may never receive the intensive work it needs to catch up with the rest of your body.  Likewise, a reading program is always beneficial, but it will probably take time and it may never strengthen the specific cognitive areas that need the most attention. 

How Can Specific Cognitive Areas Be Strengthened? 

To strengthen specific areas of cognition, it is important to do repeated activities that exercise those areas of the brain.  For example, if you need to improve a student's tracking abilities, he or she would need to do a lot of activities that would require their eyes to follow from left to right and follow objects in motion.  Likewise, to improve visual discrimination, a student would need to complete a lot of activities that would require the processing of similar images.  They would need to learn to practice and uncover likenesses and differences. 

What Are Some Specific Tools Professionals, Teachers and Parents Can Use?

To help make this process easier, I have designed a series of specific cognitive activities and games in a series of publications called Reversing Reversals.  The first publication in the Series, Reversing Reversal Primary, offers cognitive training materials for young learners that are struggling with letters and numbers, as well as those that are showing signs of dyslexia or other learning disabilities.  This product includes fun activities and games that use animals which will truly please and entice students.  Young learners will not even realize that they are working on the foundational skills that are necessary to learn basic math and reading.  The next product is Reversing Reversals.  This integrates letters and numbers into the activities and games.  Finally, Reversing Reversals 2 continues to offer more activities which work with letters, numbers and even symbols.   Free samplings of the activities are available for all three of these publications.  To learn more and try the free samples, go to dyslexiamaterials.com.  Another comprehensive tool that addresses many of the cognitive processing areas is Audiblox: http://www.audiblox2000.com/  For visual processing issues, I also like the MiniLuk system, and for Visual Discrimination and reasoning, I like Visual Discrimination by Jean Edwards.  See the links below:

                 

I hope you found this helpful!  I would love to hear your thoughts!!

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com  www.dyslexiamaterials.com and  www.learningtolearn.biz 

10 Easy Ways to Strengthen the Weaknesses Associated with Dyslexia

Dyslexia is the new, hot topic in education around the globe, and it is frequently featured in educational conferences, news articles, YouTube videos, and even movies.  New estimates suggest that as many as 1 in 10 children have this difficulty, making it the most common type of learning disability.  Although dyslexia is common, many with this condition remain undiagnosed.  Furthermore, many others who have received this diagnosis don’t fully understand it and never receive the needed remediation.  So, how can we help this underserved population? 

Here are some suggestions:

1. Because black text on a white background can be visually uncomfortable for many with dyslexia, provide them the option of using color overlays or nonprescription glasses with color-tinted lenses.  You can make your own overlays by taking transparent, colorful pocket folders or report covers and slicing them into strips that can also be used as bookmarks.  You can get a selection of tinted glasses that your students can use on sites like Amazon.com.  The most popular color seems to be yellow. 

2. Similarly, if changing the color of the background is helpful for reading, it is likely that your learners will also benefit from changing the background color when typing.  On a Mac, using Word, this can be done by clicking on the Format drop down menu, and then selecting background.  Here you can select another background color.  Please note, this will not impact the background when printing documents.  On a PC, this can be done by selecting the drop down menu, Page Layout, then Page Color.

3. Play search games with letters and words that are challenging.  For example, if a learner is having trouble discriminating between the letters "b" and "d," give them a magazine, newspaper or other print out and have them circle all the "bs."  They don’t have to be able to read the text; they will just be searching for the designated letter or word.  If you instruct a student to scan one line at a time, you will also be strengthening his or her tracking skills.

4. Purchase a book of jokes, or find some on the internet.  Go through each joke and talk about what makes it funny.  Discuss double meanings, and make a list of words that have multiple meanings.  Finally, encourage the learner to make their own joke book.

5. If spelling is a real problem, make a list of the student's commonly misspelled words.  Use a notebook and place one word on each page.  Have fun coming up with memory strategies that will help the learner remember the correct spelling.  For example, if a student is having difficulty with the word “together,” he or she may notice that the word is made up of three simple words – to, get and her.  As another example, one may notice that the word “what” has the word "hat" in it.  The student might draw many hats in their notebook and then write down the question, “What hat?”

6. Play fun, free internet games and videos that review basic phonics, such as Star Fall, BBCs Syllable Factory Game, Phonics Chant 2 and Magic E.

7. Make difficult letters, numbers and words with the learner out of wet spaghetti, pebbles, raisins, pipe cleaners, a sand tray, shaving cream, or clay.   You can also place challenging letters, numbers or words on a ball or a balloon and play catch.  Every time a participant catches the ball or balloon, he or she reads the first symbol or word seen.  Integrating a tactile and kinesthetic modality into lessons will make them more enjoyable and memorable.

8. Use books on tape or read aloud.  While listening, ask the learners to close their eyes so they can image the story in their head.  Many learners with dyslexia never fully develop their capacity to envision or visualize a story, because reading is so mentally overwhelming.  Helping these learners to develop the ability to utilize their mind’s eye aids in reading comprehension and memory.  Another option is to have the learner read along, so they can begin to see and recognize whole words and phrases.  A great organization that offers books on tape for struggling readers is Learning Ally. You can also purchase Franklin's Anybook Anywhere so that books can be recorded at your convenience, yet played anytime - anywhere!

9. Have fun creating a special reading area.  Make sure to come up with a fun name for this place, such as "the book nook."  Decorate it together.  You can fill it with pillows, stuffed animals, blankets and other comforting objects.  You can hang drapes around it, get a large bean bag, hide it under a tall table, or build it around an indoor chair swing or hammock.  Have books, highlighters, colored pencils and paper within reach.

10. Create a consistent time every few days where the whole family  grabs a book and reads.  All family members should congregate and read in a common room.  Make sure to have munchies and other comforting objects at hand.  This is a time to relax and enjoy the company of one another, so make this a cherished and special time.

If you are interested in purchasing some products that help students with dyslexia, consider downloading a free sample of Dr. Warren’s Reversing Reversals, Following Directions, Making Inferences the Fun and Easy Way, or Reading Games.  These and more great publications are available at www.dyslexiamaterials.com

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials.  She is also the director of Learning to Learn, in Ossining, NY.  To learn more about her products and services, you can go to www.goodsensorylearning.com  www.dyslexiamaterials.com and  www.learningtolearn.biz